69´«Ã½

Dear Members of our 69´«Ã½Community,

As the end of the calendar year quickly approaches, I would like to provide you with two documents related to UPEI's Future Directions initiative.

The first document is a Future Directions status update and a summary of what has taken place throughout 2012. The second document is forward-looking and builds upon the Future Directions update. This document outlines the next phase of Future Directions and the framework for UPEI's strategic action plan.

At my request, UPEI's Vice-Presidents are working together to further develop the 69´«Ã½Vision Document and 69´«Ã½Strategic Action Plan framework to create the detailed road map that will lead our growth and priorities over the next five years.

I would like to once again thank the members of our campus community for their valuable input and contributions. With a shared sense of purpose and direction, we will achieve UPEI's vision of fulfilling our potential and succeeding through transformation.

Yours truly,

Alaa Abd-El-Aziz
President and Vice-Chancellor

On Wednesday, December 19, at 8:00 pm, the 69´«Ã½music and theatre students will come together at The Guild to present a special holiday variety show in support of the 69´«Ã½Music Society. This concert will be a unique combination of comedy, dance, and musical performances-from jazz to folk to monologues-and will feature many holiday classics.

This show will not only present the diverse talents of the 69´«Ã½music and theatre students, but also special guests from the PEI community. Spectators are sure to enjoy the talents of the 69´«Ã½Jazz Ensemble, Theatre Society, Saxophone and Brass ensembles, Charlottetown Jazz and much more. Hosts Andrew Murray and Thayne Campbell of English Words are also sure to have the audience in stitches with their lighthearted tomfoolery.

Funds raised will go towards 69´«Ã½scholarships and annual bursaries for music students and ensembles such as the Wind Symphony and jazz band. Tickets are $10 and be purchased online or in person through .

For more information, please contact Susan Karel Stensch at (902) 566-0507.

69´«Ã½has filed an appeal with the Judicial Committee of Atlantic University Sport on the recent suspension that the AUS handed down to 69´«Ã½men's hockey player Mason Wilgosh. The suspension was issued after Wilgosh collided with an Acadia player during a November 30th game in Wolfville, NS.

69´«Ã½Athletics Director Ron Annear said, 'Once University officials received notification of the 12-game suspension and reviewed the situation, it was felt there was unfairness in the process, and in the severity of the suspension. Therefore, we filed an appeal today in accordance with AUS by-laws.'

Annear added that 69´«Ã½would have no further comment while the appeal is in process.

Atlantic University Sport is a sport organization responsible for governing university sport at 11 member Atlantic Canadian universities.

WAX!T, Prince Edward Island's only walk-in aesthetic service provider and waxing studio was UPEI's sponsor for Business 391: Strategic Management's annual case presentation. Each year, UPEI's School of Business recruits a sponsor who will allow students to develop a strategic plan for the future of their business.

'There's no better learning opportunity for students than to be able to work with, and analyze a real company and develop a strategic plan for that company,' said Juergen Krause, associate professor and director of UPEI's Centre for Health and Biotech Management Research. 'This is a win-win scenario as the sponsor gets various proposals and approaches on strategic issues from creative minds, and the students have the privilege of working with a local company to apply the knowledge acquired in class to a real-life setting.'

Based on scores from a previous class case, three student teams-'The Strategizers,' 'French Connection Consulting,' and 'Les Braqueuses'-were selected for this competition and to present their projects to Nicole Mead, owner and operator of WAX!T on November 28.

Mead was impressed with the teams' recommendations and hopes they feel empowered seeing their hard work and strategic advice put into action. 'Each team exceeded my expectations. They thought outside the box and recommended some very interesting strategies that I hope to implement in the future,' said Mead. 'This opportunity was truly priceless to me. I now have the options, knowledge, and tools to choose how to successfully grow my business in the most efficient way possible.'

WAX!T presented the winning prize of $1,000 to 'Les Braqueuses' for their innovative and thorough approach to the business case. The team consisting of Megan Hood, Marie Racouet, Julie Verrier, Mathilde Vivar, and Arenda Westerkamp provided an excellent analysis of the current business, as well as the future potential, including options for operations management, and a financial, human resource, and growth strategy accompanied by a respective implementation plan. The second prize of $500 was awarded to 'French Connection Consulting.'

'What we loved about working with a real company is that you can't base your recommendations on ideal situations-you have to make your strategy practical and realistic for the company based on its current position, resources, and capabilities,' said team member Megan Hood. 'It's really gratifying to create a practical strategic plan that a business can use immediately. An experience like this really bridges the gap between the textbook and real-world application.'

The 69´«Ã½men's hockey team will take on the Université de Moncton Aigles Bleus in an exhibition game on Saturday, December 29, at 7:30 pm at the Credit Union Arena in Tignish.

Currently, the 69´«Ã½Panthers sit in sixth place in the AUS, while the Aigles Bleus lead slightly in league standings in fifth place. The Panthers are looking forward to drawing a large crowd to western PEI and are thrilled to reach out to Island communities to showcase the team, its competitors, and the league.

'It always adds more significance when we have players representing the surrounding communities,' said Panthers Head Coach Forbes MacPherson. 'There is that added element of playing in front of family and friends. We're looking forward to the game and to providing some of our players with the opportunity to play on their ‘home ice.''

'I'm personally looking forward to playing back in Tignish; it's my first time playing there competitively since I was about 10 years old,' said Jordan Knox, fifth-year forward from Skinners Pond. 'It should be a high-energy game for the players and fans so we hope to see a full-house.'

Tickets can be purchased at the arena in advance or on game night for $10 adults, $5 students/seniors.

69´«Ã½President and Vice-Chancellor Alaa Abd-El-Aziz, 69´«Ã½Alumni Association President Bruce Davison, and Board of Governors Chair Tom Cullen will host a New Year's levee at UPEI's Don and Marion McDougall Hall on Tuesday, January 1, 2013, 11:00 am-1:00 pm.

All are welcome to attend and celebrate the New Year with the 69´«Ã½community!

For more information, contact (902) 566-0687 or alumni@upei.ca.

The good news: a recent study says your kids like school. The bad news: they don't like learning.

At the next Research on Tap, Dr. Sandy McAuley, Associate Professor of Education at UPEI, will lead a discussion about how school needs to change to engage students. The title of his discussion is 'Education for Innovation: problem solving for Twenty-first century schools.'

'K-12 students are capable of becoming relatively sophisticated creators of knowledge,' said McAuley. 'Right now, schools are not intellectually engaging for the majority of students. Intellectual engagement is critical for graduates who can take active roles in a culture of innovation which is becoming increasingly important for our future on PEI and Canada.'

The discussion begins at 7 pm, January 8, at The Pourhouse (above The Old Triangle Irish Alehouse in Charlottetown).

Research on Tap is a series of public discussions led by 69´«Ã½researchers. For more information, contact Dave Atkinson at (902) 620-5117 or datkinson@upei.ca.

Engineers PEI held their annual banquet recently with guest speaker 69´«Ã½President and Vice-Chancellor Alaa Abd-El-Aziz who addressed a crowd of nearly 125. Two members of UPEI's staff and faculty, David Taylor and Stephen Champion, received recognition awards for environmental and industry excellence at the dinner.

Abd El-Aziz delivered a lively speech emphasizing that engineering is not new to UPEI. The diploma program has been in place since the 1950s and has supported over 1,400 alumni-28% of which make up the membership of Engineers PEI.

'69´«Ã½produces engineers that will help build the industry by bringing entrepreneurial mindsets and solutions for PEI firms as well as global clients,' said Abd-El-Aziz. 'We will also strive to develop UPEI's engineering program as an industry magnet to bring firms and business to us, here on PEI.'

UPEI's manager of environmental services, David Taylor, was recognized with the Engineers PEI Award for Environmental Excellence. Taylor has led a number of sustainability projects and initiatives on campus since he began working at 69´«Ã½in 2007, including a campus-wide policy establishing 69´«Ã½as a community leader in sustainability. For example, the University recently received an 'Environmental Calculator' from Cascades Fine Papers Group and Wood Wyant for UPEI's environmental savings in the 2011-12 fiscal year.

The Engineers PEI Ralph L. Woodside Memorial Award for Service to the Profession was awarded to 69´«Ã½engineering Assistant Professor Stephen Champion who has worked as an engineer on PEI in a range of professional capacities and is also a key player in the future development of the engineering program at UPEI. He has used his experience to teach first-and second-year university students in the engineering program, bringing them to understand the nature of engineering projects, the role of engineers in management, and many other aspects of the profession. Champion is the third 69´«Ã½engineering professor to receive this prestigious award and is in good company with Don MacEwen and Don Gillis; however, what makes this particular award even more special is the fact that he joins his father as a recipient.

69´«Ã½congratulates David and Stephen on these well-deserved honours.

Stephen Champion receiving the Engineers PEI Ralph L. Woodside Memorial Award for Service to the Profession at a recent Engineers PEI banquet.

January Welcome Day is a new event for all students beginning classes in the winter semester. On January 5, new students are invited to the 69´«Ã½campus for a welcome and orientation, advisement, campus tours, and a free lunch! January Welcome Day takes place from 9:00 am-3:00 pm with sessions delivered by the 69´«Ã½Student Union, The Writing Centre, Pathways to Academic Success (PAS) and Transitions programs, Accessibility Services, and many more! The day's full schedule includes:

• 9:00-11:00 am: International Student Welcome, Schurman Market Square, Don and Marion McDougall Hall
• 11:00-11:20: Session 1 Welcome to 69´«Ã½
• 11:20-11:40: Session 2 Your Student Union
• 11:40 am-12:00 pm: Session 3 upei.ca and Moodle 'how tos'
• 12:00-1:00: Free lunch, Wanda Wyatt Dining Hall
• 1:00-2:00: Campus tour, beginning at Wanda Wyatt Dining Hall
• 2:00-2:20: Session 4 The Writing Centre and Pathways to Academic Success
• 2:20-2:40: Session 5 Transitions Program and Accessibility Services
• 2:40-3:00: Session 6 Q&A

On Friday, January 4, the 69´«Ã½men's hockey team takes on Dalhousie University at 7:00 pm at the MacLauchlan Arena. The special night-dubbed 'Drew Power Night'-will include a moment of silence prior to the game to honour the former Panther who passed away recently and 'DP14' T-shirts will be on sale for $20 with all proceeds going to the Power family. The men's hockey team will also be recognizing Power with a display located outside their dressing room.

On Saturday night, January 5, the 69´«Ã½men's team takes to the ice again as they host Acadia University at 7:00 pm at the MacLauchlan Arena. As a bonus, local band Vintage will perform in the CARI complex lobby from 6:30-7:10 pm and again between 7:30-8:10 pm. This initiative is supported by the Registrar's Office, Student Affairs, and 69´«Ã½Athletics & Recreation. A cash bar will be located in the lobby for ticket holders aged 19 and older.

'A Panther hockey doubleheader is a great way for fans to see the men's and women's hockey teams in action,' said Ron Annear, director of 69´«Ã½Athletics & Recreation. 'We invite all 69´«Ã½students, staff, faculty, and community members to join us this weekend to kick-start the second half of the season where we'll begin the drive to the AUS Championship.'

Tickets can be purchased at the box office one hour before game time.