First VPA Event in a Long Time: The Interdisciplinary Panther Series

The UPEI Student Union, in partnership with Experiential Education, the Office of Student Culture and Community Standards, and the Catherine Callbeck Centre for Entrepreneurship, launched Part I of the Interdisciplinary Panther Series—a new case competition designed to bring together students from different faculties to tackle real-world issues. The first case, held on November 7, 2025, focused on Sexual Violence Prevention in Work-Integrated Learning settings, supported by the Government of PEI’s Interministerial Women’s Secretariat and the Government of Canada Department for Women and Gender Equality.

For many of the students, this event was their first time participating in a case competition – and it pushed them into unfamiliar yet exciting territory. “I’m just going to say that it was amazing,” said participant Lian De Camargo. “One of the best experiences I’ve had here at UPEI. I think it was like five—no, six—hours that I spent in there, and it seemed like it was two hours. We came up with a lot of good ideas, and I’m really glad that we had this. I would recommend having more events like this, because good ideas really do come from events like this.”

For others, it was the collaborative spirit that stood out the most. “It was an exhilarating experience,” shared Megan Burnside. “It was fun to work with a new group of people and to problem-solve together. It was really surprising to see what came out of all of our experiences—something I alone wouldn’t have thought of. Being part of a team was a great process of developing an idea, creating a slideshow, and then doing the public speaking as well.”

Some participants arrived simply wanting to learn. “I just came here for the experience,” said Arin Thapa. “If we win, that’s good. But if we lose, that’s fine, because I only came here for the experience.”

The key takeaway was about impact. “It was a very good experience,” said Pravin Paudel. “We got to learn a lot, and we addressed a very serious issue that’s quite common in workplaces. Hopefully, the suggestions we made will be implemented so students will be aware of how to tackle these situations in the future. If those practices are implemented here at the university, it will be a huge positive outcome of this event.”

Behind the scenes, the event required collaboration across multiple departments, but Deane, the Vice President Academic, described the process as smooth and aligned with student needs. “There are, of course, inevitable challenges that come up with unforeseen circumstances,” said one organizer. “But with the department, our overall team, Experiential Education, the Office of Student Culture and Community Standards, and the Catherine Callbeck Centre, we had a great team that allowed us to move forward efficiently and support each other. Because it aligned so well with our goal to provide work-integrated learning opportunities, it all came together smoothly.”

When asked where the idea for the competition originated, Shanon from ExEd explained that conversations began with the Interministerial Women’s Secretariat regarding national research on sexual violence prevention in work placements: “We were looking to get students engaged on this topic and get their perspective. At the same time, the Student Union was keen to give students an opportunity to work in teams and be creative problem solvers with an interdisciplinary lens. Everything fit at the same time, and that’s how this event came to pass.”

When asked if the series will continue, Deane confirmed that more is already on the way: “Yes. We’re working on more projects… definitely keep a lookout in the winter semester.”