Dec. 10, 2007     
UVI ANNOUNCEMENTS
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David Beale Visiting UVI This Week
During Annual Benjamin Foundation Tour

David Beale, executive director of the Bennie and Martha Benjamin Foundation, will visit both campuses of the University of the Virgin Islands this week as part of his annual visit to the territory. Since 1992, the Bennie and Martha Benjamin Foundation has provided more than $1.5 million in scholarships and grants in support of improved medical care for the people of the Virgin Islands. The Foundation generously supports philanthropic projects at UVI, at hospitals on St. Croix and St. Thomas, as well as at the Myrah Keating Smith Clinic on St. John. A news release is available on the UVI web site - http://www.uvi.edu - and from this direct link.

Technology Training Offered
St. Thomas Faculty and Staff

Technology training - on Microsoft applications Outlook and PowerPoint, as well as on Blackboard - is scheduled for St. Thomas campus faculty and staff during the week of Dec. 10. Outlook training is set for 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 11. PowerPoint training is slated for 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 12. Session on Blackboard are set for 2 p.m. (basic) and 3 p.m. (advanced) on Thursday, Dec. 13. Details were provided to faculty and staff via email on Friday, Dec. 7. To register for a workshop contact Suzanne Darrow at 693-1214 or send email to sdarrow@uvi.edu. One-on-one training is also available and suggestions for training topics are welcomed.

Kassav Brings Zouk to UVI's
Reichhold Center on Jan. 12

The sweet sounds of zouk music will fill the air when Reichhold Center for the Arts hosts Kassav - the top live band in the Caribbean - at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 12, 2008. From the shores of Martinique and Guadeloupe to the bright lights of Paris and the vibrant streets of New York, Kassav traverses the globe as ambassadors of zouk music. Zouk is an eclectic mix of popular rhythms from the Caribbean that make you want to dance. Kassav’s brand of zouk combines strong sounds of percussive instruments and horns with synthetic rhythms. A news release is available on the UVI web site - http://www.uvi.edu - and from this direct link.

UVI-CES Sets Holiday Baking
Workshop on St. Thomas

The Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program of UVI's Cooperative Extension Services will hold a free workshops on making sweet breads on St. Thomas on Dec. 12 and 13. Morning and afternoon sessions of each workshop are offered. Similar workshops were previously held on St. Croix on Dec. 5 and 6. The remaining workshop schedule is as follows:

  • St. Thomas: Sweet Bread Workshop - Dec. 12 and 13, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the UVI Cooperative Extension Service Office in the New House Building on the St. Thomas Campus.

Space for all workshops is limited. To register on St. Thomas, contact Blanche Mills at 693-1072 or 693-1080.

Online Registration for 2008 Spring
Semester Continues through Dec. 18

The University of the Virgin Islands has posted class schedules and detailed registration information for its 2008 Spring Semester classes on the UVI web site. The Spring Semester on the St. Thomas and St. Croix campuses begins on Monday, Jan. 14, 2008, and ends on Sunday, May 4, 2008. Returning students can register online through Tuesday, Dec. 18. Students should consult with their advisors for course approval and to obtain PIN assignments that are needed for online registration. Registration of new students is scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2008. Details are available from the BUCSS link on the UVI home page - http://www.uvi.edu - or from this direct link.

St. Croix Bookstore Continues
Book Buy-back Period for Dec. 3-10

The UVI Bookstore on the St. Croix campus has scheduled a book buy-back period for Monday, Dec. 3 through Monday, Dec. 10. The Bookstore is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. For details, call 692-4162.

St. Thomas Bookstore
Book Buy-back Period for Dec. 5-11

The used book buy-back program at the UVI Bookstore on the St. Thomas campus continues through, Tuesday, Dec. 11. Buy-back hours today (Thursday, Dec. 6) are from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. The Bookstore resumes regular hours on Friday, Dec. 7.

UVI's Extension Service Schedules
Free Eco-Guide Training on St. Croix

A free Eco-Guide Practical Training session will be offered on Sunday, Dec. 16, by the Agriculture & Natural Resources Program of UVI's Cooperative Extension Service. Participants will gather at 2 p.m. for a brief orientation session in Room 133 of the Research and Extension Center at on University of the Virgin Islands St. Croix campus. The practical training will be held at Caledonia Valley Tropical Moist Forest. Transportation for a limited number of participants will be available from UVI to the forest. For more information, contact Olasee Davis at 692-4053 or Coreen Hughes at 692-4048.

UVI End-of-Year Recess Schedule Set

UVI President Dr. LaVerne E. Ragster has approved the University's 2007-2008 Administrative end-of-year holiday recess. UVI offices will be closed for the holiday recess from Friday, Dec. 21, 2007, through Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2008. Offices will re-open on Thursday, Jan. 3, 2008. In observance of the St. Croix Christmas Festival and Three Kings Day holidays, UVI offices will also be closed on Friday, Jan. 4, 2008, and Monday, Jan. 7, 2008, respectively.

Submissions Deadline Extended
for 22nd issue of The Caribbean Writer

The deadline for submissions to the 22nd issue of The Caribbean Writer has been extended to Dec. 31, 2007. As usual, the Caribbean should be central to the work or the work should reflect a Caribbean heritage, experience or perspective. Writers are encouraged to submit poems, short stories, personal essays and one-act plays. Only previously unpublished work will be considered. A news release is available from the UVI web site - http://www.uvi.edu - or from this direct link.

St. Thomas Class of 2008
to Hold Meeting on Jan. 20

A meeting for all prospective graduates of UVI's St. Thomas campus class of 2008 is scheduled for Sunday, Jan. 20, 2008. The session will take place at 6 p.m. in the conference room of the Administration and Conference Center. The meeting's agenda will include the selection of a class speaker and class colors. Various deadlines and other issues will also be discussed. For more information, contact Class President Gaetan Gentius at 277-0035 or send email to gaetanpresident@gmail.com.

USVI Agriculture and Food Fair
Set for Feb. 16-18 on St. Croix

The Agriculture and Food Fair of the U.S. Virgin Islands will be held Feb.16-18, 2008, on St. Croix. The theme is "The Business of Agriculture: The Way Forward." All articles for the Agriculture and Food Fair bulletin should be submitted to Clarice Clarke at cclarke@uvi.edu by Dec. 14, 2007. Please send all graphics for articles as separate attachments.

Project Set on Revitalization of Guts
as Urban Recreational Spaces in the USVI

Guts, for many local residents, are treasured spaces that hold culturally relevant memories. Either you hiked along their banks as a child or you grew up hearing the rush of water flowing downhill for several days following heavy rains. What we now realize is that without protection, these environmental treasures will be lost and our islands will not be the same. There are individuals among us who want to preserve the guts as recreational spaces for hiking and continuing to share the knowledge of how guts keep our island ecosystem healthy. Click here to read an abstract summary that documents just such an effort. If you have an interest in guts or have access to information about guts, please contact Lloyd Gardner at 693-1208 or via email at lgardne@uvi.edu.

UVI Magazine Available Via UVI Web Site

The current issue of UVI Magazine is now available for viewing via the the UVI home page - http://www.uvi.edu - and from this direct link. The issue's theme is "Focus on Students." It includes feature stories on UVI students trekking to distant corners of the globe and others who are pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering and math. Also offered are sections on faculty and alumni accomplishments. Printed copies of UVI Magazine are also available from the UVI Public Relations Office.

UVI United Way Campaign Goal
Set at $20,000 for 2007-2008

The 2007-2008 United Way Campaign is now underway, according to an email to University faculty and staff from UVI's Acting Director of Human Resources Yvonne Lawrence. The University community contributed $11,131 to the 2006-2007 Campaign. The goal for 2007-2008 is $20,000. It will require generous support of the UVI family to make this goal a reality. Tax-deductible contributions can be made as a one-time amount or through payroll deductions. UVI United Way 2008 coordinators are Yvonne Lawrence (Ext. 1424) Nereida Washington (Ext. 4161), Desha Brathwaite (Ext.1462) and LilyMae Durante (Ext. 1144). Each is available to assist with concerns you may have. United Way forms were included in recent UVI pay envelopes. They may be returned with cash and or check to the Human Resources Department for further processing.

UVI Eligible to Nominate Students
for Graduate Scholarship Program

The University of the Virgin Islands is eligible to nominate up to two students to compete in the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation's national graduate scholarship competition. In June 2008, the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation will award approximately 30 scholarships of up to $50,000 a year for up to six years to outstanding college seniors or recent graduates (since spring 2003) beginning their first graduate or professional degree programs in the fall of 2008. A news release is available on the UVI home page - http://www.uvi.edu - or from this direct link.

Theme Suggestions Sought
for 2008 Afternoon on the Green

The Afternoon on the Green Committee invites the UVI community to contribute ideas for the 2008 event's theme. The annual friendraiser will mark its 19th year on the green when it gets underway on March 9, 2008. Please be creative. The person or area that contributes the winning theme will be entitled to Afternoon on the Green tee shirts. Some ideas to date: "Lean and Mean at 19 on the Green" and "Create a Scene at the 19th Afternoon on the Green." Send suggestions via email to pjohnso@uvi.edu.

SBDC Seminars to Cover
Writing Effective Business Plans

UVI's Small Business Development Center (SBDC) will present seminars on writing effective business plans on Wednesday, Dec. 5 and Wednesday, Dec. 12. The first seminar is titled "Writing an Effective Business Plan - Part I: The Narrative." The second is titled "Writing an Effective Business Plan - Part II: The Financials." Both sessions are scheduled for 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the SBDC Training Facility at Nisky Center on St. Thomas. The presenters are SBDC State Director Leonor Dottin and Business Counselor II Daryl Edwards. Admission is $20 for each seminar at the door. Individuals who pre-register will receive a $5 discount. UVI students, staff and faculty, V.I. farmers and veterans of the U.S. military with proper i.d. will be admitted free; however, pre-registration is required. The seminars are recommended for business owners or potential business owners. To pre-register or for more information call 776-3206.

Free Workshop on Grant Writing
Slated Dec. 11-12 at SBDC St. Thomas

A two-day, free workshop on grant writing will be held Tuesday and Wednesday, Dec. 11 and 12, at the UVI Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Training Facility at Nisky Center on St. Thomas. The sessions, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day, are sponsored by Methodist Training and Outreach Center, Inc. and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in conjunction with the VI Alliance Against Homelessness - Continuum of Care. The workshop focus is on general grant writing requirements for federal, state, local government and private sector projects. An emphasis will be made on HUD's competitive, discretionary, block and formula programs. The sessions are open to all. While admission is free, preregistration is required. To preregister or for more information, call Methodist Training & Outreach Center at 714-7782.

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