New & Updated Items posted Jan. 17, 2008

Renowned Professor of Special Ed
to Make St. Thomas Presentation Today

UVI's Virgin Islands University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (VIUCEDD) invites the UVI community to a presentation by renowned special education educator Dr. George Sugai at 6 p.m. today (Thursday, Jan. 17), at the Wyndham Sugar Bay Hotel & Spa Resort. Dr. Sugai's presentation will focus on Wrap-Around Services to further the social and emotional skills of special education students. A discussion session will be included.

Dr. Sugai is Director of the Center for Behavioral Education and Research at the University of Connecticut's Neag School of Education and co-director of the U.S. Department of Education's National Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports. The presentation is co-sponsored by the Virgin Islands Department of Education and VIUCEDD. For more information or to RSVP, contact Belinda West O'Neal at 775-2250 ext. 8530.

UVI Community Invited to Attend
V.I. Historians Conference on St. Croix

UVI's Division of Humanities and Social Sciences will co-sponsor the annual conference of the Society of Virgin Islands Historians from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Jan. 19, in the Great Hall on UVI's St. Croix campus. The conference theme is "Little Recognized Virgin Islanders" including William Alexander Leidesdorff, August Neumann, and the two Tuskegee Airmen from the Virgin Islands, Herbert H. Heywood and Henry E. Rohlsen. Historians William Cissel, Svend Holsoe, Carmen Heywood and George Tyson will share their research and insights into the lives of these remarkable Virgin Islanders. The conference is free and open to the UVI community. Light refreshments will be served. For more information, call Dr. Aletha Baumann at 692-4178.

'Steppin' in Paradise III' Set Jan. 19
on UVI's St. Thomas Campus

UVI's Delta Sigma Theta organization will sponsor a "Steppin' in Paradise III" show and party at 10 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 19, in the UVI Dining Pavilion on the St. Thomas campus. Music will be provided by DJ After Dark. Other artists performing include the UVI Dance Team, BV & Drastic and Ambush. Admission is $5 for students and $10 for others.

St. Croix Class of 2008
to Meet Sunday, Jan. 20

Members of UVI's St. Croix class of 2008 will hold their first meeting for the spring semester at 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 20, 2008, in the UVI Cafetorium. All class members are welcome to attend. The session will cover important dates for graduating students. For more information, contact Class Vice President Andres Valazques at mannyfl84@yahoo.com.

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 set for 6 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 20, in the conference room of the Administration and Conference Center. The session will include the selection of a class speaker and class colors. Various deadlines and other issues will also be discussed. For details, contact Class President Gaetan Gentius at 277-0035 or send email to gaetanpresident@gmail.com.

Student 'Welcome Back Beach Picnic'
Set for Jan. 20 on St. Croix

The Student Activities Office on UVI's St. Croix campus will host a "Welcome Back Beach Picnic" for students from 1 to 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 20, at Frederiksted Beach - next to the Frederiksted Fort. For details, contact Hedda Finch-Simpson at 692-4228.

UVI to Observe Martin Luther King
Holiday on Monday, Jan. 21

The University of the Virgin Islands will be closed on Monday, Jan. 21, in observance of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day holiday. UVI classes will resume and administrative offices will open on their regular schedules on Tuesday, Jan. 22.

St. Thomas SGA to Host 'Bucnic'
Beach Picnic on Monday, Jan. 21

The Student Government Association on UVI's St. Thomas campus will host the second annual "Bucnic" beach picnic from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 21, at Brewer's Bay Beach. DJ Music, beach games and lunch will be available.

Application Deadline of Jan. 22 Set
for UVI Calypso Competition

Tuesday, Jan. 22, is the deadline for members of the UVI community - students, faculty and staff on both campuses - to apply as a contestant in the 2008 UVI Calypso Competition scheduled for Feb. 29 on the St. Thomas campus. Cash prizes of $800, $500 and $400 will be presented to the first, second and third place winners, respectively. For details, contact the St. Thomas campus Student Activities Office at 693-1111.

UVI-BU Medical School Program
Targets Virgin Islands Students

Virgin Islands high school students interested in pursuing medical careers can learn more about the opportunities offered by the joint program conducted by the University of the Virgin Islands and the Boston University School of Medicine at a lecture on Thursday, Jan. 24. The lecture, offered from noon to 1 p.m. on UVI's St. Thomas and St. Croix campuses, will feature Dr. John Polk, assistant dean for Students and Minority Affairs at BU's School of Medicine. Dr. Polk will discuss details of BU's early medical school selection program. He will also be available for individual student interviews. A news release is available from the UVI home page - http://www.uvi.edu - or from this direct link.

Human Resources Releases
New Hires List for December 2007

UVI's Human Resources (HR) office has released the New Hires, Promotions, Change in Titles and Separations report for December 2007. The list has been posted on the UVI web site and is available from the HR link on the UVI Announcements web page - http://announce.uvi.edu - or from this direct link. These web pages are only available to individuals accessing the Internet via the UVI computer network.

VIMAS to Sponsor Blue Planet
Film to Mark Year of the Reef

In honor of the 2008 International Year of the Reef, the UVI-Virgin Islands Marine Advisory Service (VIMAS) will sponsor a movie night featuring the Blue Planet film "Coral Seas" from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 25, at the Great Hall on UVI's St. Corix campus. The public is invited to view this film which features beautiful underwater footage of coral reefs from around the world. The viewing is free. Free popcorn will be available and snacks will be offered for sale. The movie night will be an opportunity for the UVI and St. Croix communities to learn more about the International Year of the Reef and how to get involved in the local celebration of this worldwide event. Contact Emily Tyner at 692-4144 for details.

UVI Prof. Linda Wymer Wins
Clute Institute Best Paper Award

UVI Humanities Professor Linda Wymer won a best paper award from the Clute Institute for Academic Research for her presentation at a recent conference in Florida entitled "Coordinating and Assessing English 100-WAC 011, Writing Across the Curriculum, and English 101-RCA 02, Reading in the Content Areas, as Developmental Interdisciplinary Courses at the University of the Virgin Islands." Wymer attended the College Teaching & Learning Conference held from Jan. 2-5 in Orlando. UVI professors Dr. Patricia Harkins-Pierre and Pat Hector also attended the conference. Prof. Wymer's paper is being reviewed for possible publication in one of the Clute Institute's eleven academic journals. The institute's TLC Conference is designed to provide a forum for faculty and administrators to share proven and innovative methods in teaching at the college level. For details, visit the Clute web site: www.cluteinstitute.com.

Other Current Items ...

Student Leadership Luncheons
Slated for St. Thomas Campus

A series of "nuts and bolts" informational luncheons for the officers of student organizations on UVI's St. Thomas campus is planned for the week of Jan. 14-18. The remaining luncheon schedule and room location follows:

• For Secretaries:
  Friday, Jan. 18 -- noon to 12:50 p.m. in T-101

For details, call 693-1111.

Reichhold to Host Puerto Rico Symphony

UVI's Reichhold Center for the Arts will host a performance by the Puerto Rico Symphony at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 19. The show is a presentation of The Forum. Tickets are available from the Reichhold Box Office, Dockside Bookshop, Interiors (Fort Mylner), Island Video (Nisky) and Home Again (Red Hook).

St. Croix Campus Affairs Forum
Scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 23

A St. Croix Campus Affairs Forum is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 23, in the NWW Great Hall. Among the agenda items are searches to fill student affairs and student activities positions, new capital projects, a new health and wellness initiative, a prospective First Bank ATM on campus, an overview of spring orientation and institutional security enhancements. The forum is open to all students, faculty and staff. Light refreshments will be served.

UVI VOICE Submissions Sought,
First 2008 Issue Set for Feb. 4

The deadline for submissions to the first 2008 issue of the UVI VOICE student newspaper has been extended to Friday, Jan. 18. The distribution date for this first issue will be Feb. 4. Please submit student-oriented news/events briefs, meeting notices/deadlines, etc. to: uvivoice@gmail.com.

Blackboard Training Offered
on St. Croix Campus on Jan. 24

A one-day series of Blackboard training workshops will be offered on UVI's St. Croix campus on Thursday, Jan. 24. (Workshops were held on Jan. 11 on St. Thomas.) To register, indicate by email to sdarrow@uvi.edu which workshop(s) you would like to attend.

NOTE: Access to UVI's Blackboard online course management system is available from this link: http://blackboard.uvi.edu.

Jan. 24 -- St. Croix workshops:
Venue - the Faculty Resource Room (Library 2nd floor):

• 10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. -- Blackboard Basics: General overview for users with no prior Blackboard experience
• 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. -- Blackboard Basics
• 1:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m. -- Blackboard Advanced: Overview of advanced features including the Gradebook, creating online tests and quizzes, the Discussion Board and plagiarism detection tools
• 2:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m. -- Blackboard Advanced
• 3:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. -- Blackboard Drop In Session: Stop by with your questions and concerns.

Miss V.I., UVI Student Janeisha John
Featured in 'Miss America' TV Program

Miss Virgin Islands Janeisha John, a student on UVI's St. Croix campus and former Miss UVI Ambassadorial Pageant contestant, is being featured in a four-part reality TV special that is following 52 beauty queens as they prepare to compete in the 2008 Miss America Pageant. Titled "Miss America: Reality Check," the program premiered on Friday, Jan. 4, on The Learning Channel (TLC). The show continues each Friday at 10 p.m. ET (11 p.m. local time) through Jan. 25. Details and a promotional video are featured on the TLC web site. The program is designed to entice viewers to TLC's live two-hour broadcast of the 2008 Miss America Pageant on Saturday, Jan. 26. In a news release, Cynthia Jerry, executive director of the Miss Virgin Islands Scholarship Organization said she was proud of John. "Her poise and grace are noted wherever she goes as our state representative," she said. For details, contact Cynthia Jerry at 777-8883.

Spring Semester CLEP Tests Offer
Chance to Earn College Credit

CLEP - College Level Exam Program - tests will be administered five times during the spring semester at the University of the Virgin Islands. Successfully completing a CLEP test allows a student to earn college credit, saving money and cutting the time it takes to earn a degree. The tests are offered in more than 20 areas of study, ranging from accounting to chemistry to English literature. A complete list is available on pages 26 and 27 of the 2007-08 UVI Catalog - available online at http://www.uvi.edu/pub-relations/cat_07-08/index.html.

The next series of CLEP tests will be administered on January 30 on the St. Thomas campus. The registration deadline is January 28. Details for the St. Thomas campus tests are also available from this CLEP 2008 direct link.

The schedule for spring semester CLEP tests on the St. Croix campus will be announced as soon as it is confirmed.

Students can register for the tests at the Access and Enrollment Services Office in the Administration and Conference Center on the St. Thomas campus or the Academic Services Office on the St. Croix campus. The cost is $65 per test, plus a $10 administrative fee. Only checks, money orders or credit cards will be accepted for payment. For more information contact the UVI Admissions Office at 693-1168 on St. Thomas or the UVI Academic Services Office at 692-4103 on St. Croix.

Playing Ring: 'A Fungi Jamboree'
Coming to UVI's Reichhold Center

UVI's Reichhold Center for the Arts offers the third installment of its wildly entertaining, educational and successful Playing Ring series on Saturday, Feb. 2, 2008. "Playing Ring: A Fungi Jamboree," will take over the Reichhold grounds with the traditional marketplace – featuring local foods, arts and crafts – beginning at 6 p.m. The show, celebrating music and dance indigenous to the Caribbean, begins at 8 p.m. It will feature scratch bands from the Virgin Islands, as well as St. Lucia and Dominica. For details, to become a season subscriber, or to purchase show tickets, visit the Reichhold Center web site: www.reichholdcenter.com. A news release is available from the UVI home page - http://www.uvi.edu - or from this direct link.

UVI CELL Notes ...

Taxi & Tour Certification
Program Set for February

Taxi and Tour Operators who wish to join their peers in receiving certification have the opportunity to once again qualify for certification through a six-week program offered by UVI's Community Engagement and Lifelong Learning Center (CELL). The next session is scheduled for 6-8 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 14, on St. Thomas. The program covers customer service, V.I. history and culture, points of interest and presentation skills. Training costs $250 and includes materials.

Students are required to pass a 100-question exam and put the presentation skills acquired in class to use in order to receive certification. Graduates are eligible for membership in the Certified Taxi and Tour Guide Association.

The certification program was developed by UVI-CELL and is endorsed by the USVI Hotel and Tourism Association and the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association. To register, call the UVICELL Center at 693-1100 or visit http://cell.uvi.edu.