New & Updated Items posted Jan. 24, 2008

St. Croix Movie Night
to Feature 'Adrift in Manhattan'

The St. Croix campus office of Student Activities will host a free showing of the movie "Adrift in Manhattan" at 8:30 p.m. today (Thursday, Jan. 24) in room 401 of the Evans Center. The film, directed by Alfredo De Villa, weaves a provocative tale about three strangers -- each at a turning point – whose lives crisscross as they journey through New York City's subway system. The ensemble cast includes Heather Graham, William Baldwin, Elizabeth Pena and Dominic Chianese.

St. Croix Training Session Set for Jan. 25
on the BANNER Accounting Procedures

The UVI Accounting Office will conduct a training session on the BANNER system's electronic processing of check and purchase requisitions from noon to 3:30 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 25, in room 133 Evans Center Computer Lab on the St. Croix campus. Since Nov. 15, all BANNER end users have been required to electronically process check and purchase requisitions. Requisitions entered into the BANNER system must be approved by department/division heads and principle investigators through the BANNER approval queue. For details, contact the Accounting Office at extension 1430. Attendance is limited to the first 25 person who confirm their participation.

Bucs, Lady Bucs to Open 2008
Basketball Season with Home Games

UVI's Buccaneers and Lady Bucs varsity basketball squads open their 2008 LAI basketball season with home games on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 1 and 2, in the UVI Sports and Fitness Center on the St. Thomas campus. Squads from the University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras will begin the weekend play on Friday The women play at 7 p.m. and the men's game follows at 9 p.m. On Saturday, UVI will host the University of Puerto Rico - Bayamon. Again, the women's game starts at 7 p.m., with the men's contest at 9 p.m. UVI's 2008 varsity basketball schedule (through March 1) is available from the UVI Athletics web site - or from this direct link.

Financial Aid Awareness Week
Set Feb. 5-7 on St. Croix Campus

Financial Aid Awareness Week activities for continuing UVI students are planned on UVI's St. Croix campus from Feb. 5 through Feb. 7. Sessions titled "Promoting the Financial Aid Office on Campus" are slated for 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 5, at the Library Terrace, and from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 6, on the Student Center Terrace. A session for junior and senior high school students - titled "How to Pay for College" is slated for 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 6 at the Student Center/Cafetorium. A workshop on the online financial aid application process for the 2008-2009 school year is planned from 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 7, in the library computer lab room 902. Space is limited for the online workshop and registration is required. Call 692-4193 to reserve space.

Free HIV/AIDS Testing Offered
Feb. 7 on UVI's St. Thomas Campus

Free HIV/AIDS testing will be offered to UVI students, faculty and staff - as well as the general public - on UVI's St. Thomas campus from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 7. The testing is being offered by Hope, Inc. and the UVI Health Services Center as part of the National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day activities. Testing will be conducted in a mobile booth in the UVI Bookstore parking lot. Details are available from Health Services Supervisor Ronda Hatchett at 693-1124. More information is also available from the www.blackaidsday.org web site.

St. Croix Campus to Offer
Free HIV/AIDS Testing on Feb. 6-7

The University of the Virgin Islands Health Services Center and the office of Student Activities on the St. Croix campus, in collaboration with VICare, will offer free HIV testing from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 6, and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 7. Testing will take place in Health Services office. It is open to the UVI community as well as the general public. For more information, call Health Services Supervisor Naita Salmon-Iles at 692-4214.

Living With HIV' Workshop
Planned Feb. 7 on St. Croix

A workshop titled “Living With HIV – A Personal Journey” will be presented by VICare Chief Executive Officer Bruce E. Smail at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 7, in the Cafetorium on UVI's St. Croix campus. The workshop is free and open to the UVI community and the general public.

St. Thomas Campus Student Activities
Web Site Offers Latest Information

UVI students on the St. Thomas campus are encouraged to visit the Student Activities web site - studentactivity.uvi.edu - for the latest information of interest to students. The site includes a semester calendar of activities, an announcements section, and detailed information on student government (with photos) and student organizations.

Other Current Items ...

General Meeting of UVI
Staff Council Being Rescheduled

The general meeting of the UVI Staff Council, originally set for Jan. 22, 2008, is being rescheduled for another date due to the extensive involvement of some of the officers in the preparation for the 2008 Agriculture and Food Fair on St. Croix, according to UVISC Chair Raquel Santiago-Silver. The UVI staff community will be informed of a new meeting date as soon as possible.

Denisa Wattley Named Coordinator
for Administration and Conference Center

John D'Orazio, St. Thomas campus executive administrator, has announced the appointment of Denisa Wattley as the new building coordinator for the St. Thomas campus Administration and Conference Center effective Jan. 22. She can be reached as follows -- phone: 693-1259, fax: 693-1175, or email: djordan@uvi.edu.

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.

First Public Meeting of USVI Guts
Project Scheduled Jan. 26 at UVI

The first public meeting for the project reviewing the state of knowledge concerning guts in the USVI is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 26, on the campuses of the University of the Virgin Islands. The session is expected to focus on three areas: 1) an update on the "state of knowledge" report, 2) issues to be addressed in a proposed Guts Management Plan, including appropriate strategies and implementation arrangements, and 3) a review of the scope and focus of the proposed demonstration project, including proposed sites and implementation arrangements. The meeting will run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in room 302A of the Evans Center on the St. Croix campus and in room 213 of the Teacher Education Building on the St. Thomas campus.

Individuals planning to participate are asked to confirm by phone or email to Lloyd Gardner, by Wednesday, Jan. 23. Call 693-1208 or send email to lgardne@uvi.edu.

Other Current Items ... (Cont.)

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.

Reichhold Seeking Volunteers
for Playing Ring: In De Yard

UVI's Reichhold Center for the Arts is seeking volunteers from the University community to assist with the Playing Ring: In De Yard event scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 30. Playing Ring: In De Yard will bring Virgin Islands culture bearers and young people together. Students from all three islands are expected to attend. They will have the opportunity to learn about traditional toys and games -- such as jacks, tops, cocks and toe-toe-tom -- as well as storytelling. Volunteers, who will assist the culture bearers, will need to be at the Reichhold Center at 7:30 a.m. Lunch will be provided. For details or to sign-up, call the Reichhold at 693-1550 or send email to ffenton@uvi.edu.

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.

Food, Arts and Crafts Vendors
Sought for Feb. 2 Playing Ring Fair

UVI's Reichhold Center for the Arts is seeking food and arts and crafts vendors to participate in the Playing Ring: Market Place Arts Fair scheduled for Feb. 2 on the Reichhold grounds. To participate, call Tasida Kelch at the V.I. Council on the Arts at 340-774-5984.

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 i n 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 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.

Members of the UVI Community who wish to support Janeisha John can do so by casting "viewer's choice" votes for her on The Learning Channel website: www.tlc.com/missamerica.

Upward Bound Offers After-School
Centers on St. Croix, St. Thomas

The Upward Bound Program at the University of the Virgin Islands will host After-School Homework/Computer Literacy Centers for high school students and their parents starting later this month. Assistance with English, math and science homework, and instruction in the basic principals of computer use will be offered. The centers will be open Mondays through Thursdays from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on the St. Thomas campus and from 5:45 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on the St. Croix campus. Spaces are limited. Applications are available from the Upward Bound Offices on both campuses. For details, call 693-1133 on St. Thomas or 692-4182 on St. Croix. The center is funded by a Community Development Block Grant, through the Department of Planning and Natural Resources.

St. Thomas 2008 Senior Class
Meeting Slated for Feb. 3

The next meeting of the 2008 Senior Class on UVI's St. Thomas campus is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 3 in room B-110. For details, contact Class President Gaetan Gentius at 277-0035 or send email to gaetanpresident@gmail.com.

UVI CELL Notes ...

UVI-CELL to Launch Management
Workshop Series with AMA in February

The University of the Virgin Islands' Community Engagement and Lifelong Learning (UVI-CELL) Center will launch its newly developed Management Skill Series in February. The series is designed to help managers develop and refine the skills needed to manage the workforce more effectively. The first workshop in the ten-part series -- entitled "Leadership Skills for Managers" -- will kick-off Feb. 1 on both St. Thomas and St. Croix. All workshops will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on the first Friday of every month. On St. Croix, workshops will be held at the Joseph A. Simpson Building, #23A Hospital Street in Frederiksted. On St. Thomas, the workshops will be held at the UVI-CELL Center on the St. Thomas Campus.

Participants will learn to: build teams; coach, mentor and reward employees; foster and develop new leaders; provide direction to turn an organization's vision into reality; stay the course in troubled times; and manage change.

The workshops are offered in collaboration with the American Management Association (AMA). Participants who complete six of the workshops will obtain a Certificate in Management Skills in the Workplace from UVI and the AMA. For details or to register, call 693-1100 or visit UVI-CELL on-line at http://cell.uvi.edu.

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. 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 UVI-CELL Center at 693-1100 or visit http://cell.uvi.edu.