New & Updated Items posted March 3, 2008

UVI Spring Break Continues March 3-9

Spring break for students at the University of the Virgin Islands is scheduled for today (Monday, March 3) through Sunday, March 9. Classes will resume on Monday, March 10. While no classes will be held this week, UVI administrative offices will remain open on their regular schedules.

Today is Application Deadline
for UVI's New MMES Program 

Today (Monday, March 3) is the application deadline for the fall semester cohort of UVI's new Master of Marine and Environmental Science (MMES) degree program. The MMES degree is designed to prepare students for a wide array of exciting and rewarding careers in the education, government, non-profit and private sectors. Two study tracks are offered - scientific research and resource management. Details are available from the MMES web site - http://mmes.uvi.edu - or from program coordinator Dr. Sylvia Vitazkova at 693-1427.

February Issue of Dateline: UVI
Available from UVI web site

The February 2008 issue of the monthly newsletter Dateline: UVI is now available from the UVI web site's home page - http://www.uvi.edu - or from this direct link. The newsletter, wish is also distributed on both campuses, features stories about the 2008 Ag Fair on St. Croix, a high turnout for HIV/AIDS screening on St. Thomas, a calendar published by UVI Alumnus James Weeks and the Homecoming weekend basketball games played by UVI's Lady Bucs and Buccaneers.

Varsity Basketball

Lady Bucs Split Weekend Matchups;
To Host Inter-American on Friday

UVI's Lady Bucs split a pair of weekend home games, losing a heartbreaker 59-58 to UPR Aguadilla on Friday, but coming back Saturday to defeat American University 60-51. The Lady Bucs, now 4-4 on the season, return to the home court on Friday, March 7, when they host Inter-American University in a 2 p.m. contest.

Buccaneers Edged by American;
Begin Inter-Division Play Today

Despite a late rally, UVI's Buccaneers men's basketball squad dropped a home game Saturday against American University, 80-77. The Buccaneers, now 3-6 on the season, begin a series of inter-divisional LAI league games on the road today (March 3) against the University of Puerto Rico at Turabo at 7 p.m. The Buccaneers return to the Sports and Fitness Center for more interdivisional games on March 10 and 12.

Presidential Search Notes ...

Presidential Search Firm Announced

With the term of office of Dr. LaVerne E. Ragster, the fourth president of the University of the Virgin Islands, set to expire in 2009, the UVI Board of Trustees has retained Isaacson, Miller, a leading national executive search firm, to assist the University in its search for a new president. A news release is available from the UVI web site - http://www.uvi.edu - or from this direct link.

UVI Community Invited to Meet
with Presidential Search Firm

On March 12 through 14, consultants from Isaacson, Miller - the national executive search firm retained by the UVI Board of Trustees to assist in the search for the University's next President - will visit UVI's St. Thomas and St. Croix campuses. The goal will be to learn more about the University and the challenges and opportunities that will face a new President. Dr. Auguste E. Rimpel, Jr., chair of UVI's Board of Trustees, announced the presidential search in an email message to the University community on Friday, Feb. 22. (Click to read the text of Dr. Rimpel's announcement.)

Dr. Rimpel has also invited members of the University community - students, faculty, staff and alumni - to participate in meetings with members of the search firm to share their thoughts.

Email messages have been sent that list the scheduled meetings with specific groups as well as open sessions for faculty, staff, students and alumni on both campuses. Details for UVI students, faculty, staff and alumni are also available on the UVI Announcements page of the UVI web site - http://announce.uvi.edu - or from these direct links:

• Student, Faculty and Staff Meeting Schedule
• Alumni Meeting Schedule

For details, contact Gail Steele at 693-1008.

Other Current Items ...

Sponsored Programs Offers
Budgeting Workshops March 4 & 7

The Office of Sponsored Programs will offer two, one-hour workshops on each campus for faculty and staff entitled "Proposal Budgeting" during the first week of March. Each session will review how to develop line-item budgets that comply both with federal and UVI standards. While the sessions will focus primarily on budgeting for federally-funded projects, discussion will also cover budgets for V.I. agencies, private foundations and nonprofit organizations. Information about estimating personnel costs, fringe benefits and indirect costs will be included.

The St. Thomas session is set for 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. in Education building room 101 on Tuesday, March 4. The St. Croix session will be held from 11 a.m. to noon in Evans Center room 713 on Friday, March 7. For more information, contact Steve Goode at sgoode@uvi.edu or call 693-1202.

GERS Pre-Retirement Workshop
Schedule Announced; Next is March 5

The next pre-retirement workshops sponsored by the Government Employees' Retirement System (GERS) are scheduled as follows: March 5 on St. Thomas (9 a.m. to 11 a.m.), April 2 on St. John (9 a.m. to 2 p.m.) and April 16 on St. Croix (all day). The workshops are designed to help GERS members to locate resources and assistance in relation to pending retirement. Topics include GERS, Social Security, Medicare and GHI Benefits, and Financial Planning. Details are available from the GERS web site - www.usvigers.com.

Showing of Blue Planet Series Film
on March 7 to Highlight 'Year of the Reef'

The 2008 International Year of the Reef committee on St. Croix invites the public to a free family movie night from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Friday, March 7, at the Great Hall on UVI's St. Croix campus. The film "Tidal Seas" - part of the BBC's Blue Planet series - will be shown. Information on the International Year of the Reef effort will also be available. Free popcorn and snacks will be provided. The Internal Year of the Reef Committee on St. Croix is supported by UVI's Virgin Islands Marine Advisory Service and the Virgin Islands' Coastal Zone Management Program. For details, call Emily Tyner at 692-4144 or send email to etyner@uvi.edu.

FBLA Awards of Excellence
Dinner Dance Set March 8

The UVI chapter of Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) - Phi Beta Lambda - will host its Awards of Excellence Dinner Dance at 6 p.m. on Saturday, March 8, at the Wyndham Sugar Bay Resort. The evening will honor members of the community who have been instrumental in the pursuit of success for all FBLA members. The honorees are Cecilia Walters-Smith, Elmo Adams and Senator Shawn-Michael Malone. Following the honoring ceremony, the audience will be entertained by CeCe Peniston, a Grammy-award-winning artist and Spectrum Band. Tickets are $75 and can be purchased from any FBLA-PBL members, Modern Music and the campus book store. For more information call Professor Aurelia Donald (340) 693-1316.

'Afternoon on the Green' Set for March 9

UVI will host its annual food, fun and family event -- Afternoon on the Green -- from noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday, March 9, at the Herman E. Moore Golf Course on the St. Thomas campus. The event will feature food prepared by some of the island's best cooks, children's activities and music by Tortola's Lashing Dogs. There will also be entertainment by the Mungo Niles Heritage Dancers and the Caribbean Ritual Dancers. This year's theme is "Be Seen on the Green for Cultural Cuisine." A news release is available on the UVI web site - http://www.uvi.edu - or from this direct link.

St. Croix Campus to Host Charter Month
Shadow Our Students Program on March 13

A Shadow Our Students (S.O.S.) program connecting high school students with UVI students is scheduled for Thursday, March 13, on the University's St. Croix campus. The program, part of UVI's Charter Month activities, is sponsored by the Office of the Provost, the Campus Executive Administrator's office and the Student Government Association. During the day, high school seniors from various St. Croix high schools will have the chance to shadow UVI students as they participate in class, go to lunch and socialize. UVI students interested in participating should visit the Student Government Office in Evans Center room 707 or call 692-4191.

Regalia Order Deadlines

The St. Croix campus Bookstore will offer measurement for commencement regalia (caps and gowns) through March 14. Measurements completed after March 14 will incur a $15 shipping charge. After March 21 there will be a $25 express shipping charge. Students need to present receipts from the business office to take part. For details, call 692-4162.

Annual UVI Queen Mary 5K
Walk/Run Set for March 14

The seventh Annual UVI Queen Mary 5K Walk/Run - a UVI Charter week event - is scheduled for Friday, March 14. The entire UVI community - students, alumni, faculty and staff - and members of the general public are encouraged to participate. The run will start at 6 a.m. at Sunshine Mall and conclude on UVI's St. Croix campus. Awards will be presented to the top male and female finishers. Light refreshments will be served at the end of the event. Transportation will be provided to the Sunshine Mall. Registration forms are available in the St. Croix Campus Executive Administrator's office. Registration is $12 for UVI faculty, staff and others, and $7 for students and children. For details, contact Irene Ramos at 692-4000.

MBA Comprehensive Exam at UVI
Set April 11; Signup Deadline March 14

UVI's Business Administration Division will offer the MBA Comprehensive Examination from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Friday, April 11, on the University's St. Thomas and on St. Croix campuses. The rooms to be used will be announced at a later date. The deadline for registration is Friday, March 14. Applications are available in the Business Administration Division offices on St. Thomas and St. Croix. For details, call Jacinthe Proctor at 693-1300 or Renise Johnson at 692-4150.

Other Current Items ... (cont.)

UVI Scholarship Application
Deadline is March 14

March 14 is the deadline for students to apply for UVI scholarships for the fall 2008 and the spring 2009 semesters. A variety of scholarships are available, from one-year awards to four-year scholarships. Scholarships are limited to U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Specific requirements for high school, undergraduate and graduate applicants can be obtained from the University's Financial Aid, Institutional Advancement and Student Activities offices on the St. Thomas and St. Croix campuses. Details, as well as online application forms, are available from the Financial Aid section of the UVI web site - http://www.uvi.edu or from this direct Financial Aid/Scholarship link. Details are also available on St. Croix at 692-4193 and on St. Thomas at 693-1090 or from the Office of Institutional Advancement at 693-1040.

Hammond to Bring 'Lover's Rock'
to the Reichhold on March 15

The "King of Lover's Rock," Beres Hammond returns to Reichhold Center for the Arts at 8 p.m. on Saturday, March 15. Hammond is known for his sultry voice and hypnotic lyrics. Among his numerous hits are: "Groovy Little Thing," "What One Dance Can Do," "Tempted To Touch," "Putting Up Resistance," "No Disturb Sign," "They Gonna Talk," "Rock Away" and "Music is Life." Tickets -- $25, $36 and $45. A news release is available from the UVI web site - http://www.uvi.edu - or from this direct link.

Rotaract Club Sets Car Wash on March 15

UVI's Rotaract Club will conduct a car wash at Tutu Park Mall (in front of the Innovative office) from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 15. The event is part of the club's participation in World Rotaract Week activities. Prices are $7 for cars and $10 for vans. Larger vehicles will cost more. Tickets will be made available before the event to secure your space. Senior citizens qualify for discounts (with identification). For details, call Sharifa Maloney at 626-9268.

UVI to Administer Noel-Levitz
Student Satisfaction Survey in March

UVI's Office of Institutional Research and Planning has announced that it will administer the Noel-Levitz 2008 Student Satisfaction Inventory (SSI) Survey from March 24 through 28.

The SSI is the first survey of its kind to measure student satisfaction and the importance of campus issues to students. UVI will benefit from consulting and data services provided by Noel-Levitz by identifying where attention is needed, especially in the area of student retention and enrollment. An initial overview of the survey and details of the requirements for UVI students, faculty and staff are included in this Noel-Levitz 2008 Student Satisfaction Survey document. For more information, call the Office of Institutional Research and Planning at 693-1013.

Workshop on 'Managing Visitor Use
in Protected Areas' Set March 26-28

A workshop on managing visitor use in marine and coastal protected areas is planned for March 26 through 28 on St. Thomas. It will be presented by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Coastal Services Center. Included will be an overview of the human dimensions of protected area management, examples of visitor use and associated impacts to natural resources and visitor experiences, and suggestions to help managers address the people side of resource management. In addition to training sessions, presentations will be made by Hubert Brumant, director of the Magen's Bay Authority, Elba Richardson, a concessions specialist at the Virgin Islands National Park, and Sybille Sorrentino, owner of VI Ecotours. Days one and two of the workshop will take place at UVI's Small Business Development Center at Nisky Center. An optional field exercise is planned for day three. Workshop registration is now open and available to all at this Workshop Registration link. For more information, contact Sylvia Vitazkova at 693-1427.

UVI's Cynthia Richards to be Honored as
St. Thomas-St. John 'Librarian of the Year'

Cynthia Richards, Public Services Librarian at UVI's Ralph M. Paiewonsky Library, will be honored in March by the St. Thomas-St. John Library Association (STSJLA) as Librarian of the Year. Richards has worked in both public libraries and public school libraries in addition to the Paiewonsky Library, where she has been a full-time librarian for eight years and a part-time librarian for more than 20 years. Richards will be recognized for the contributions that she has made to libraries in the territory at the STSJLA's first annual Women's and USVI History Month luncheon at 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 16, at Pilgrim Terrace. Tickets are $50 for the general public and $40 for (dues-paid) members of STSJLA. Tickets are available in the Paiewonsky Library. For details, contact Bethany Wilkes at 693-1372.

Accounting Association Seeking
to Honor Anniversary Couples

The UVI Accounting Association is looking for couples on St. Thomas who will have celebrated their golden or silver wedding anniversaries on or before April 1, 2008. Nominated couples that are selected will be honored at a dinner dance and presented with awards and gifts. To nominate a couple, contact Prof. Sharon Simmons at 693-1314 or send email to ssimmon@uvi.edu. The Accounting Association's Anniversary Committee is asking for the names, phone contact information, anniversary dates and reason for nominating your special couple.

Mathematics Placement Test
to be Offered May 8 at UVI

The University of the Virgin Islands has announced that the Mathematics Diagnostic and Placement Test will be administered on May 8. The test is required for all incoming students who scored below 490 on the math section of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). UVI advises students planning to enroll in summer session or fall semester classes to take the test in May. Doing so will allow students who may need a non-credit math course to take it in the summer and be ready for college-level courses in the fall. Parents, teachers and school counselors are asked to urge their students to take this test in May. Students applying for UVI's SummerBridge program can also use the test to demonstrate eligibility.

The Mathematics Diagnostic and Placement Test will be offered at 4:30 p.m. on May 8 on both the St. Thomas and St. Croix campuses. The test will be offered in Classroom Administration Building (CA) rooms 305 and 306 on St. Thomas. On St. Croix the test will be administered in the Nursing Division's room R-100. For details, contact Dr. Rosalie Dance at 693-1253.

GRE Study Sessions Continue
on March 15 on St. Croix

UVI's St. Croix campus Psychology Club is sponsoring Graduate Record Exam (GRE) study group sessions for individuals interested in preparing for the GRE. The final session is set for 3 to 5 p.m. on March 15, in Evans Center room 902. The sessions are not limited to psychology majors. Additional sessions will be scheduled if necessary. For details, contact Dr. Aletha Baumann at 692-4178.

Ongoing Items ...

Summer Session Dates, Fall Semester
Information Available on UVI Web Site

Dates and detailed registration information on UVI's two 2008 summer sessions, as well as for the upcoming fall semester are available on the UVI web site. UVI's Summer Session I is scheduled for May 19 through June 23. Summer Session II will run from June 25 through Aug. 1.

UVI's fall semester classes begin on Aug. 18 and end on Dec. 3. Direct links to this information is available from the Academics link and the BUCSS - Banner Utilization Central for Self Service - button on the UVI home page: http://www.uvi.edu.

Online registration for both summer sessions and the fall semester begins on March 17. Students must confer with advisors on course selection and obtain personal information numbers before they can register online.

Access and Security Plan Set for Smart
Classrooms, Video Conference Rooms

UVI has established an access and security plan for the 26 smart classrooms and video conference rooms that are in use on the St. Thomas and St. Croix campuses. The Security Department will collaborate with the University community in administering the plan. The plan lists all smart classrooms and video conference rooms, guidelines for use and specifies which individuals have authorized access. It is available from the Policies and Procedures page of the UVI Security web site and from this direct link. For more information, contact the Security Department at 693-1530 on St. Thomas or 692-4155 on St. Croix.

SBDC Notes ...

Seminars on Business Tax Filing
Set for St. John, St. Thomas

Seminars on filing 2007 Virgin Islands business tax returns will be offered by UVI's Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and the V.I. Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) on March 5 on St. John and on March 12 on St. Thomas. The St. John seminar will take place from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the V.I. Legislature Conference Room in Cruz Bay. The St. Thomas seminar will run from 6 to 8 p.m. at the SBDC Training Facility in Nisky Center. Senior BIR Revenue Agent Clifford Charleswell will cover tax changes for 2007, local and federal taxes, accurately filing business taxes and how tax returns are selected for audit. Admission is free. Pre-registration is requested. For details or to pre-register call 776-3206.

UVI CELL Notes ...

Basic Computing Course
for Beginners Starts March 9

UVI's Community Engagement and Lifelong Learning (CELL) Center will offer a course for individuals interested in learning the basics of using a computer. Classes will be held 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. every Wednesday, from March 5 to April 9. Sessions will be held at the UVI campus on St. Croix. The course will cover the basics of computing such as working with windows, using the Internet, emailing, safe computing and much more. The information will be presented in an easy to understand format, with hands-on exercises. For details or to register, call 693-1100 or visit UVI-CELL online at http://cell.uvi.edu.