New & Updated Items posted April 3, 2008

Career Exploration Week Continues
on St. Croix Campus with Workshops

UVI's St. Croix campus 2008 Career Exploration Week continues today (Thursday, April 3) with a workshop focused on developing interviewing and resume skills. On Friday, the week will conclude with a workshop on public speaking. Sponsored by UVI's Student Affairs and Counseling and Placement offices, the week's activities are designed to help "open the eyes of students to the world of work and the opportunities that are available," according to Doris Farrington-Hepburn, UVI's supervisor of counseling and placement on St. Croix. A news release is available on the UVI home page - http://www.uvi.edu - or from this direct link.

Carnival Troupe Participants
Sought for 2008 Adults Parade

The UVI community is invited to join in the fun of Carnival 2008 by becoming members of the University's Carnival troupe. Students, faculty, staff, friends ... now is the time to sign up by calling Liza Margolis at 693-1053 or Sean Georges at 693-1112 on St. Thomas, or Jay Wiltshire at 692-4181on St. Croix. UVI's 2008 theme is "Aquatic Escape - Coral Reefs ... a Learning Environment." A sneak-peak at the costumes is available in the March issue of Dateline:UVI. A web page featuring the 2008 costumes will be posted in the near future. The troupe will consist of five sections - mermaids, turtles and coral reefs for women, and sea horses and stingrays for men. The adults parade is scheduled for Saturday, April 26.

Town Hall Meeting on Underage Drinking
Slated April 3 on St. Croix Campus

UVI's St. Croix offices of Student Activities and Health Services, in conjunction with the St. Croix Unity Coalition, Inc. will host a town hall meeting on underage drinking - titled "Start Talking, Before They Start Drinking" - at 6 p.m. on Thursday, April 3, in the Cafetorium on the St. Croix campus. For more information, contact Hedda Finch-Simpson at 692-4228.

Education Complex Students to Attend
Panel Discussion on Leadership

The St. Croix campus Executive Administrator's Office will host a panel discussion on leadership from noon to 3 p.m. on Friday, April 4, in the Greathall in the North West Wing building.

Visiting student representatives from the St. Croix Education Complex will be observing and taking notes on various topics surrounding leadership. For details, contact Hedda Finch-Simpson at 692-4228 or Erika Barnes at 692-4000.

St. Thomas Class of 2008
to Meet on Sunday, April 6

The UVI class of 2008 on the St. Thomas campus will meet at 6 p.m. on Sunday, April 6, in Chase Auditorium (B-110). All class members are urged to attend. Important matters will be discussed. For details, send an email to gaetanpresident@gmail.com.

UVI Alumnae take Leadership
Positions in the BVI Government

Two University of the Virgin Islands alumnae have recently been appointed to leadership positions in the Government of the British Virgin Islands. Carolyn O'Neal-Williams has been appointed as Secretary General of the UNESCO National Commission and Oleanvine Maynard has been appointed as acting Chief Labour Officer. A news release is available from the UVI home page - http://www.uvi.edu - or this direct link.

Young People Sought for Reichhold's
2008 Youth Moviemaking Workshop

UVI's Reichhold Center for the Arts is accepting applications for its 2008 Youth Moviemaking Workshop. The workshop starts Monday, June 23. The deadline to apply is Friday, May 30. Applications are available at the Reichhold Center's office at 693-1550 or via email from ffenton@uvi.edu. For more information on the Youth Moviemaking Workshop visit Reichhold Center's website at www.reichholdcenter.com. A news release is available from the UVI home page - http://www.uvi.edu - or this direct link.

Student Employment Appreciation Week
Set for April 7-11 on St. Thomas Campus

The week of April 7 through 11 has been designated Student Employment Week on UVI's St. Thomas campus. Students will be recognized for their dedication, desire and determination. The award winners will be announced during a ceremony at 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 10, in the Dining Pavilion. A reception for the student employees and supervisors immediately follows. Other activities during the week include a workshop on ethics in the workplace on April 8 and a Karaoke-Lucky Dip on April 9. A calendar of the week's events is available from this link. For more information, contact Mary Myers at 693-1088 or send email to mmyers@uvi.edu.

Replay of Nikki Giovanni Lecture
Set April 10 on St. Thomas Campus

Due to public demand, the University of the Virgin Islands will show a videotape replay of the Alfred O. Heath Distinguished Speaker Series lecture originally presented on March 21 by award-winning poet Nikki Giovanni. The videotape will be shown in its entirety at 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 10, in Chase Auditorium (B-110) on the St. Thomas Campus. Admission is $3 for adults and $1 for students. All proceeds from the showing will go to the Alfred O. Heath Speaker Series fund. (The Giovanni videotape was presented on the St. Croix campus on March 27.) Books by the author will be available for purchase. For details, contact Michelle Smitherman at 693-1042.

Mead Film Festival Promises
'Eye on Outside World' at UVI

An eye on the outside world will be available in the U.S. Virgin Islands in April when the second annual Margaret Mead Film Festival comes to the University of the Virgin Islands. Presented by the American Museum of Natural History, the festival's films will be shown beginning at 7 p.m. on April 10, 11 and 12, and on April 17, 18 and 19 in the first floor conference room of the new Administration and Conference Center on the St. Thomas campus. A news release is available from the UVI home page - http://www.uvi.edu - or from this direct link.

Rotary Offering Scholarship
to UVI Student for Study Abroad

Rotary of St. Thomas is presenting students in their first or second year of study at UVI with the opportunity to compete for an ambassadorial scholarship for international studies. The scholarship is valued at $23,000 per year. Students interested in studying abroad should attend an informational session to be held from 4 to 5 p.m. on Friday, April 11, in the conference room at the Office of Institutional Advancement on the St. Thomas campus. Please call Ardrina Scott Elliott at 693-1040 or Yegin Habtes at 693-1323 for additional information.

Workshops on Autism Slated
April 14 and 15 by VIUCEDD

Workshops on autism will be offered by the Virgin Islands University Center for Excellence on Developmental Disabilities (VIUCEDD) on St. Thomas on April 14 and on St. Croix on April 15. Miami University Professor Dr. Daniel Armstrong will lead the workshop. Dr. Armstrong is associate chair of the University's Department of Pediatrics and director of the Mailman Center for Child Development. The workshops will run from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., with breakfast and lunch included. The St. Thomas session will take place in the UVI Administration and Conference Center. The St. Croix session is scheduled for the Great Hall in the North West Wing. Registration for the workshops is available online from this link: Autism Workshop Registration Form. For details or to reserve space call 693-1322.

UVI-PEP to Present 'It's Still A Mess'
on April 19 on St. Thomas Campus

The general public and the UVI community are invited to attend a presentation of the play "It's Still A Mess - Part II" at 8 p.m. on April 19 at the Dining Pavilion on UVI's St. Thomas campus. The play, written by junior nursing major Nadia Thomas, is sponsored by UVI's Peers Educating Peers (PEP) program. It addresses the issues of HIV/AIDS, substance abuse and domestic violence. A cast of 10 students will perform. Guest appearances by "BV and Drastic," the UVI Sports Committee Dance Squad Team and Code Blue are also planned. Admission is $5. For details contact Health Services Supervisor Ronda Hatchett at 693-1124 or Nadia Thomas at 643-3693.

Human Resources Selects PeopleAdmin
to Enhance Services; Training Planned

UVI's Human Resources (HR) Department, in an effort to improve the University's human resources process, has selected the web-based company PeopleAdmin to provide the assistance needed to help improve efficiency and make improvements to the delivery of services. PeopleAdmin is a web-based human resources information system used by more than 400 institutions of higher education in the U.S.

Implementation of the PeopleAdmin system will include user training sessions across the University. HR will announce the scheduled times and places for demonstrations and user training in the near future. The complete text of the department's PeopleAdmin announcement from March 10, which details the company's position management and applicant tracking features, is available from this link.

St. Croix Student Volunteers Sought
to Plan 2008 Orientation Sessions

Student volunteers are sought on UVI's St. Croix campus to serve on the committee planning the orientation program for incoming freshman students in the fall of 2008. Students will help develop and implement creative activities for orientation. The committee's first meeting is set for 5 p.m. on Friday, April 11, in the Cafetorium. For details, contact Hedda Finch-Simpson at 692-4228.

Volunteers Sought for Study
on Health Status, Health Practices

African American and Afro Caribbean women who are 40 or older are being sought for participation in a study on health status and health practices by the Caribbean Exploratory Research Center in the Division of Nursing at the University of the Virgin Islands. The study will begin with one-hour, face-to-face interviews with a nurse researcher. Some participants will be randomly selected for inclusion in two-hour focus group sessions. The Caribbean Exploratory Research Center is funded by the National Institutes of Health, National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities. For details, call 693-1212.

ITS Begins Network Security Project

UVI's Information Technology Services (ITS) Enterprise Network Service Department has begun a network security project that will significantly decrease the potential for unauthorized users to access the UVI network. The project will also provide secure access to network resources from off campus. ITS has installed security appliances that are filtering UVI's mail system and Web traffic. This should result in faster mail transmission speeds and little or no email spam/junk mail. But it also means surfing to unauthorized Web sites that contain pornography, gaming or video streaming will be blocked. Access to specific sites, if justified, can be granted by ITS. Most of the security appliance installations will occur on Sundays from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. or after 10 p.m. on weekdays. For details call the UVI Helpdesk at extension 1466.

Other Current Items ...

March Issue of Dateline: UVI Now Online

The March 2008 issue of the newsletter Dateline: UVI has been distributed on the St. Thomas and St. Croix campuses and is available online from a link on the UVI homepage - http://www.uvi.edu - or from this direct link. The newsletter features a roundup of UVI Charter Month activities, a story on the CVI/UVI Choir Reunion held on March 1 with former CVI/UVI Choir Director Dr. Gloria Quinlan and a sneak peak at costumes to be worn by participants in three of the five sections in the UVI 2008 Carnival troupe.

Testimonials Needed by April 7
for UVI Service Awards Programs

Monday, April 7, is the deadline for UVI employees to submit testimonials to be included in the programs for the 2008 Employee Service Award ceremonies set for April 17 on St. Thomas and April 18 on St. Croix. During the ceremonies, the service of UVI employees will be recognized. The employees of the year will also be announced on each campus. For more information contact UVI's Human Resources Office at 693-1410.

Deadline Extended for UVI Seniors
to Take CLA Test; Cash Awards Offered

Additional UVI seniors are needed to participate in the Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA) test program offered on the St. Croix and St. Thomas campuses. In order to meet the goal of involving 100 UVI students, the deadline for taking the test has been extended until April 7. The goal is to have 50 seniors take the test on each campus. The test - organized by the national nonprofit Council for Aid to Education - is designed to measure critical thinking, analytic reasoning, problem solving and written communication. Cash awards will be given to participants who score 65 percent or above. Participants who score 80 percent or above will be given $300, and $100 will go to participants who score 65 to 79 percent. Interested graduating seniors should contact the following individuals: Linda Wymer (693-1346 / lwymer@uvi.edu) or Dr. Lonnie Hudspeth (693-1315 / lhudspe@uvi.edu) on St. Thomas, or Jewel Ross-Brathwaite (692-4123 / jbrathw@uvi.edu) on St. Croix.

Next Student Trustee Election
Set for April 22 on Both Campuses

UVI students will elect the next student representative to the UVI Board of Trustees in balloting scheduled for Tuesday, April 22. The vote will take place on both campuses, with the student trustee candidates to come from the St. Croix campus. The student trustee position alternates each year between campuses. The current student trustee for 2007-2008 is St. Thomas campus student Dwayne Petersen. The next student trustee will begin service on the UVI Board of Trustees during the upcoming fall semester.

SGA Elections Scheduled in April

Student Government Association (SGA) elections are slated in April on both campuses.

On St. Thomas, the elections - to select a president, vice president, secretary and three student senators for the sophomore, junior and senior classes - are slated for April 15 and 16. The deadline to apply as a candidate on St. Thomas was Tuesday, April 1. For details, contact Junie Violenes at 693-1111.

On the St. Croix campus, the SGA election is scheduled for April 22. Along with a president, vice president and secretary, St. Croix students will select three student senators for the sophomore, junior and senior classes. The deadline to submit a petition to be an SGA candidate on St. Croix is April 16. For details, contact Hedda Finch-Simpson at 692-4228.

Staff Council Seeks Committee Members

The UVI Staff Council is seeking members to serve on its Standing Committees. Each of the four committees has a number of assigned responsibilities outlined in the bylaws. Now, after several months of work by the Executive Committee, tasks are being assigned to each committee to fulfill the mission of the Staff Council. Employees are asked to contact committee chairpersons directly to indicate interest and willingness to serve. A description of the role each committee plays and the names of the committee chairpersons is available from this Staff Council Membership link.

Luncheon to Honor Cynthia Richards
as Librarian of the Year Set for May 18

The St. Thomas/St. John Library Association's VI/Women's History Month luncheon to honor Cynthia Richards as Librarian of the Year, which was postponed, has now been rescheduled for Sunday, May 18. The luncheon will take place at 2 p.m. at Pilgrim's Terrace. For more information, call Bethany Wilkes at 693-1363 for more information.

Summer Internship in Agriculture
Available at UPR-Mayaguez

UVI's Agricultural Experiment Station has announced that it has funding to support the attendance of one student from UVI at a four-week summer internship/course in agriculture at the University of Puerto Rico. The course goal is to provide an experience in Caribbean tropical agriculture to students from member institutions of Cari-Pac Consortium. For more information, contact Dr. Bob Godfrey, assistant director of UVI's Agricultural Experiment Station at 692-4042. Program details are also available at this link (PDF file).

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 began on March 17. Students must confer with advisors on course selection and obtain personal information numbers before they can register online.

Cooperative Extension Service Office
on St. Thomas Temporarily Relocated

The Cooperative Extension Service (CES) offices on UVI's St. Thomas campus have been temporarily relocated to the University's former Business and Finance Office building (behind the golf course). The relocation was necessary to allow the CES's quarters in the Newhouse Building to be renovated and repaired. Full service, which was limited during last week's move, has been restored from the new, temporary location. For more information, contact the CES office at 693-1080.

CELL Notes ...

Building High-Performance Teams
Is Subject of CELL Workshops

The University of the Virgin Islands' Community Engagement and Lifelong Learning (CELL) Center will host workshops titled "Building High-Performance Teams" on Friday, April 4. The day-long sessions, which begin at 8:30 a.m., will be offered on both St. Thomas and St. Croix. It is the third in a 10-part series of management skills workshops designed to help managers develop and refine the skills needed to manage their workforces more effectively. On St. Croix, the workshop will be held at the Joseph A. Simpson Building at #23A Hospital Street in Frederiksted. On St. Thomas, the workshop will be held at the UVI-CELL Center on the UVI campus.

The workshops are being held in collaboration with the American Management Association (AMA). Participants may elect to complete six of the workshops offered to 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.

Real Estate Sales Course
to be Offered on St. Thomas

Individuals interested in learning more about the real estate industry are encouraged to register for the Real Estate Sales course offered by the University of the Virgin Islands' Community Engagement and Lifelong Learning (CELL) Center. Classes will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturdays beginning April 19. All sessions will be held at the UVI-CELL Center on the St. Thomas campus. The Real Estate Sales course is designed to prepare individuals for the Real Estate Salesperson licensing examination. A variety of topics will be covered including Real Estate Theory, Mathematics, USVI Rules, and Regulations and all applicable sections of the VI Code. For more information on the course, call 693-1100 or visit UVI-CELL on-line at http://cell.uvi.edu.