UVI Carnival Notes ...

Carnival Troupe Participants Sought;
Web Page Offers Look at Costumes

The UVI community is invited to join in the fun of Carnival 2008 by becoming members of the University's Carnival troupe. A web site featuring the 2008 costumes and other troupe details is available from the "Latest Links" menu of the UVI home page - http://www.uvi.edu - and carnival.uvi.edu. 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." The troupe will consist of five sections - mermaids, turtles and coral reefs for women, and sea horses and stingrays for men. The Carnival's adults parade is scheduled for Saturday, April 26.

New & Updated Items posted April 10, 2008

UVI Olympics Set This Weekend
on the St. Croix Campus, F-sted Beach

The annual "UVI Olympic" games - three days of competition pitting St. Thomas campus students against their counterparts from the Croix campus - open on the St. Croix campus at 5 p.m. Friday, April 11. Thirty St. Thomas campus students are making the trip. They will vie with 45 or more St. Croix campus students in the following events: pool, dominoes, table tennis, soccer, track, softball, tennis, basketball, beach volleyball and tug-of-war. This year the games are hosted by the Sports Committee of the St. Croix campus Student Government Association. The games alternate annually between campuses.

Activities begin with welcoming remarks at 5 p.m. on April 11 at the Student Activities Center. The first competitions begin after dinner. Events will continue all day Saturday, April 12, on the St. Croix campus sports facilities and in the Student Activities Center. The games conclude on Fredericksted Beach on Sunday, with activities starting at 10 a.m. with a beach barbeque. Beach volleyball and a tug-o-war will follow, with a closing ceremony at 3:30 p.m. For details, contact Hedda Finch-Simpson at 692-4228.

UVI Nursing Students Plan Poster
Display at Schneider Medical Center

Senior UVI nursing students will conduct a poster presentation session in the lobby of St. Thomas' Schneider Regional Medical Center on St. Thomas from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday, April 14 and 15. The presentations will document 10 leadership projects on such topics as obesity, postpartum depression, emergency care training for university campus workers and breast feeding. The general public is invited to attend. For more information, contact UVI Professor of Nursing Dr. Maxine Nunez at 693-1289.

Staff Survey on Policy Underway;
Submission Deadline is April 15

The Human Resources Committee of the UVI Staff Council is conducting a policy prioritization survey among members of the UVI staff. The survey - which has been distributed by email - should be completed and placed in survey boxes at the following locations: St. Croix campus: Library, Physical Plant or Business Office -- St. Thomas campus: Library, Physical Plant or Administration and Conference Center. The deadline for submissions is April 15. For details, contact Verna Rivers at vrivers@uvi.edu.

UVI Staff Invited to Conversation
With President Ragster on April 17

Members of the UVI staff on both campuses have been invited, via email, to join President LaVerne E. Ragster for a conversation regarding Shared Governance from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Thursday, April 17, via video conference from the North West Wing room 103 on the St. Croix Campus to the Business Building, Room 101 on the St. Thomas campus. A similar conversation with members of the UVI faculty was scheduled for earlier today (April 10).

VIMRCC Slates Fourth Cleanup
of Cas Cay Mangroves for April 19

The Virgin Islands Mangrove Research and Conservation Coalition (VIMRCC) will hold its fourth cleanup and monitoring effort at the Cas Cay Mangrove Sanctuary from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 19.

Volunteers are invited to join the effort for a water-based cleanup. Participants are asked to meet at the V.I. Eco Tours entrance in Nadir. They should wear protective clothing and sun protection. Clean up materials, water and lunch will be provided. To sign up as an individual or community group, contact VIMRCC Coordinator Sophia McKenzie at 817-300-0828 or sophia.mckenzie@yahoo.com.

VIMRCC was formed as a result of a grant received by the University of the Virgin Islands from the Gulf of Mexico Foundation. Other funding sources include the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

UVI Sets Student Academic Awards
Programs on April 19 and 20

The University of the Virgin Islands will host its annual academic awards programs to honor the institution's most distinguished students on April 19 on the St. Croix campus and on April 20 on the St. Thomas campus. Approximately 130 students in all - 75 on St. Thomas and 55 on St. Croix - will be honored with the formal presentations of awards, scholarships and divisional honors that they have received.

The St. Croix event - scheduled at 5:30 p.m. in the Great Hall of the North West Wing building - will be that campus' 34 annual academic awards ceremony.

The St. Thomas event - set for 3 p.m. in the Sports and Fitness Center - will be the campus' 44th annual awards ceremony.

Refreshments will be served following the ceremonies on both campuses. For more information on St. Thomas, contact Professor Aurelia Donald at 693-1316 or Dr. Kimarie Engerman at 693-1277. For details on St. Croix, contact Maria Fleming at 692-4183.

Staff Council General Meeting Set April 22

The University of the Virgin Islands Staff Council (UVISC) invites all UVI staff members to attend the group's next general meeting scheduled for 11 a.m. to noon on Tuesday, April 22. The session will be videoconferenced between Chase Auditorium (B-110) on St. Thomas and Evans Center room 401 on St. Croix. The agenda will be sent out at least five working days prior to the meeting.

Reichhold to Host J'ouvert Warm-up Jam
with Trinidad's Montano on April 23

A j'ouvert warm-up jam featuring Trinidad Road March King Machel Montano takes place in UVI's Reichhold Center for the Arts at 10 p.m. on Wednesday, April 23. Soca queen Patrice Roberts and the Virgin Islands' own Jam Tyme and Bouncers Band will also be on hand to rock the crowd. General admission is $35 in advance (more at the door). On St. Croix tickets are available at Urban Threadz. St. Thomas ticket outlets include Modern Music, the UVI Bookstore, V.I. Bridal & Tuxedo, Urban Threadz, Home Again (Red Hook) and the Reichhold Center Box Office at 693-1559. A news release about the j'ouvert warm-up jam is available from the UVI home page - http://www.uvi.edu - or from this direct link.

Microsoft Office 2007
Offered to UVI Faculty, Staff

UVI's Information Technology Services has announced that it is ready to install Office 2007, on a voluntary basis, on faculty and staff computers. Interested individuals should submit requests for an Office 2007 upgrade to Suzanne Darrow at sdarrow@uvi.edu. DVD and face-to-face training will be offered, with the first round of face-to-face training sessions beginning the weeks of April 28 on St. Thomas and May 5 on St. Croix. More training sessions will be offered in the future. Information on computer requirements and other details was distributed to faculty and staff via email on April 8.

Other Current Items ...

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

Student Employment Week on UVI's St. Thomas campus continues this week through Friday, April 11. Students will be recognized for their dedication, desire and determination. The award winners were announced during a ceremony at noon today (Thursday, April 10), in the Dining Pavilion. 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 Opens April 10;
Promises 'Eye on Outside World'

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.

Faculty, Staff Workshops Offered
on Proposal Budgeting on Both Campuses

UVI's Office of Sponsored Programs is once again offering short workshops on each campus for faculty and staff entitled "Proposal Budgeting." The sessions 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, they 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. Croix session will be held in Evans Center room 713 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Friday, April 11.

The St. Thomas session will be held in room B-110 (Chase Auditorium) from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, April 17.

For details, contact Steve Goode at sgoode@uvi.edu or at call ext. 1202.

Graduation Ball for 2008 Graduates
Slated for May 11; Tickets Available

The annual Graduation Ball for prospective 2008 graduates (Associates, Bachelors and Masters) on UVI's St. Thomas campus will be held at 7 p.m. on Sunday, May 11, at Marriott's Frenchman's Reef Resort. Tickets are $60 and are available at VI Bridal & Tuxedo - Tutu Park Mall, Modern Music - Havensight, Max Mart - Nisky Center and at the UVI Bookstore. A $5 discount is available for students with an I.D. There is also an early bird special rate of $45 available for 10 days beginning Wednesday, April 9. For details on this and other class of 2008 events call 693-1111 or send email to myideasforclass2008@yahoo.com.

Other Current Items ... (Cont.)

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.

UVI Chamber Concert Choir, Voice
Students to Perform on April 12

The Music Area of UVI's Humanities and Social Sciences Division will present a performance by the UVI Chamber Concert Choir and students in UVI's voice studio at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 12, at the Nisky Moravian Church on St. Thomas. The concert will be under the direction of Professor Jennie Carmona. Also performing will be accompanist Dr. Lorna Young-Wright and Darryl Williams on piano, and Omari A. Williams on saxophone. Admission is a freewill donation. For more information call 693-1191.

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.

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.

UVI New Hires Report Posted for March

The UVI Human Resources Department has released the University's New Hires, Promotions and Separations report for March 1-31, 2008. The list is available to individuals accessing the Internet via the UVI computer network from the HR section of the UVI Announcements web page or at this direct link.

Shadow Our Students Program Slated
for April 16 on St. Thomas Campus

The 2008 Shadow Our Students (SOS) program on UVI's St. Thomas campus is scheduled for Wednesday, April 16. SOS is a student-run recruitment initiative involving seniors from local high schools spending the day at UVI attending classes and interacting with UVI students. UVI students interested in participating in the program should contact Ivan Connor (693-1097 or iconnor@uvi.edu) in UVI's Access and Enrollment Services Department. A meeting for interested volunteers is slated for 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 10, in the Dining Pavilion. St. Croix campus students conducted an SOS program on March 13.

UVI-PEP to Present Play '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.

Film, Speak Out to Mark National
Sexual Assault Awareness Month

UVI students on the St. Croix campus are encouraged to attend a National Sexual Assault Awareness Month film presentation and speakout titled "No Means No" at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 22, in the UVI Cafetorium. The event is presented by the Women's Coalition in conjunction with the UVI offices of Student Activities and Health Services. For details, contact Hedda Finch-Simpson at 692-4228.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

CELL Notes ...

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.

UVI-CELL Schedules One-Day
Workshop in Microsoft Access

The University of the Virgin Islands' Community Engagement and Lifelong Learning (UVI-CELL) Center will hold a one-day workshop for individuals interested becoming proficient in Microsoft Access. This hands-on workshop will be held 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 24, on UVI's St. Croix campus.

The workshop will provide valuable tools to create custom database solutions and organize data. Participants will learn to structure databases, create reports, enter, retrieve and sort data, and much more. For details or to register, call 693-1100 or visit UVI-CELL online at cell.uvi.edu.

St. Croix Intramural Notes ...

Tennis Tourney Begins April 16

The St. Croix campus intramural tennis tournament begins at 9 p.m. on Wednesday, April 16, on the tennis courts. Mixed doubles will be offered, with the playing format and schedule based on number of participants. To sign up contact Coach Bruce Wray at 692-4139.

Bowling Tournament Set for April 15

The UVI intramural bowling tournament will take place in the Tropical Ten Pins Bowling Center beginning at noon on Tuesday, April 15. Men's, women's, and co-ed teams are planned. All participants must rent shoes at the Bowling Center. For details or to sign up contact Coach Bruce Wray at 692-4139.