UVI Carnival Notes ...

April 18 Deadline Set for Joining
UVI's 2008 Carnival Troupe

Friday, April 18, is the deadline to join UVI's 2008 Carnival troupe. Students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends are invited to participate. A web site featuring the 2008 costumes and other troupe details is available from the "Latest Links" menu of the UVI home page - www.uvi.edu - and from this link: carnival.uvi.edu.

Costumes cost $150 for students, $170 for faculty and staff , and $180 for others. On St. Croix, students are offered a $150 package that includes the cost of the costume, round-trip transportation and lodging (in the St. Thomas campus dorms). Space in the St. Croix program is limited.

Interested individuals can sign up by calling Liza Margolis at 693-1053 or Sean Georges at 693-1112 on St. Thomas, or Hedda Finch-Simpson at 692-4228 on 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.

Two Hours of Administrative Leave
Offered to Employees for Cultural Fair Day

UVI President Dr. LaVerne E. Ragster has authorized up to two (2) hours of administrative leave for all employees who wish to attend the Cultural Fair activity of Carnival 2008 at Emancipation Garden on Wednesday, April 23. To maintain adequate departmental coverage, all employees are asked to obtain prior approval for this leave from their respective supervisors.

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). A news release is available from the UVI home page - http://www.uvi.edu - or from this direct link.

New & Updated Items posted April 14, 2008

Note: See Venue Change

UVI Staff Invited to Conversation
With President Ragster on April 17

Members of the UVI staff on both campuses are reminded that they are invited to a conversation regarding Shared Governance with President LaVerne E. Ragster from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Thursday, April 17. The conversation will take place via video conference from Chase Auditorium (B-110) on the St. Thomas campus and in the Great Hall of the North West Wing building on the St. Croix campus. A similar conversation with members of the UVI faculty was held on April 10.

UVI Research and Technology Park
to Hold Board Meeting on April 18

The University of the Virgin Islands Research and Technology Park board of directors will hold a meeting at 9 a.m. (AST) on Friday 18, April. The meeting will be held via teleconference. Interested parties may visit the offices of the Research and Technology Park on UVI's St. Croix campus to participate. For further information call 692-4200.

UVI Staff Council to Begin
Next Officer Election Process

The UVI Staff Council (UVISC) has announced that it is time to start the election process for next year's Staff Council officers. Nomination forms for Staff Council officers will be distributed with paychecks on April 17 and April 24. To make a nomination, the completed nomination forms must be placed in special boxes that will be placed in the Library, Physical Plant and Business Office on St. Croix and in the Administration and Conference Center on St. Thomas. The deadline to submit nominations is May 1, 2008. (The next general meeting of the UVISC is set for April 22. See related item.)

Mead Film Festival Continues April 17;
Features 'Eye on Outside World'

The second annual Margaret Mead Film Festival on the St. Thomas campus of the University of the Virgin Islands continues this Thursday through Saturday, April 17, 18 and 19, in the first floor conference room of the new Administration and Conference Center. Films start at 7 p.m. each night. The festival offers an eye on the outside world. A news release is available from the UVI home page - http://www.uvi.edu - or from this direct link.

UVI Music Students Plan
Free, Public Recital on April 20

The University of the Virgin Islands Humanities and Social Sciences Division Music Area will present a Student Recital at 4 p.m. on Sunday, April 20, in the Music Building on UVI's St. Thomas campus. Students from each of the Music Areas studios will perform using a variety of instruments. The public is welcome. Admission is free. Refreshments will be served.

UVI Students Plan Model United Nations Conference on April 21 on St. Thomas

Students from both St. Thomas and St. Croix campuses will participate in the first ever University of the Virgin Islands Model United Nations Conference on April 21, on St. Thomas. The conference - designed to provide students with a better sense of international concerns, policies and affairs - will offer a simulation of the committees and programs of the United Nations. A news release is available from the UVI home page - http://www.uvi.edu - or from this direct link.

SGA Elections Scheduled in April
for St. Croix, St. Thomas Campuses

Student Government Association (SGA) elections are slated for April 21 and 22 on the St. Thomas campus and for April 22 on the St. Croix campus. (Note the St. Thomas campus election was originally slated for April 15 and 16.) Students on each campus will vote for a president, vice president, secretary and three student senators for the sophomore, junior and senior classes. The deadline to apply to run for an office has passed on St. Thomas. For more information contact Junie Violenes at 693-1111. 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.

Environmental Club Plans Earth Day
Promotion Focusing on Plastic Trash

UVI's Environmental and Marine Science Club on St. Croix plans to mark Earth Day 2008 - Tuesday, April 22 - by calling attention to the amount of Styrofoam and plastic trash generated on campus. On Earth Day, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., members of the UVI community who bring in re-usable cups, plates or tableware to use in lieu of Styrofoam or plastic products, will receive free baked goods from the Cafetorium. For details, contact Emily Tyner at 692.4144.

UVI's Title III Program Publishes
Its First Annual Newsletter

UVI's Title III Program Coordinator Dayle Barry has announced the publication of the program's first annual newsletter - Title III Impact. The newsletter provides information for UVI students, faculty and staff about the many initiatives on both campuses that are supported by the Title III Program. This first issue highlights Title III initiatives in communications, information technology and chemistry programs, and the Campus Advising and Tutorial Services (CATS) Centers. The newsletter also announced that UVI will host the June meeting of the National Association of HBCU Title III Administrators' Association. This will be the first time that the 97-member institution holds its annual session outside the continental United States. The newsletter can be viewed online from the "Latest Links" section of the UVI home page - www.uvi.edu - or this direct link. For additional information on UVI's Title III program visit the website - www.uvi.edu/TitleIII - or call 693-1052.

Graduation Wishes Available
in Graduation Ball Booklet

Individuals who want to send a special "Graduation Wish" to a student worker, advisee, co-worker, friend or organization member who is graduating this year on UVI's St. Thomas campus can do so in a special Graduation Ball Booklet being compiled by the Student Activities Office. Depending on size, "wishes" cost from $5 to $35. The deadline to submit a "wish" is Wednesday, April 30. The Graduation Ball is scheduled for May 11. More information and a submission form are available at this "Graduation Wish" link. Details are also available by calling the Student Activities Office at 693-1111.

Other Current Items ...

UVI Nursing Students Hosting Poster
Display at Schneider Medical Center

Senior UVI nursing students are conducting a poster presentation session in the lobby of St. Thomas' Schneider Regional Medical Center on St. Thomas today and tomorrow, Monday and Tuesday, April 14 and 15. The presentations - which are available from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. each day - 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.

Workshops on Autism Slated
April 14 and 15 by VIUCEDD

Workshops on autism are being offered by the Virgin Islands University Center for Excellence on Developmental Disabilities (VIUCEDD) on St. Thomas today (Monday, April 14) and on St. Croix on Tuesday, 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. For details call 693-1322.

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.

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. St. Croix campus students conducted an SOS program on March 13.

Faculty, Staff Workshop Offered
on Proposal Budgeting on St. Thomas

A workshop for faculty and staff on "Proposal Budgeting" will be offered on UVI's St. Thomas campus at 10 a.m. on Thursday, April 17, in Chase Auditorium (B-110). The workshop 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. A similar session was held on April 11 on the St. Croix campus. For details, contact Steve Goode at sgoode@uvi.edu or at call 693-1202.

Other Current Items ... (Cont.)

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-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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 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.

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 ...

Danger Zone Retains Intramural
Basketball Crown on St. Croix

Danger Zone retained the St. Croix campus intramural basketball title with a sound, 50-35, victory over up-set minded Battleground in the championship game on April 10. Six teams with 53 players participated in the 2008 St. Croix Intramural Basketball League making it the biggest in the leagues history. Scott Cave led Danger Zone with 16 points followed by team mates Troy Williams - 12, Kassim Hansen - 8, Jamal Soldiew - 6, Kori Vialet - 5, Shaka James - 2, and player/captain Bernhardt Simmonds - 1. Robert Bailey led all scorers in a losing cause with 20 points for Battleground, followed by team mates Noel Burnett - 6, Carl Christopher - 6, Rexal Gumbs - 2 and Philmore Mills - 1. In semi-final action played last week Danger Zone sneaked past a game Gun Man Dem, 41-39, and Battleground held on, 45-43, to defeat Soldier Boyz.

Bowling, Tennis Championships
Set This Week on St. Croix

The Spring St. Croix Campus Intramural Bowling Tournament will be played at noon on Tuesday, April 15, at the Tropical Ten Pins Bowling Center. Men's, women's and co-ed teams will compete. The Intramural Mixed Doubles Tennis Tournament will begin at 9 p.m. on Wednesday, April 16, on the UVI tennis courts. For more information and to register contact St. Croix Intramural Coordinator Bruce Wray at 692-4139.