New & Updated Items - May 21, 2008

UVI Community Invited to Beach Party
with Tom Joyner and Crew on Thursday

The UVI community is invited to join the Buccaneer Beach Party at Brewer's Bay Beach on Thursday, May 22, when the University hosts radio personality and philanthropist Tom Joyner and passengers from his annual Fantastic Voyage cruise during the ship's St. Thomas visit. The cruise raises money for Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

The "party with a purpose" starts at 11 a.m. and continues until 3 p.m. on the lawn of the Reichhold Center for the Arts and Brewer's Bay Beach. Cool Sessions Brass will entertain. Food and drinks will be on sale.

Buccaneer Beach Party Contest;
UVI Employees Can Win Food Tickets

A free food ticket for Thursday's Buccaneer Beach Party will be given away to the first five UVI employees who correctly answer today's UVI Announcements web contest. Calls to the Contest Phone Line - 693-1042 - will be accepted starting at 3 p.m. today (Wednesday, May 21).

The question is:

What is Tom Joyner's radio nickname?

Presidential Search Update

An update on UVI's presidential search was sent to UVI employees via email today. The update was provided by Dr. Auguste E. Rimpel, Jr., chair of the UVI Board of Trustees. It includes a list of individuals selected to serve on the Search Committee and a brief report on that committee's first meeting.

The complete text of Dr. Rimpel's update is available from the "Presidential Search" area of the UVI Announcements web page and from this direct link. For more information, contact Gail Steele at 693-1008.

UVI to Close May 26 for Memorial Day

The University of the Virgin Islands will be closed in observance of Memorial Day on Monday, May 26. Summer Session I classes and administrative offices will resume their regular schedules on Tuesday, May 27.

Teleconference Meeting Notice:
UVI-RT Park Sets May 28 Board Meeting

The University of the Virgin Islands Research and Technology Park board of directors will hold a meeting at 1 p.m. (AST) on Wednesday, May 28. 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.

Public Invited to World Forum,
Summer Institute's Highlight Event

The Virgin Islands public is invited to attend a World Forum Debate from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 27, at UVI's Reichhold Center for the Arts. The debate is part of the 14th Annual Summer Institute for Future Global Leaders which opened on the University's St. Thomas campus on May 14. The two-week institute aims to prepare university juniors, seniors and first-year graduate students for global leadership roles. Dr. Solomon Kabuka, a UVI professor and director of the institute, said this year's theme is "Global Leadership in an Era of Climate Change." The World Forum is the highlight of the institute's intense series of lectures, workshops, roundtable discussions and forums.

For more information call the office of the Summer Institute for Future Global Leaders at 693-1309. A news release is available on the UVI web site - http://www.uvi.edu - or from this direct link.

UVI Organizing Team
for St. Thomas Relay for Life

UVI is organizing a team for the 2008 St. Thomas Relay for Life fund raising event for the American Cancer Society. The Relay for Life is scheduled for June 21 and 22 at the Charlotte Amalie High School track. Team members and volunteers will be needed. More information of the UVI effort will be made available in the coming week. For details, call Inez Bartlett at 693-1482.

4-H Summer Academies Scheduled
for June 23 Through Aug. 1

The 2008, 4-H Summer Academies will be held from June 23 through August 1 on St. Croix, St. Thomas and St. John. UVI's Cooperative Extension Service, which organizes the academies, encourages the entire UVI community to participate by enrolling their children (ages 5-14) in this six-week summer camp program. Registration for UVI personnel is set for Thursday, May 29, and Friday, May 30. Registration for the general public follows on Monday, June 2. To register, visit the Research and Extension Center in room 139 on St. Croix or the UVI Administration and Conference Center on St. Thomas. Registration is open each day from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The registration fee for UVI employees is $90 per child (immediate family members only). The general pubic registration fee is $175 for the first child and $150 for each additional child. Fees are payable by money order, no personal checks will be accepted. Money orders should be made out to: UVI Cooperative Extension Service. Please note, the Summer Academies are offered on a first-come, first served basis. For details on St. Croix, call 692-4087, 692-4094 or 692-4084. On St. Thomas or St. John call 693-1078 or 693-1080.

ITS Sets Summer Schedule

UVI's Information and Technology Services component has announced summer session hours for the ITS Services Desk which is a combination of the Information Technology HelpDesk and the Library Circulation Desks. The hours are as follows:

• Mondays through Thursdays -- 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
• Fridays -- 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Saturdays -- 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Sundays 1 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Among the services offered by the ITS Service Desk are book checkout, password resetting, library card activation, equipment loans, sign up for voice/data activation in the residence halls and software loans. It also accepts HelpDesk requests for technology services. ITS Services Desks are available in UVI's libraries. The HelpDesk can be accessed via extension 1466 or via email at helpdesk@uvi.edu.

UVI St. Thomas/St. John Alumni
Association to Honor Four

The University of the Virgin Islands St. Thomas/St. John Alumni Chapter will hold its 6th Alumni Recognition Awards Breakfast at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 7, at the Dining Pavilion on UVI's St. Thomas campus. The chapter will honor Dr. Trevor Connor with the Distinguished Alumni Award, Debra Gottlieb with the Alumni Honor Award, Eltino S. Pickering with the Alumni Horizon Award and V.I. Senator Carmen M. Wesselhoft with the Alumni Award of Excellence. A news release is available on the UVI web site - http://www.uvi.edu - or from this direct link.

UVI Community Urged to Participate
in Walk/Run Against Violence

Members of the UVI community are encouraged to participate in the third annual Walk/Run Against Violence slated for Sunday, May 25, on St. Thomas. Funds raised go to benefit the Jason Carrol Memorial Fund and provide an annual scholarship for an incoming freshman at the University of the Virgin Islands. Kirwin Hodge of Sts. Peter and Paul School will receive the 2008-2009 UVI scholarship. Pre-registration costs $8 for adults and $3 for children up to age 17. Race-day registration starts at 2:30 p.m. and costs $10 for adults and $5 for children. Registration is available at the Caribbean Surf Co. in Havensight and downtown, and at Elizabeth Jane's at American Yacht Harbor in Red Hook. The walk/run begins at 4 p.m. at the Coast Guard dock in downtown Charlotte Amalie. For details, call 775-9337.

Other Current Items ...

UVI's Summer Session I Under Way,
Registration Open for Summer Session II

UVI's Summer Session I classes began on May 19. There is still time to register for Summer Session II classes which will run from June 25 through Aug. 1. Detailed class schedules and registration information is available from the BUCSS - Banner Utilization Central for Self Service - button on the UVI home page - www.uvi.edu. Online registration for Summer Session II and the Fall Semester - which begins on Aug. 18 - is under way. Students must confer with advisors on course selection and obtain personal information numbers before they can register online.

Other Current Items (Cont.) ...

Reef Jam Benefit set May 25 on St. Croix

The 2008 International Year of the Reef Committee on St. Croix invites the public to a Reef Jam benefit concert from 1 to 8 p.m. on Sunday, May 25, at Rhythms Restaurant at Rainbow Beach in Frederiksted. Local musicians Jamesie and the All Stars will perform from 1 to 4 p.m., and Kurt Schindler from 4 to 8 p.m. There is a $5 entrance fee and all proceeds benefit St. Croix coral reef education and awareness. There will be an activity tent for children, a fish fry, and an underwater photo contest with prizes. Please visit www.reefjam.com for more information or contact Emily Tyner of the UVI-Virgin Islands Marine Advisory Service at 692-4144.

Low-Cost Loans for Assistive Technology
Offered by VIATF and Banco Popular

Individuals in the Virgin Islands with disabilities will be provided access to low-interest bank loans for the purchase of assistive technology devices and services during a special, one-stop loan processing event scheduled for 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesday, May 27. The session will take place at the Sunny Isle Branch of Banco Popular on St. Croix. The program is offered in partnership with the Virgin Islands Assistive Technology Foundation (VIATF), part of the Virgin Islands University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities. For more information, contact VIATF Project Coordinator Diane Hampton at 692-1919.

Volunteer Snorkelers Sought
for Brewer's Bay Turtle Tagging

Volunteers who are good snorkelers are sought for a second effort to tag and release sea turtles in Brewer's Bay has been scheduled to start at 9 a.m. on Saturday, May 31. Twelve turtles caught and released in an initial effort held on May 3. Volunteers should gather at UVI's MacLean Marine Science Center on the St. Thomas campus. Volunteers are advised to use full-foot fins. They should also bring a lunch or money for a possible pizza run. Participants under age 18 must be accompanied by a parent and all participants must sign a liability waiver form. For more information, contact Dr. Paul Jobsis at 693-1235.

Proposals for Special Projects Funding
by Faculty, Staff Are Due by June 6

Interested faculty and staff are invited to submit proposals for the funding of projects under the College Cost Reduction and Access Act (CCRAA), which provides temporarily increased support to the Title III, Part B program. A Request for Faculty and Staff proposals form, which provides the guidance needed to submit a pre-proposal that can be considered internally for submittal to the U.S. Department of Education, has been distributed along with associated documents to all faculty and staff via email on May 6. Proposals must be received by June 6. For more information, contact Dayle Barry at 693-1054.

June 6 is Deadline to Submit Student
Worker Requests for Fall Semester

UVI's Student Employment Office on the St. Thomas campus has announced that the deadline to submit Request for Student Worker forms for the fall semester is June 6. The forms, which were distributed to supervisors via email, are also available from the Counseling and Placement web site or this direct link.

Golden Dragon Acrobats Shows Postponed

Performances by China's Golden Dragon Acrobats, scheduled for May 10, have been postponed. The group encountered problems shipping their cargo items to St. Thomas from their previous destination. The Reichhold Center is working with the group to reschedule a date.

Ticket holders have three options: Use the tickets at one of the rescheduled Acrobats shows, receive credit toward another Reichhold 2008 season show or get a full refund. The rescheduled shows will be announced as soon as possible.

Ongoing Items ...

UVI's Eastern Caribbean Center
to Conduct '08 V.I. Community Survey

The Eastern Caribbean Center of the University of the Virgin Islands will conduct the 2008 Virgin Islands Community Survey (VICS) during the months of May, June and July. This scientific survey of a sample of households is a follow-up to the one conducted in 2007 that collected information similar to that gathered in the census of 2000. VICS data for 2008 will be gathered on two topics - population and housing. A news release is available on the UVI web site - http://www.uvi.edu - or from 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 - www.uvi.edu - or this direct link.

Performance Incentive Nominations
Accepted Thorough Aug. 20

UVI is accepting nominations for the 2008 Performance Incentive Awards program. The nomination process continues through August 20, 2008. The program's goal is to promote consistent and exceptional performance by recognizing the achievements of those who have exceeded personal, unit, and organizational goals, and who have contributed significantly to the progress of UVI and the Virgin Islands community. Details of the 2008 program and links to online nomination forms are available from the "University Compensation Committee" area in the Archives section on the UVI Announcements web page - http://announce.uvi.edu - or from this direct link.

SBDC Notes ...

Small Business Week 2008
Activities Set for May 19-23

Small Business Week activities in the Virgin Islands began on May 19 and continue through Friday, May 23. The week is designed to promote entrepreneurship and small business training opportunities. The week will be highlighted by Small Business Week awards ceremonies set for today (Wednesday, May 21) on St. Croix and for Friday, May 23, for the St. Thomas/St. John awards.

The St. Croix ceremony will be held at Gertrude's Restaurant from noon to 2 p.m. in conjunction with The Rotary Club of St. Croix-Mid Isle. The St. Thomas ceremony will be held at the UVI Administration and Conference Center from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in conjunction with the St. Thomas/St. John Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours Reception.

The week's activities are coordinated by UVI's Small Business Development Center (SBDC). For details, contact the SBDC St. Thomas/St. John office at Nisky Center at 776-3206 or the SBDC St. Croix office in Sunshine Mall at 692-5270. Details are also available at the SBDC web site - http://www.sbdcvi.org/.

CELL Notes ...

One-Day PowerPoint Workshop
Rescheduled for June 12 on St. Croix

UVI's Community Engagement and Lifelong Learning (CELL) Center announces a date change for a previously scheduled workshop. The one-day PowerPoint workshop has been rescheduled for Thursday, June 12. The workshop will be held 8:30 am to 4:30 pm at the UVI St. Croix Campus.

Participants will gain the skills needed to create an effective presentation, choose design elements that enhance your presentation, add special effects, deliver a web-based presentation and much more. For more information or to register, call 693-1100 or visit UVICELL on-line at http://cell.uvi.edu.