A university president’s investiture is a formal ceremony marking the official installation of a new president. An official passing of the torch. The investiture symbolizes the president’s acceptance of the responsibilities and authority of the office. This ceremony, held during the president’s first year, highlights an academic tradition that has been celebrated since the Middle Ages.
For the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI), an investiture is more than a ceremony; it’s a celebration of our legacy and a warm embrace of a new era for our island community. The installation of a new president at UVI is a dignified event rich with academic traditions and protocols.
It features a grand academic procession including delegates from other colleges and universities and our own esteemed faculty, all adorned in the vibrant academic regalia of their institutions.
The event is complemented by musical selections and includes greetings from university members, the higher education community and government leaders, making it a truly memorable and unifying celebration.
We are proud to invite your institution to designate a delegate to march in the official processional at President Safiya George installation ceremony.
It is a longstanding tradition for colleges, universities, and learned societies to send delegates to a presidential inauguration. Dressed in the academic regalia of their respective institutions, delegates march in the inauguration processional in order of the founding date of each institution.
If you will be attending the ceremony as a spectator and not a delegate, please visit the Information for Guests section.
Details about check-in, attire, and more will be shared via email after delegates have registered for the ceremony.
If you plan on participating in the Inaugural procession as an official representative of your college/university, we encourage you to bring your own regalia. Regalia can be rented from your local university bookstore.
Contact inauguration@UVI.edu
There are quite a few hotel options that are close to UVI itself and then a few in the town of Charlotte Amalie that will be an easy taxi ride to the university. Although we are not officially endorsing any Hotel/Airbnb in particular, feel free to investigate which one will be best suited for you.
Close to UVI & airport (5 min):
Emerald Beach Resort
Lindbergh Bay Hotel & Villas
Charlotte Amalie (in town):
Windward Passage Hotel
Hotel 1829
The Westin Beach Resort at Frenchman's Reef
Eastend (30-45 minutes away):
Ritz Carlton
Sapphire Beach Condos
Elysian Hotel
Point Pleasant
Margaritaville
There are quite a few Airbnb’s on St. Thomas. Each with its own uniqueness, convenience and access. Although we are not officially endorsing any one Airbnb in particular, feel free to make your selection based on your own needs.
Charlotte Amalie (in town):
The Red Gate Villas
Villa Santana
Le Jardin Tranquille
Home on the Hill
General Parking
Limited general parking will be available on a first-come, first-served basis for guests attending inauguration events at the Sports & Fitness Center (SFC). We strongly recommend using our free shuttle, or carpooling, if you are able.
If you are driving, please enter the SFC entrance and park in the open parking lot. For information about Eldridge Blake Sports & Fitness Center, please refer to our campus map. Free campus shuttle service begins at 8 a.m. running from upper campus to the eastern portion of the campus by the Innovation Center road and runs every 30 minutes. The UVI Shuttle will run until approximately 8:30 p.m.
ADA Parking
There are a number of spots on campus reserved specifically for guests with ADA parking permits. Please email inauguration@UVI.edu if you need parking accommodations.
Information about how to get to UVI is available on our VIsit Us pages.
Items left behind at inaugural events will be turned in to the Campus Safety office located at the entrance of UVI.
The UVI On-Campus Emergency Number is TBD. Contact our Campus Safety office if you need assistance .
Contact inauguration@UVI.edu
Ruth Ray Jackson (Langston University)
Shugga Deborah Rosenblooms (UVI)
Harry K. Moon (NOVA Southeastern University)
Alisa White (Sam Houston State University)
Rosalind Roz Brewer (Trustees of Spelman College)
UVIABJ Faculty Advisor and Student Executive Board
Faculty and Student Staff of UVI Voice 2.0
Dora Clayton-Jones (Marquette University)
Stella Batalama (Florida Atlantic University)
Patricia Ramsey (Medgar Evers College)
Adena Williams Loston (St. Philip's College)
Molly Perry (The UVI Pre Law Society)
Michael J. Horswell (Florida Atlantic University)
Adena Williams Loston - Cert (St. Philip's College)
Aysegul Timur (Florida Gulf Coast University)
Valerie Montgomery Rice (Morehouse School of Medicine)
Join us in celebrating a milestone as Dr. Safiya George becomes UVI’s first alumni
President, a testament to the strength and spirit of our beloved university! Honor
this historic moment by investing in UVI’s students, innovation, infrastructure, and
excellence.
Your gift supports scholarships, leadership initiatives, campus enhancements, and
transformative opportunities that shape the next generation of UVI leaders. Give now and make a lasting impact!
