Who We Are
The University of the Virgin Islands is the U. S. Virgin Islands' only public, baccalaureate
diverse institution of higher education. It is a Land Grant institution and a Historically
Black College and University. UVI is also part of the Sea Grant network through the
University of Puerto Rico. The two campuses of UVI have a combined enrollment of approximately
2700 students. The institution offers 35 associate and bachelor degrees and six masters'
degrees across its five colleges and schools. It is
accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and its professional schools are either accredited or have begun the process of seeking
accreditation from specialized accrediting agencies. In fall 2011, full-time faculty
totaled 105, with 73 percent holding doctoral degrees and 46 percent tenured. Of the
120 part-time faculty, 25 percent held doctoral degrees. Its 383-member administrative
and support staff serves a diverse student population from a number of Caribbean island
nations, the U.S. mainland, and countries around the world. More than 90 percent of
the student population is from the Territory, 66 percent are black, 42 percent are
19 years of age or younger, 12 percent are Hispanic, 38 percent are male, and 75 percent
are full time.
Economic Impact and Relevance
Although no recent economic impact analysis has been conducted, the University continues
to make investments in the economic development of the Territory by maintaining a
workforce of more than 500 persons, attracting visitors who spend their money in the
local economy, and presently constructing facilities with an aggregate value of $20
million. The University has a strong research and public service program and annually
receives millions of dollars in grants for research and development projects.
The University is home to a number of centers and institutes, including the
Eastern Caribbean Center which conducts the decennial census for the Territory and serves as a hub for Territorial
geospatial data, the
Center for Marine and Environmental Studies which conducts numerous underwater and near-shore research, the
Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, the
Virgin Islands University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, the
Small Business Development Center, the
Water Resources Research Institute, the
Caribbean Exploratory Research Center, the
Reichhold Center for the Arts, the
Sports and Fitness Center, the
Wellness Center, the
Caribbean Green Technology Center, the
Center for the Study of Spirituality and Professionalism, the Center for the Nurturing and Preservation of Virgin Islands Culture, the Center
for the Study of Alternative and Complimentary Medicine, and the
UVI Institute of Leadership and Organizational Effectiveness.
Additionally, the University's Land Grant programs - the
Agricultural Experiment Station and the
Cooperative Extension Services - all have a significant impact on the lives of the people of the Territory and the
wider Caribbean region. The
Virgin Islands Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research is also a vital contributor to the economic well-being of the Territory. Annually,
the
UVI Sports and Fitness Center serves as host for the renowned Paradise Jam Basketball Tournament that attracts
numerous NCAA Division 1 teams and supporters to the Territory. The University's ability
to host a number of other events throughout the year as well as engage in continuous
physical improvements all attest to the measure of impact that the University has
on the Territory.
Our History (Honoring the Past)
The University of the Virgin Islands is currently celebrating fifty years of higher
education contributions to the Virgin Islands, the wider Caribbean, and the world.
This anniversary year, 2012, is replete with celebrations and activities that honor
the past and lays a foundation to create the future. Stakeholders and patrons are
all very proud of the history of UVI and the enormous impact that it has had on its
students, alumni, and the community.
UVI was chartered on March 16, 1962, as the
College of the Virgin Islands - a publicly funded, coeducational, liberal arts institution - by Act No. 852 of
the Fourth Legislature of the U.S. Virgin Islands. According to that law, the institution's
primary objective is to provide for "...the stimulation and utilization of the intellectual
resources of the people of the Virgin Islands and the development of a center of higher
learning whereby and wherefrom the benefits of culture and education may be extended
throughout the Virgin Islands."
The first permanent campus opened on St. Thomas in July 1963, on 175 acres donated
by the federal government. The first
Board of Trustees took office in August 1963. In 1964, the college founded a second campus on St. Croix,
on 130 acres also donated by the federal government. In 1972, the
College of the Virgin Islands was awarded Land-Grant status by the U.S. Congress. This allowed for the establishment
of an
Agricultural Experiment Station and a
Cooperative Extension Service. Since then, many other programs and services have been added. These include the
Marine and Environmental Studies Program, and the
sports and athletics program. In 1986, the
College of the Virgin Islands was renamed the University of the Virgin Islands to reflect the growth and diversification
of its
academic curricula,
community and regional services, and
research programs. That same year, the United States Congress named UVI one of America's Historically
Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU); it holds the distinction of being the only
HBCU outside of the continental United States.
The current president of the University,
Dr. David Hall , its fifth president, began his tenure on August 1, 2009.
Dr. LaVerne E. Ragster, who served as the fourth president of the University of the Virgin Islands from
2002 to 2009, succeeded
Dr. Orville Kean who served from 1990. Dr. Kean succeeded
Dr. Arthur A. Richards, who became president in 1980. Dr. Richards' predecessor,
Dr. Lawrence C. Wanlass was appointed the first president of the College of the Virgin Islands in 1963 and
held that office until 1980.
Our Legacy (For What We Are Known)
UVI is generally known as "the place to work and grow." It offers strong and dynamic
leadership within a nurturing environment. The University promotes commitment to its
seven management values of high quality performance, service excellence, informed
decision-making, performance assessment, emotional and spiritual well-being, fiscal
responsibility, and uncompromised integrity. UVI is proud to have two Rhodes Scholars
and a Pulitzer Prize winner among its alumni. It is seen as an incubator of talent
that transforms those who walk its halls to the next step in their academic pursuits
and careers. Through programs like the
Male Initiative, Junior University and
other summer bridge programs, there has been a measurable increase in the number of male students enrolled at
the University and the
annual Man-up Conference and Junior University programs are well received by the community. The University's
academic and community programs are respected as many of its students excel to academic
excellence in a variety of professions and leadership positions in the Territory and
the Eastern Caribbean. Its prominent alumni-base includes a premier, lawyers, doctors,
scientists, teachers, nurses, entrepreneurs, business leaders, and a wide variety
of professionals.
New Realities and Opportunities
The University of the Virgin Islands, similar to other institutions of higher learning,
continues to face new realities and opportunities. These realities include the limitations
of the Territory's infrastructure as well as the adverse impact of the current global
recession. UVI must position itself to meet the realities and embrace the opportunities.
It must be nimble and ready to respond to the new realities that will shape the future
of the higher education landscape.
Major Challenges
A major challenge for all areas of the institution is the shrinking financial support
of the Government of the Virgin Islands resulting from the global economic recession.
This may inhibit the institution's ability to launch new initiatives and maintain
and upgrade existing programs.
Changing the culture to one of assessment, where systems are implemented to measure
student-learning and institutional effectiveness is a challenge, especially in austere
economic times. Assessment takes time and requires financial resources. The institution
has already adopted the Nichols model, which is being used as a guide for the assessment
of
institutional effectiveness. In addition, there is an Executive Director of Institutional Effectiveness and Assessment
who is leading this effort on behalf of the University. This is a good use of resources
and makes assessment a focal point; however, the implementation of assessment plans,
data gathering, and data analysis have to take place within various units, and the
coordination of this effort is a challenge. With respect to the
assessment of student-learning outcomes, there has been stability with the Director, who has been serving in this position
for over three years. Additionally, the Provost has embraced the assessment of student-learning
outcomes as a priority for the academic component.
Another challenge is the competition for students, not only from institutions offering
traditional programs on the mainland and elsewhere in the Caribbean, but also from
institutions outside the Territory that offer online degree programs. In the past
few years, this has impacted enrollment, particularly at the graduate level. There
are also changing demographics, including a declining population in secondary schools,
which is a result of a declining birthrate in the Territory and a decline in immigration.
In addition, many students have full-time or part-time employment and have the personal
challenge of doing so while simultaneously raising a family. This is a challenge for
the University. These combined forces affect their academic performance negatively,
and it is difficult for UVI to address many of these students' needs. The global economic
crisis, however, may encourage more students to stay close to home. These students
may include, not just those from the Territory, but also those from the Eastern Caribbean.
The University already has a market that views UVI favorably in Anguilla, St. Martin,
St. Kitts and Nevis, Dominica, and in the British Virgin Islands.
For those students who do not qualify for federal aid, scholarships are limited. This
especially impacts the recruitment of international students. The University is, however,
examining new means to address this situation and obtain the opportunity to offer
more scholarships and attract more high performing students to its doors. At the same
time, the University continues to work with the Department of Education through the
P-16 Collaborative to improve the quality of education in the Territory and student
performance on the SAT tests.
Current Opportunities
The most important opportunity for the institution at this time is the focus on building
a great university and the recruitment of persons to fill various leadership roles
on campus. Positions that, in the past, were filled on an interim basis by others
holding other positions will be filled with highly qualified persons. Unfortunately,
the recent decline in the revenues of the Government of the Virgin Islands has resulted
in the Government mandating an 8 percent reduction in the salaries of employees in
all its departments as well as agencies and instrumentalities, including the University,
which receive funding from the Government. This has caused some positions in the University
to revert to being filled on an interim basis due to employees leaving for other opportunities
in the Territory or on the mainland with higher salaries.
The new administration of the University offers an opportunity to start anew with
faculty and staff, especially with respect to the shared governance structure. The
shared governance structure provides an additional opportunity for moving the institution
forward and can serve to elevate morale of its workforce through participation in
decision-making and information-sharing. This is important for all the segments involved:
faculty, staff, students, and administration.
Another opportunity comes in the form of the alignment of priorities and resources
through the development of the institution's new strategic plan -
Pathways to Greatness. The strategic plan development process presents many opportunities, including focusing
renewed and expanded focus on assessment. The way in which this plan is developed,
presented, and assessed will help to set the tone for years to come.
The adoption of the
Collective Bargaining Agreement and the
Human Resources Manual presents new opportunities for the institution, relating to transparency. There are
also new evaluation procedures, including the implementation of faculty development
growth plans.
An opportunity, and also a challenge, is the negotiation of a collective bargaining
agreement, currently being undertaken by representatives of the administration and
the faculty.
Institutional practices are being implemented to encourage more openness and transparency,
especially in areas of great importance. A revised budgeting process is in place,
with a University Budget Committee comprised of representatives of various segments
of the institution. Each component and each school/college submits and presents a
budget request to the Committee. The hearings to review the requests are open to the
University community and are well publicized on campus through electronic media. Presentations
to the University Budget Committee on the budget-request have to be linked to the
strategic plan of the University. This promotes alignment of expenditures with the
established priorities of the institution.
The creation of a new
Center for Student Success in 2011 has provided an opportunity to impact enrollment, especially in the area
of retention and persistence. The Center provides services for the consistent monitoring
of students' performance and provides assistance on a timely basis to students who
need it.
A great opportunity exists as the institution works to launch its first major capital
campaign in recent years. Each component was asked for input and requested to participate
in setting priorities for the capital campaign. This also moves the institution closer
to proper alignment of budget to institutional priorities. Additionally, there is
the opportunity to embed proper evaluation and assessment, thus improving institutional
effectiveness into the campaign process.
Increased capacity in technology provides an opportunity for stronger marketing, more
development of online and hybrid courses and programs, and strengthening of advising
through greater access to information.
