President’s Report to the Board of Trustees Dr. David Hall, President Reporting Period: February 20, 2018 to May 18, 2018 Board of Trustees’ Meeting – June 2, 2018 1 PRESIDENT’S REPORT TO THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS REPORTING PERIOD: FEBRUARY 20, 2018 TO MAY 18, 2018 The President’s Report for this reporting period is organized into two sections. Part I provides highlights of new and ongoing presidential initiatives and institutional accomplishments since the last report. Part II highlights major accomplishments within the framework of Pathways to Greatness, the University’s current strategic plan. This framework has been adopted to ensure that all Components and Departments across the University are focused on areas that the University has determined are critical to our future success. I continue to be extremely impressed with the productivity and commitment of our University’s students, faculty, staff and administrators. PART I: PRESIDENTIAL INITIATIVES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS I am honored to share with the Board of Trustees highlights of the University’s activities and achievements for the reporting period. This section contains some of the major achievements of the University. These accomplishments speak to the commitment and resilience of our students, faculty, staff and administrators. President’s Report to the Board of Trustees Dr. David Hall, President Reporting Period: February 20, 2018 to May 18, 2018 Board of Trustees’ Meeting – June 2, 2018 2 STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS  Kendra Kent, junior criminal justice major, representing the St. Thomas Campus, was crowned Miss University of the Virgin Islands 2018-2019 at the 38th Annual Miss UVI Ambassadorial Competition held Saturday, April 14, at the St. Croix Educational Complex on St. Croix. Ms. Kent’s platform "The Wounds Unseen” focused on mental health and wellness awareness. In addition to securing the crown, Kent outperformed in five of the seven segments, earning her the distinctions of Miss Photogenic, Best Ambassadorial Presentation, Best Performing Talent, Best Evening Wear, and Miss Popularity. The other participants in the competition included Ki-Ana Tonge named first runner-up and Ashley Simpson awarded second runner-up. The Student Government Association Queen’s Committee organized and presented the Miss UVI Ambassadorial Competition.  Five UVI students were selected for the Boston University Early Medical School Selection Program. UVI captured one-third of the fifteen slots that were available to the thirteen institutions that applied. This represents the largest cohort of UVI students who have ever been selected in the over 30 years since UVI has been in the program: o Kaleb Bellew, sophomore chemistry major o Micaiah Bully, sophomore biology major o Sojourna Ferguson, junior biology major o Aisha Griffin, sophomore biology major o Asel Mustafa, sophomore biology and chemistry major  Two students successfully defended their dissertations and were the first two PhD graduates from UVI: o Blair Miller. Examination of Creative Thinking Preferences: Leadership, Vocation & Gender Differences o Ashley Goodwin. Exploring Cognitive Styles to Examine Explicit theories and Implicit Perceptions Within Teams  Amiel Brown, Student Representative to the UVI Board of Trustees, accompanied President Hall, Provost McKayle, and other university representatives as a student ambassador to the UVI Rise Relief Fundraiser in Washington D.C. on February 24 held at the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) headquarters. Trustee Brown was able to network and provide his testimony on how the University of the Virgin Islands demonstrated not only its resilience, but its tenacity, perseverance, and diligence in advancing forward subsequent to the two category five hurricanes. He was required to provide a comprehensive report and brief remarks at one of the Board of Trustees debriefing meetings. President’s Report to the Board of Trustees Dr. David Hall, President Reporting Period: February 20, 2018 to May 18, 2018 Board of Trustees’ Meeting – June 2, 2018 3  Led by Dr. Glenn Metts, Business Strategy students in BUS 436 on the St. Thomas Campus were recognized for their third Global Top 100 team finish this semester for their company's Business Strategy Game (BSG) performance worldwide. Making the Global Top 100 out of the approximately 13,500 teams competing is a clear demonstration of the good strategic business sense of our existing UVI business students.  This year a record 12 students across both UVI campuses successfully completed the Business Design Grant Program’s training and rigorous deliverables to earn the $750 award. The Business Design Grant Program is a “learn and earn” program that allows students to learn and practice the entrepreneurial skill of transforming an “idea” into the structure of a business and then assess the potential viability of that business. Given that most ideas turn out not to be viable businesses, the program rewards students for completing the deliverables, regardless of the potential business’ viability. It is business shaping and evaluation skill-development that is rewarded, not the result. Those students were: o Ulric Baptiste, Jr. o Gerald Bellot o Jiame Berry o Amiel Brown o Joy Grant o Jaecena Howell o Jessica LaPlace o Coral Megahy o Marco Ponce o Nathaniel Robinson o Nina Scott o Andre Williams  Three undergraduate students emerged victorious after their presentations were judged at the Annual Emerging Researchers National (ERN) Conference in STEM on February 22-24, 2018 at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington D.C. Nineteen UVI students were among the over 800 students who attended from colleges and universities across the country. The three students were Torhera Durand, Genique Nicholas and Quianah Joyce. o Durand won first prize in the category of Cancer Biology for her poster presentation titled “T-Cell Immunoglobulin and Mucin Protein 3 Involvement in Galectin-9 Induced Apoptosis of Exhausted T-Cells.” o Nicholas won first prize in Chemistry for her poster presentation titled “Promoting Transition Metal Hydride Formation with Visible Light.” o Joyce won first prize in Nanotechnology and Physics for her poster presentation titled “To Be or Not to Be: Identifying an Ultra-long Gamma Ray Burst During Early Instrument Observation.” President’s Report to the Board of Trustees Dr. David Hall, President Reporting Period: February 20, 2018 to May 18, 2018 Board of Trustees’ Meeting – June 2, 2018 4  Genique Nicholas, senior Chemistry major and UVI MARC Program Research Trainee, presented research that she conducted as part of an extramural summer research internship. Nicholas interned at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill under the mentorship of Dr. Jillian L. Dempsey. She is mentored by Dr. Yakini Brandy at UVI.  Three UVI undergraduate students, Shamoy Bideau, Samuel Joseph, and Imhotep Charles, participated in an extensive seven-day tour of the University of Florida campus, off-campus Agricultural Research and Education Centers, and other science-based educational activities led by Dr. Stuart Weiss, Assistant Professor of Agronomy in the Agricultural Experiment Station (AES). The focus of the trip was to expose students to a wide range of science-based topics that included agricultural research, commercial food systems, agroforestry, ecology, biology, wildlife conservation, natural history, and environmental sciences. This educational tour was funded through a USDA-NIFA Resident Instruction in the Insular Areas grant (award # 2016-70004-25662, “Increasing opportunities for undergraduate students via experiential learning in agriculture”).  In collaboration with the Cooperative Extension Services (CES), the Agricultural Experiment Station (AES) developed a scholarship that was made available to students working in either AES or CES. One scholarship for $500 was awarded to Shamoy Bideau for the Spring 2018 semester.  Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) 2018 notable accomplishments: o Jahvan Navarro, junior accounting major, will be joining Flint Hills Resources, Koch Industries in Wichita Kansas as a Tax Intern from May 15, 2018 – August 10, 2018. Mr. Navarro will be working with top executives in this paid internship. He will receive a $3,000 bonus, which will go towards his housing allowance at Wichita State University. o Jaecena Howell, a 2018 UVI graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting and Associate of Arts in Business Management, was offered a full-time position with Amazon upon graduation. Ms. Howell will be joining Amazon in August 2018 as the Area Manager in Braselton, Georgia. In addition, she will be interning with the National Credit Union Association this summer for 8 weeks. o Augustus Laurencin, Jr., a 2018 UVI graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications, was offered a full-time position with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) upon completion of a two-year background investigation. o Tuwanda Perez, a 2018 UVI graduate with a Master of Arts in Psychology was offered a full-time position with Microsoft as their Technology Solution Specialist for the local and federal government. Ms. Perez will begin her employment with Microsoft in August 2018. Ms. Perez was afforded this employment opportunity by participating in the Thurgood Marshall Leadership Institute in November 2016. President’s Report to the Board of Trustees Dr. David Hall, President Reporting Period: February 20, 2018 to May 18, 2018 Board of Trustees’ Meeting – June 2, 2018 5  Four UVI students have been accepted into universities in Denmark (Aalborg University and University of Copenhagen) for study in the Fall. Others are applying for study away in Spring 2019. These students are both a part of the UVI exchange program, and the scholarship program implemented this year by Denmark for UVI students. Three students from Aalborg University and one from University of Copenhagen studied at UVI in Spring 2018.  Twenty-seven hackathon participants, 14 Business Design program participants, twelve 13D competition competitors, UVIDEA club officers, corporate sponsors, judges, and supporting administrators, faculty and staff from both St. Croix and St. Thomas were invited to attend the first annual Innovation and Entrepreneurship at UVI gala luncheon on May 12, 2018. The event celebrated the growing innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem at UVI. The hackathon, business design program and 13D competition students all received awards. The culmination of the event was the funding announcement for the 13D competitors. This year, there was no “first, second, or third places.” The judges were charged with distributing the $60,000 in sponsored monies to the teams with the guideline that no team receive more than $30,000. The teams embraced the “lean startup” approach that Dr. Glenn Metts has been emphasizing over the past few years. In “shark tank” style, the teams not only pitched the judges on the viability of their business but also made their financial “ask” be the minimum amount that they would need to successfully launch their business. In the end, the judges funded all six teams that presented in the final round of the competition; most at the exact level pitched. In alphabetical order by company name, the awardees were: o “Feel Da' Qi” received $24,400 in startup funding. The St. Croix based company is a wellness (non-traditional medicine) therapy clinic and teahouse. UVI student Coral Megahy teamed up with non-student Karisma Elien to start this business. o “Foodeiz” received $15,500 in startup funding. This St. Thomas based company will sell local cultural foods packaged as gifts for tourists. The firm is founded by UVI students Sarah Sookraj and Ashley Adams (both Hospitality and Tourism Management majors). o “Hinspiree” received $3,550 in startup funding. Founded by UVI theater major Nyaila Callwood, this St. Thomas company will create inspirational theater aimed at young women in the Territory. o “M.I.L.A. Creation” received $3,550 in startup funding. The St. Croix based promotional and social media firm focuses on creative promotions for small businesses in the Territory. The firm is founded by UVI student Jamilla Connor. o “Teho Travels” received $3,200 in startup funding. This St. Thomas based business will perform historical short plays (on the cruise ship docks) and create culture-focus travel packages. UVI student Khalarni Rivers is the firm’s founder. o “Style-up” received $9,800 in startup funding. This St. Croix based app-development business is creating a phone application for hair stylists and their customers to better manage appointments. The firm’s founder is UVI student Jaecena Howell. President’s Report to the Board of Trustees Dr. David Hall, President Reporting Period: February 20, 2018 to May 18, 2018 Board of Trustees’ Meeting – June 2, 2018 6  The Student Government Association on St. Croix actively participated in the annual Students Sports Olympics on the St. Thomas Campus this semester. In an effort to keep students engaged physically and socially, over 33 students served as sports ambassadors for the Albert A. Sheen Campus. The Sports Olympics is a major event aimed at promoting comradery, school spirit, and pride through a friendly cross-campus rivalry. Students competed in 13 sports including Basketball, Volleyball, Jeopardy, Tennis, Relay, and Dodge ball, etc. The Albert A. Sheen Campus was the overall student Olympics champion.  Cassia Smith, Mathematics major who completed her degree this past Fall semester, was one of 2,000 students (of 12,000 applicants) who were awarded a prestigious National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Student Fellowship. She was also accepted in the graduate programs at University of South Florida, Carnegie Mellon (her final choice), and University of Wisconsin Madison.  Lewis Bennett, graduated with a BS in Biology this spring a nd will be attending Johns Hopkins University in a PhD program in cell and molecular biology with full funding.  Jamisha Francis, graduated with a BS in biology this spring a n d will be attending Vanderbilt University in a fully funded PhD program in the Interdisciplinary Graduate program (IGP), department microbe-host interactions/molecular pathology and immunology.  Shanaliz Natta, graduated with a BS in biology this spring and will be attending Towson University as part of a fully funded master’s program, which offers a Bridge to the PhD with the University of Maryland’s School of Medicine.  Brianna Scotland, graduated with a BS in biology this spring will be attending the University of Maryland Baltimore with full funding in a PhD program in pharmaceutical sciences. Brianna is a Maximizing Access to Research Careers (MARC) student biology major who is being mentored by Dr. Yakini Brandy at UVI. In the past, Dr. Bernard Castillo mentored her on the St. Croix campus.  Ryan Shaw, graduated with a BS in biology this spring a n d will be attending the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with full funding in a PhD program in Cell and Molecular Biology. Mr. Shaw is a UVI Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement (RISE) student and was mentored by Dr. Alice Stanford.  Jendahye Antoine, a sophomore, received a NOAA EPP/MSI Undergraduate Scholarship. She will receive $45,000 in total support (including travel and conference participation) during her junior and senior years. The NOAA Educational Partnership Program (EPP) with Minority Serving institutions (MSI) Undergraduate Scholarship opportunity includes an 11-week paid summer internship and training at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in Silver Spring, MD in the first year and a second 10-week paid internship at a selected NOAA facility in the second year. President’s Report to the Board of Trustees Dr. David Hall, President Reporting Period: February 20, 2018 to May 18, 2018 Board of Trustees’ Meeting – June 2, 2018 7 PRESENTATIONS & PUBLICATIONS (Student names are bolded. Faculty names are italicized.)  Lewis Shantae and Sojourna Ferguson. March 29, 2018. DNA extraction of Halophila stipulacea plants for genetic variability around the Virgin Islands. Poster presented at Benthic Ecology Meeting, Corpus Christi, Texas.  Shabree Anthony, Sunxiang Huang, and Durga Khadka. “The Effect of Ion Liquid Gating on Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya Interactions.” Emerging Researchers Annual Conference in STEM. February 2018. Poster Presentation.  Narome Belus and Emily R. Lutz. “Silanediol and Copper Co-Catalysis in the Addition of Indole to Arylidene Malonates.” Emerging Researchers Annual Conference in STEM. February 2018. Poster Presentation.  Lewis Bennett, Frederick Dong, and Haiqing Zhao. “Identifying Protein Partners of CFAP69” Emerging Researchers Annual Conference in STEM. February 2018. Poster Presentation.  Lennon Bruney, Stuart Sandin, Nicole Pedersen, and Sho Kodera. “Fast Growing Acropora and Pocillopora Increases Reef Complexity.” Emerging Researchers Annual Conference in STEM. February 2018. Poster Presentation.  Torhera Durand, Courtney Smith, and Mark Lemmon. “T Cell Immunoglobulin and Mucin Protein 3 Involvement in Galectin-9-Induced Apoptosis of Exhausted T Cells.” Emerging Researchers Annual Conference in STEM. February 2018. Poster Presentation.  Sojourna Ferguson, Ana de la Cueva, Kathrin H. Kirsch, and Matthew D. Layne. “Isolation and Characterization of Activated Stromal Cells in Breast Cancer.” Emerging Researchers Annual Conference in STEM. February 2018. Poster Presentation.  Anayah Ferris, Anne D. Koniski, Kathleen E. McGrath, and James Palis. “Making Blood Ex Vivo: Erythropoiesis from Human Embryonic Stem Cells.” Emerging Researchers Annual Conference in STEM. February 2018. Poster Presentation.  Tione Grant and Antonio Brathwaite. “Identification of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Particle-Phase Vehicular Emissions.” Emerging Researchers Annual Conference in STEM. February 2018. Poster Presentation.  Harmonie Hanley and Hairol Breton. “The White Plague: A Glimpse into the Future.” Emerging Researchers Annual Conference in STEM. February 2018. Poster Presentation.  Samuel Liburd, Jr, Stefano Anzellotti, Sean Dae Houlihan, and Rebecca Saxe. “Modeling How Humans Assign Emotions to Facial Expressions by Maximum a Posteriori Inference.” Emerging Researchers Annual Conference in STEM. February 2018. Poster Presentation. President’s Report to the Board of Trustees Dr. David Hall, President Reporting Period: February 20, 2018 to May 18, 2018 Board of Trustees’ Meeting – June 2, 2018 8  Shanaliz Natta, Phillip Clapp, and Ilona Jaspers. “Common E-cigarette Flavorings Activate the Nrf2 Antioxidant Pathway in Airway Epithelial Cells.” Emerging Researchers Annual Conference in STEM. February 2018. Poster Presentation.  Genique Nicholas and Tao Huang. “Promoting Transition Metal Hydride Formation with Visible Light.” Emerging Researchers Annual Conference in STEM. February 2018. Poster Presentation.  Erlin Ravariere, Torhera Durand, Michael Rosario, Marcia Taylor, Stephanie Bullock, and Yolanda Medina-Felix. “Moisture Content and Antioxidant Activities in Algae.” Emerging Researchers Annual Conference in STEM. February 2018. Poster Presentation.  Brianna Scotland, Robert S. Jones, and Marilyn E. Morris. “Protein Expression of a Novel, Orphan Transporter: Monocarboxylate Transporter 6 (MCT6).” Emerging Researchers Annual Conference in STEM. February 2018. Poster Presentation.  Ryan Shaw, Sayeepriyadarshini Anakk, Hanna Erickson, and Bhoomika Mathur. “Identifying the Tissue Specific Role for SHP in Preventing Cholestasis.” Emerging Researchers Annual Conference in STEM. February 2018. Poster Presentation.  Cassia Smith, Guo Yu, and Daniel Wright. “What Is Driving the Observed Changes in Flooding in the Turkey River in Iowa?” Emerging Researchers Annual Conference in STEM. February 2018. Poster Presentation.  Six UVI students, accompanied by UVI faculty, presented their work the annual meeting of the American Astronomical Society: o Jonisha AuBain. “Gamma-Ray Burst X-ray Flares Light Curve Fitting” poster presentation at the American Astronomical Society, Washington D.C. 2018, #231, id. #153.23. o Alexander Fortenberry, Livermore, Rachael, “Tackling the Dragon: Investigating Lensed Galaxy Structure,” poster presentation at the American Astronomical Society, Washington D.C. 2018, #231, id. #153.24. o Quianah Joyce, Bruce Gendre “What is the difference between an ultra-long GRB and a long GRB?” Presentation given at January 2018 meeting of the American Astronomical Society, Washington DC, USA, January 2018. o Juan-Carlos Martinez, Hakkila, Jon, Lien, Amy, Racusin, Judith, Cucchiara, Antonino, Morris, David, “Exploring the Pulse Structure of the Gamma-Ray Bursts from the Swift Burst Alert Telescope”, poster presentation at the American Astronomical Society, Washington D.C. 2018, #231, id. #153.22. President’s Report to the Board of Trustees Dr. David Hall, President Reporting Period: February 20, 2018 to May 18, 2018 Board of Trustees’ Meeting – June 2, 2018 9 o Christopher Murphy; Cucchiara, Antonino; Andreoni, Igor; Cooke, Jeff; Hegarty, Sarah;” R e a l -time Automatic Search for Multi-wavelength Counterparts of DWF Transients" poster presentation at the American Astronomical Society, Washington D.C. 2018, #231, id. #151.08. o Jahreem Thompson, Hill, Joanne, Jahoda, Keith, Black, Kevin, Rodney Querrard, “Development of a New X-ray Polarization Detection Device” poster presentation at the American Astronomical Society, Washington D.C. 2018, #231, id. #355.55. ALUMNI UPDATES  Micah Frett, part-time Instructor and graduate of the School of Education’s School Counseling and Guidance program, received her doctorate degree from Argosy University, a CACREP – (Council for Accreditation of Counseling & Related Educational Programs) accredited Doctoral Program in Counseling Psychology. President’s Report to the Board of Trustees Dr. David Hall, President Reporting Period: February 20, 2018 to May 18, 2018 Board of Trustees’ Meeting - March 3, 2018 10 FACULTY ACHIEVEMENTS FACULTY PUBLICATIONS (listed as a citation) Chaves-Fonnegra, Andia; Riegl, Bernhard; Zea, Sven; Lopez, Joseph; Smith, Tyler; Brandt, Marilyn; Gilliam, David (2018) Bleaching events regulate shifts from corals to excavating sponges in algae dominated reefs. Global Change Biology 24:773-785 Delevaux, Jade M. S., … Guannel, Greg, et al. “A Linked Land-Sea Modeling Framework to Inform Ridge-to-Reef Management in High Oceanic Islands.” PLOS ONE, vol. 13, no. 3, Public Library of Science, 2018, pp. 1–37, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0193230. Mitsova, Diana, Bergh, Chris, Guannel, Greg, et al. “Spatial Decision Support for Nature-Based Shoreline Stabilization Options in Subtropical Estuarine Environments.” Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, Routledge, Feb. 2018, pp. 1–23, doi:10.1080/09640568.2018.1398637. Sukop, Michael, Rogers, Martina, Guannel, Greg, et al. “High Temporal Resolution Modeling of the Impact of Rain, Tides, and Sea Level Rise on Water Table Flooding in the Arch Creek Basin, Miami-Dade County Florida USA.” Science of The Total Environment, vol. 616– 617, 2018, pp. 1668–88, doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.10.170. Loeffler, Christopher; Robertson, Alison; Flores Quintana, Harold; Silander, Miguel; Smith, Tyler; Olsen, David (in press) Ciguatoxin prevalence in four commercial fish species along an oceanic exposure gradient in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry Peake, J.; Bogdanov, A.; Layman, C.; Castillo, Bernard; Reale-Munroe, Kynoch; Chapman, J.; Dahl, D.; Patterson, W.; Eddy, C.; Ellis, R.; Valetti, M.; Higgs, N.; Johnston, M.; Muñoz, R.; Sandel, W.; Villasenor-Derbez, J.; and Morris, J. "Feeding ecology of invasive lionfish (Pterois volitans and Pterois miles) in the temperate and tropical western Atlantic.” Accepted and in press, Biological Invasions, 2018. Pinckney, J; Tomas, C.; Greenfield, D.; Reale-Munroe, Kynoch; Castillo, Bernard; Hillis-Starr, Z.; Van Meerssche, E.; Zimberlin, M. “Seasonal changes in phytoplankton community structure in a bioluminescent lagoon, St. Croix, USVI”. Aquatic Microbial Ecology. 2018, 81(2), 109 124. Iaconi, Roberto, DeMarco, Orsola, Passy, Jean-Claude, Staff, Jan, “The Effect of Binding Energy and Resolution in Simulations of the Common Envelope Binary Interaction”, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 03/2018, 774I. Newsome, Wicks, M., Alejandro, J, Bertrand, D., Boyd, C., Coleman, C. L., Haozous, E., Meade, C.D., and Meek, P. (2018) “Achieving Advance Care Planning in Diverse, Underserved Populations”. Nursing Outlook (May/June). President’s Report to the Board of Trustees Dr. David Hall, President Reporting Period: February 20, 2018 to May 18, 2018 Board of Trustees’ Meeting - March 3, 2018 11 FACULTY PRESENTATIONS (Student names are bolded. Faculty names are italicized.)  Master of Marine and Environmental Science (MMES) 2015 Cohort (led by Colin Howe) created and submitted a video for the Ocean 180 Video Challenge (http://www.ocean180.org/2018- finals/2018-challenge/video-15.html). Their video, entitled “Spread the word, not Halophila” was selected as a finalist. It can be viewed here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1dKYisaxRebDaGgkST1JVg7DDYZeR5RX5  Marilyn Brandt (2018) Coral Diseases in the US Virgin Islands. Invited presentation at the USVI Bleaching and Disease Response Workshop, St. Thomas, VI, 20 March 2018.  Cummings, Lawanda, Nastassia Jones, and Samah Abdallah. The Impact of Campus Wide Experiences: Freshman Students’ School Connectedness and 21st Century Skill Development. 2018 American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting, New York City, NY April 2018.  Celil Ekici and Alagoz, C. 2018. “Teachers Validity Arguments for Mathematical Modeling: Competency Measures and Connections," 22nd Annual Conference of the Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators, Houston, Texas, February 2018. Oral presentation.  Ekici, Celil, and Chris Plyley. 2018. “Developing Strategic Competence with Representations for Growth Modeling in Calculus.” The 21st Annual Conference on Research on Undergraduate Mathematics Education, San Diego, CA, February 2018. Oral presentation.  Celil Ekici and Chris Plyley. 2018. “Integrated Development and Assessment of Mathematical and Scientific Modeling Practices for Culturally Responsive STEM Education," International Conference on Education in Mathematics, Science & Technology, Marmaris, Turkey, April 2018. Oral presentation.  Gatkine, Pradip; Veilleux, Sylvain; Cucchiara, Antonino; Cenko, Bradley. “CGM-GRB: A survey of the CircumGalactic Medium around GRB hosts" poster presentation at the American Astronomical Society, Washington D.C. 2018, #231, id. #247.10.  Nastassia Jones, Lawanda Cummings, Samah Abdallah, and Michele Guannel. Reforming general science education for a place-based focus: Cultural congruence and 21st century skill development. Seventh Annual – 2018 Arts, Humanities, Social Science & Education Conference, Honolulu, HI January 2018.  Lewis, Jason R., K’Mari McClean, Arl Polydore, Jair Smith, Roberto Tirado, and Lawrence White. "Is Your Home Secretly a Confidential Informant for the Police: The Potential for Smart Home Devices to Serve as Evidence in Criminal Cases", 70th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, Seattle, WA, USA, February 2018. President’s Report to the Board of Trustees Dr. David Hall, President Reporting Period: February 20, 2018 to May 18, 2018 Board of Trustees’ Meeting - March 3, 2018 12  Camille McKayle, Robert Stolz, Teresa Turner, Sandra Romano, Alice Stanford, Aletha Bauman, Nadia Monrose, Nastassia Jones, Lawanda Cummings, Aimee Sanchez, Resa Berkeley and Angelicque Tucker Blackmon. The UVI Growth Model: A Comprehensive Approach to Success for STEM Majors. HBCU-UP PI/PD Meeting, Washington, DC, February 2018.  David C. Morris; Gendre, Bruce; Orange, N. Brice; Cucchiara, Antonino; Giblin, Timothy W.; Klotz, Alain; Thierry, Pierre. “The Etelman Observatory and the Virgin Islands Robotic Telescope: 2018 Milestone Achievements and Determined Resilience in the USVI" poster presentation at the American Astronomical Society, Washington D.C. 2018, #231, id. #442.07.  Stephen Ratchford, Lauren Arnold. "Invasive seagrass Halophila hides anemone shrimp cleaning stations?" Oral presentation presented at the 2018 Benthic Ecology Meeting (2018, Mar.) Corpus Christi, Texas.  Roitman, S, C Closek, F J Pollock, E Jordon, Marilyn B r a n d t , M o n i c a Medina (2018) Characterization of microbial communities between healthy and diseased Caribbean corals. Poster presentation at the 13th Annual DOE Joint Genome Institute, San Francisco, CA, 13-16 March 2018.  Staff, Jan, et al. "RCB stars from double degenerate white dwarf mergers" poster presentation at the American Astronomical Society's annual meeting, Washington D.C. 2018, #231, id.#145.04S.  Bertrand, Desiree. “Contraceptive Use among Abused African Caribbean and African American Women. UVI Research Day, April 20, 2018, Albert A Sheen Campus, Kingshill, VI.  Bertrand, Desiree. “Contraceptive Use among Abused African Caribbean (USVI) and African American Women (Baltimore, MD).” Black Association of Black Sexologists and Clinicians Conference. April 24, 2018. St. Thomas.  John Hill and Daniella Roumou (March 2-3, 2018). Trends and Benefits: Engaging Students through Transformative Inquiry. 44th PRTESOL Convention in Puerto Rico.  John Hill. (March 9-10, 2018). Multicultural Diversity: A Challenge to Educators of the 21st Century. Georgia Association of Multilingual, Multicultural Education Conference.  Robert W. Godfrey, S.A. Lakos and S.R Joseph. 2018. The Effect of Water Restriction at Weaning on Hair Sheep Ewes and Lambs in the Tropics. J. Anim. Sci. 96(Suppl. 1):66 doi.org/10.1093/jas/sky027.124. President’s Report to the Board of Trustees Dr. David Hall, President Reporting Period: February 20, 2018 to May 18, 2018 Board of Trustees’ Meeting - March 3, 2018 13 GRANTS AND SPECIAL PROJECTS FUNDED  Health Services on the St. Thomas Campus secured $3,595.24 in funding from the Bennie & Martha Benjamin Foundation for use in purchasing medical supplies.  Dr. Stuart Weiss, Assistant Professor of Agronomy in Agriculture Experiment Station (AES), received a SARE Research and Education grant, “Educational Materials for Cover Crop Adoption and Use in the Subtropics and Tropics.” The two-year grant is being conducted in collaboration with Dr. Danielle Treadwell, Associate Professor in the Horticultural Sciences Department at the University of Florida. Total funding for the project is $47,000 and the sub award to Dr. Weiss is $14,855.  Cooperative Extension Service (CES) staff was awarded a 2018 Pesticide Safety and Education Funds Management Program Grant (PSEFMP) entitled “Pesticide Safety, Improving Tools for Educating and Training USVI Applicators” sponsored by the EPA and eXtension Foundation in the amount of $22,500. OTHER ACTIVITIES  Dr. Robert Godfrey, Director of AES, was appointed as the liaison between the national Experiment Station Committee on Organization and Policy (ESCOP) and the national Extension Committee on Organization and Policy (ECOP) in January 2018.  Title III Project Administration staff is involved with the Planning Task Force, which is guiding the preparation of the institution’s new strategic plan. President’s Report to the Board of Trustees Dr. David Hall, President Reporting Period: February 20, 2018 to May 18, 2018 Board of Trustees’ Meeting - March 3, 2018 14 SIGNIFICANT INSTITUTIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS UVI CELEBRATES 54TH COMMENCEMENT EXERCISES WITH HISTORICAL ACHIEVEMENTS UVI celebrated its 54th commencement ceremonies with keynote speaker, Danny Glover, acclaimed film actor, producer, political activist and humanitarian. The ceremonies occurred on the St. Thomas Campus on May 17, 2018 and on the Albert A. Sheen Campus on St. Croix on May 18. Other honorary degree recipients included local radio and media personalities, Athniel “Addie” Ottley and Holland Redfield. Despite the challenges associated with Hurricanes Irma and Maria, the University conferred over 300 degrees. This year’s ceremonies also featured the following: o UVI graduated its first two graduates in our rigorous doctoral program with a Ph.D. in Creative Leadership for Innovation and Change. o The School of Nursing graduated 36 students with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree, which is the largest in history. The graduates included the first St. Croix BSN graduates. One reason this was made possible was due to the leadership and advocacy of Senator Kurt Vialet and the support of the 31st Legislature and Governor Mapp for the creation of a BSN program on the St. Croix campus. o The School of Education graduated its first set of graduates from our extension campus from the University of St. Martin (USM) with a Master’s degree in Education. o The Center for Marine and Environmental Studies (CMES), which is now housed in the College of Science and Mathematics, graduated its largest post-undergraduate class of 17 students who earned a Master’s degree in Marine and Environmental Science (MMES). This is a significant accomplishment post-hurricanes and reflective of the dedication and resilience of our MMES and CMES faculty while working without labs and office spaces. PRESIDENT AND PROVOST FOR THE DAY The Offices of the President, Provost and Institutional Advancement organized a shadow experience for students who were selected among their peers to accompany President Hall and Provost McKayle for an immersive, hands-on learning experience. Amiel Brown, Student Trustee, shadowed President Hall and Zandria Acosta, shadowed Provost McKayle, for a day-long schedule of activities. Mr. Brown and Ms. Acosta led discussions in the President’s Cabinet meeting and participated in a number of campus related activities including Board Committee meetings. The experience was aimed at providing students with a deeper understanding of the role of leaders in higher education institutions and the complexity and challenges of running a university. President’s Report to the Board of Trustees Dr. David Hall, President Reporting Period: February 20, 2018 to May 18, 2018 Board of Trustees’ Meeting – June 2, 2018 15 UVI CARNIVAL TROUPE EARNS FIRST RUNNER-UP IN ST. THOMAS CARNIVAL PARADE UVI presented an entry entitled “The Beauty of Resilience” in this year’s St. Thomas Carnival Adult Parade winning first runner-up in the under 100-troupe category. The presentation highlighted the University’s resilience, recovery and rise in the aftermath of the storms. The entry included mocko jumbies adorned in colorful and festive costumes and Miss UVI. It also featured administrators, faculty, staff and students in two sections entitled “After the Storm” and “The Rise” in vibrant costumes and headsets adorned in tropical hues. Despite the devastation of the storms, the University’s ability to save the Fall 2017 semester was a significant milestone worthy of showcasing. ANNUAL RESEARCH DAY HIGHLIGHTS KEY RESEARCH ACTIVITIES TAKING PLACE AT UVI Research Day has become one of the cornerstones of our University's community outreach. It is a special opportunity to showcase the important and cutting edge research of our students and faculty, which highlights diverse topics that impact our community and region. This year’s Research Day was held on April 20th on both campuses. It included an impressive display of projects, posters and experiments. The round-table discussions focused on current social and developmental topics and featured many demonstrations. This year's UVI Research Day also featured the UVI Planetarium which allowed attendees to see or experience the night sky during the daylight hours. We also continue to be impressed with the increasing attendance of students from various local high schools at Research Day. We are extremely proud that UVI continues to be a leader in various research fields that can propel the Virgin Islands toward a more productive and resilient future. We also cherish the fact that so many of our students are involved in research projects with our faculty and with faculty around the nation. This is a testament to how bright they are, and how supportive our faculty has been of their quest for knowledge. DEAN’S LIST AND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AWARD CEREMONY RECOGNIZING STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC SUCCESS There are two major events each year that are shining examples of how we collectively celebrate our students’ academic achievements — The Dean’s List Reception and the Academic Achievement Awards Ceremony. They are the culmination of our celebrations of our students’ efforts and sacrifices. This year the University hosted for the first time a combined Dean’s List and Academic Achievement Award Ceremony. The ceremony occurred on St. Croix on April 8 and on St. Thomas on April 15. The Student Government Association (SGA) on both campuses historically have not favored a merger of these events. However, due to the hurricanes last September, we were unable to host the Dean’s List Reception in the Fall. Since the Spring semester also proved challenging for scheduling activities, we decided to merge the two celebrations this year. In the future, we will return to our normal format as we agree that the University needs to have numerous opportunities to recognize and applaud our students’ academic success. The combined event however on both campuses was well-attended and celebrated the academic excellence of our students who received recognition for their outstanding academic achievement within the disciplines. Of note, many students were able to succeed and at very high levels in the Fall 2017 semester despite the challenges of the hurricanes. President’s Report to the Board of Trustees Dr. David Hall, President Reporting Period: February 20, 2018 to May 18, 2018 Board of Trustees’ Meeting – June 2, 2018 16 2018 USVI LITERARY FESTIVAL AND BOOK FAIR CELEBRATING LITERATURE’S ROLE IN CULTURE AND SOCIETY The University hosted and convened the Fourth Annual Virgin Islands Literary Festival and Book Fair with a central theme of “Rough Tides, Tough Times: Reflections and Transitions” on April 13-14, 2018 on the Albert A. Sheen Campus on St. Croix. This year’s LitFest featured various award-winning and acclaimed authors who provoked discussion and a celebration of the imagination through literature, panel discussions and workshops on writing, publishing and film production. This year’s fair also featured several other venues including the Caribbean Museum Center for the Arts in Frederiksted, Balter’s St. Croix Restaurant in Christiansted and, for the first time, on the St. Thomas Campus. Other related events included a Book Bacchanal and Reception with open mic poetry and music. The main event featured a Bush Tea Morning Social that opened with music, live performances, and an old-fashioned Caribbean breakfast. It featured internationally renowned author and scholar Dr. Lewis-Gordon as the keynote speaker and Professor Emeritus Dr. Marilyn F. Krigger, who did the St. Croix launch of her new book “Race Relations in the US Virgin Islands St. Thomas — A Centennial Retrospective.” One of the featured authors at the festival was Geron Richards, UVI student, with his first published book of poems. The creation of the Virgin Islands Literary Festival and Book Fair is one of UVI’s unique creations. Over the years, there were a number of events at UVI aimed at bringing authors and books together; however, the idea of establishing an annual Literary Festival and Book Fair is credited to Dr. Simon B. Jones-Hendrickson, former Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (CLASS). The first Program Chair was UVI Professor Dr. Valerie Knowles Combie. The 2018 program chair for the third year in succession is Alscess Lewis-Brown, UVI Professor and Editor of The Caribbean Writer. UVI RISE RELIEF FUND DISTRIBUTIONS The University was able to finalize financial award distributions from the UVI Rise Relief Fund to students requiring scholarship assistance and other support in the Spring 2018 semester. The University reviewed each student request, and administered assistance based on remaining account balances and the capacity of the UVI Rise funds. The scholarship awards this semester totaled over $62,000. Our Financial Aid, Center for Student Success and other offices worked also with students to ensure that they were aware of other scholarship and grant opportunities across the institution to assist with paying tuition and easing any economic hardship in completing the semester. In addition to scholarship support, a number of students also received other financial assistance towards the purchase of laptops, textbooks, computer software, clothing, and household and personal items. Based on the amount of the award, students were encouraged to complete a certain amount of community service hours by working in an office or unit on campus. The opportunity was aimed at enhancing learning with practical hands-on experiences to provide students with valuable work skills that will improve marketability for the future. President’s Report to the Board of Trustees Dr. David Hall, President Reporting Period: February 20, 2018 to May 18, 2018 Board of Trustees’ Meeting – June 2, 2018 17 In addition, based on employee completed surveys, over 100 distributions were made to employees during the same period from the UVI Rise Relief Fund, based on the availability of funds. The overall financial awards to employees totaled approximately $60,000. The awards supported employee needs for assistance with housing, home and auto repairs, furniture, childcare, medical considerations, replacement of lost items and ongoing expenses and needs. The UVI Rise Fund is made available through the generous donations of friends and supporters near and far who responded to our plea for assistance in the wake of Hurricanes Irma and Maria. UVI CELEBRATES 56TH CHARTER BY REFLECTING ON RACE RELATIONS IN VI HISTORY The University’s 56th Anniversary Charter Day celebration on March 16, 2018 called for collective reflections on race relations in Virgin Islands history with keynote speaker, Dr. Marilyn Krigger, with her official book launch on the St. Thomas Campus. The joint celebratory event between the Albert A. Sheen and St. Thomas campuses saw both the Great Hall and the Administration Conference Center (ACC) packed to capacity. Many came eager to hear from Dr. Krigger whose book, “Race Relations in the US Virgin Islands St. Thomas — A Centennial Retrospective,” had just recently been published. Excerpts from Dr. Krigger’s book, which was also available for purchase, were highlighted and read by Raven Phillips, Student Government Association Secretary on the St. Thomas Campus. Dr. Krigger emphasized the critical role that UVI has played in the advancement of education in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The program also featured as keynote respondents, Dr. Kula Francis and Dr. Frank Mills, who both lauded Dr. Krigger for her book and for highlighting the significance of UVI’s role in race relations in the Territory. UVI’s Charter Day program is known to feature both students and faculty, and this year was no exception with creative word selections and music presentations. Over the last few years, UVI’s Music Chair Dion Parson and friends have also provided soothing jazz yet stimulating entertainment, with each year seemingly surpassing the previous one. This year, the band featured Lorna Freeman, Jeanette Rhymer, Gylchris Sprauve and students Sherwin Williams and Uriel Rogers. Making a few special appearances throughout the program, the band performed “Valiant Virgin Isles,” written by Gylchris Sprauve and “My Favorite Things,” written by Rogers and Hammerstein. The program was followed by a book signing by Dr. Krigger. Other Charter month activities included: o The Music Department hosted a concert at Prior Jollek Hall on Saturday, March 17. The concert featured UVI’s Jazz Ensemble, Concert Choir, Concert Band, and Steel Pan Ensemble. The event was well-attended and showcased the diverse talent of our faculty and students. o On St. Croix, the Student Government Association hosted the first Mr. and Miss Charter Day Competition on March 7. The event was aimed at promoting and highlighting the history and rich culture of the University as well as to celebrate its numerous accomplishments over the years. Five students participated in the competition. Damalia Simmonds, sophomore communication major and Dante James, sophomore Music Education major, captured the crowns of Miss and Mr. Charter Day. o The 17th Annual Queen Mary Highway 5K Walk/Run is an honored tradition held in honor of UVI's Charter. The event commenced at Sunshine Mall at 6 a.m. on March 23, and culminated at the UVI Welcome Center on the Albert A. Sheen Campus. President’s Report to the Board of Trustees Dr. David Hall, President Reporting Period: February 20, 2018 to May 18, 2018 Board of Trustees’ Meeting – June 2, 2018 18 ALTERNATIVE SPRING BREAK PROVIDES IMPACTFUL EXPERIENCES FOR STUDENTS In an effort to address students request for increased school spirit, the Division of Student Affairs on both campuses have offered a number of new and continuing activities. This year marked the second year for the Alternative Spring Break (ASB), which began with the St. Thomas campus in 2017, and now includes both campuses. The pilot year of the ASB saw the participation of 8 participants who volunteered at an organic, sustainable farm on St. Croix called Ridge to Reef. In the second year, we saw a great increase in student participation (54 participants on St. Thomas and two from St. Croix) and anticipate the number of interested students to grow in the years to come. During ASB 2018, students served a variety of community partners including Ridge to Reef, My Brother’s Workshop, the Salvation Army and UVI’s Demonstration Garden. Students on St. Croix volunteered at the American Red Cross by assisting with the “Pillowcase Project.” The service project seeks to educate elementary students on the items needed to be secured in a mandatory evacuation during the wake of a natural disaster. On the St. Thomas Campus, the students engaged in a Capstone Seminar to share their experiences with students, faculty, and staff. The students also interacted closely with other ASB students from Howard University and the University of Virginia. At this year’s Capstone, students from Howard University joined UVI students and shared their ASB process through two documentaries. Plans are already underway for Spring Break 2019 and it is intended that this initiative will become a student-led initiative to expand the outreach and impact of students on the global community by increasing the number of volunteer sights and eventually venturing to other countries. CAMPUS-WIDE INNOVATION WORKSHOPS FOR 2018-2023 STRATEGIC PLAN The University hosted innovation workshops on both campuses during the week of March 5, 2018 which were opened to all faculty, staff and students. The aim of the workshops was to ensure input and inclusion of the entire UVI community as we develop the next 5-year strategic plan, “Greatness Through Innovation.” The innovation workshops were aimed at exposing stakeholders to creative thinking, the Creative Problem Solving (CPS) framework and idea generation strategies that can be applied to the strategic planning and development processes. The initial innovation workshops were facilitated by Dr. Roger Firestien of the International Center for Studies in Creativity at SUNY Buffalo State. Dr. Firestien has presented programs in creativity to over 600 organizations nationally and internationally ranging from major Fortune 500 corporations, government agencies, universities, associations and churches. Other opportunities to participate in similar workshops were hosted at other times during the month of March. These lively sessions were facilitated by Nick Drayton on St. Croix and Dr. Camille McKayle and Sharlene Harris on St. Thomas. All facilitators were trained by Dr. Roger Firestien, the facilitator of the Innovation workshops. President’s Report to the Board of Trustees Dr. David Hall, President Reporting Period: February 20, 2018 to May 18, 2018 Board of Trustees’ Meeting – June 2, 2018 19 ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT REPORT PROVIDES STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVING ADMISSIONS AND FINANCIAL AID PRACTICES The University contracted with Maguire and Associates, a consulting firm with expertise in enrollment management, to conduct an onsite due diligence of our enrollment, financial aid and recruitment processes. The principals from Maguire & Associates met with key constituents and various stakeholders on February 12- 13, 2018 to gain a better understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing the institution. The overarching goal of the visit was to develop a comprehensive plan aimed at addressing issues of declining enrollment and to improve our admissions and recruitment related processes. The consulting firm developed a report informed by their observations and findings and provided recommendations for moving forward. The comprehensive report addressed the following: o A review of current Admissions and Financial Aid operations and data management practices o An assessment of current strategies for student recruitment in both operations o Recommendations in the various areas: - improvements in operations and staff organization in Admissions and Financial Aid - enhancements to recruitment strategies - improvement to communications flow and content - greater use of data to inform Admissions and Financial Aid strategies - approach to developing more cost-efficient and strategic use of financial aid As part of implementing the many recommendations included in the report, Mr. David Wuinee was hired as the Interim Vice Provost for Access and Enrollment Services (ACES). Mr. Wuinee was a consultant at Maguire and Associates for ten years, serving as Senior Vice President. He also served as Vice President for Enrollment Management at Bellarmine University, and has extensive experience in many areas of enrollment management, and in particular in financial aid. Mr. Wuinee holds a BA from Saint Anselm College and a Masters of Education from University of South Carolina. He joined the ACES team on April 1, 2018 and is tasked with leading the implementation of the recommendations included in the report. Maguire Associates will provide ongoing assistance, as requested, in the implementation of the plan. FACILITIES ASSESSMENT AND RECOVERY PROCESS The Bourne Group finalized its post-hurricane damage assessment report for the St. Thomas Campus and shared their comprehensive findings with the leadership team overseeing this effort and the President’s Cabinet. Thereafter, a scheduled town hall meeting occurred on March 27, 2018 to update the University community. The University community was also provided access to links to the Bourne Report that serves as the basis for the St. Thomas Campus rebuilding process. With respect to the Albert A. Sheen Campus, a report was developed providing an overview of the building recovery process on that campus. Though not as detailed as the Bourne Report, it provides insights as to how we presently plan to proceed in regards to the rebuilding efforts on St. Croix. In addition, the Research and Technology Park Board has hired an architect that will redesign and oversee the reconstruction of the RTPark building. The present accelerated timeframe has occupancy occurring in August 2019. President’s Report to the Board of Trustees Dr. David Hall, President Reporting Period: February 20, 2018 to May 18, 2018 Board of Trustees’ Meeting – June 2, 2018 20 STAFF SATISFACTION AND ENGAGEMENT SURVEY The Eastern Caribbean Center, in collaboration with the Office of the Vice Provost, Research and Public Service, completed a report on the Staff Satisfaction and Engagement Survey that was conducted in 2017, making measurable comparison of changes in satisfaction levels since 2010. A similar survey was carried out in respect to the Faculty. Those results will be distributed during the Fall semester. A town hall meeting was convened to share the survey findings with employees. The survey findings from both groups will help to inform best practices at the institution. CONTINUED GROWTH IN MEDIA AND NATIONAL PRESENCE The Public Relations Office and the Reichhold Center collaborated in the development of a “You Do the Math” marketing campaign aimed at boosting student enrollment and awareness throughout Spring 2018. The ads were launched in local movie theaters on St. Thomas and St. Croix for the local premier of the Black Panther movie on both islands. The recruitment ad ran in the theaters through April. The Public Relations Office distributed national stories that resulted in approximately 786 national news, 476 mentions on social media and 33 news releases and media alerts for this reporting period. News releases that highlight the accomplishments, initiatives and goals of the University were distributed to generate positive stories related to UVI students, faculty, staff and administration. PRO Basic Output - February - April 13, 2018 Month News clips News Releases Media Alerts Bulletin Boards Total/Month February 67 6 3 4 79 March 74 12 1 4 89 April 40 7 4 2 52 Grand Total 181 25 8 10 224 President’s Report to the Board of Trustees Dr. David Hall, President Reporting Period: February 20, 2018 to May 18, 2018 Board of Trustees’ Meeting – June 2, 2018 21 PRESIDENT’S APPRECIATION AWARD One of the major accomplishments during this reporting period has been the continuing research excellence of our Center for Marine and Environmental Studies (CMES). This has continued unabated despite the loss of the MacLean Marine Science Center, labs and offices due to the devastation of the hurricanes. CMES is led by Dr. Paul Jobsis in the College of Science and Mathematics under Dean Sandra Romano. Some notable accomplishments this period includes: o The first ever large scale Mangrove community clean-up in the Territory at the St. Thomas East End Reserves (STEER), which took place on April 21. STEER is a marine protected area on the east end of St. Thomas. One hundred and twenty-six volunteers gathered to remove debris from STEER’s mangrove shorelines. Through the hard work of volunteers, more than 3,000 pounds of trash including 1,765 plastic beverage containers were removed from the mangroves in a single day. Items from the cleanup that could be recycled were provided to the Department of Planning and Natural Resources, Coastal Zone Management recycling program. The cleanup was hosted by numerous partners to include UVI, Virgin Islands Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (VI-EPSCoR), Virgin Islands Marine Advisory Service (VIMAS), Department of Planning and Natural Resources, Coastal Zone Management, VI Tours and Pizza Pi. o This year’s annual Reef Fest was hosted on April 14 at Yacht Haven Grande. Reef Fest is organized by the Virgin Islands Marine Advisory Service (VIMAS) within CMES and VI-EPSCoR. It aims to promote and educate the Virgin Islands community about our marine ecosystems as well as highlight sustainability practices including the reduction of plastic. The organizers of this year’s Reef Fest educated restaurants on St. Thomas in the practice of supporting local fisheries, maintaining updated and seasonal seafood menus, and incorporating invasive species like the lionfish —that are detrimental to overall ecosystem health — in recipes. o The National Academies of Sciences Committee has appointed Dr. Tyler Smith to serve on the committee. This is a prestigious appointment to review a matter of national importance. Dr. Smith is an associate research professor in our Marine Science area and the lead coral researcher. He will be a part of a study on coral reef resilience. Formed by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, the committee is tasked with conducting a study titled, “Interventions to Increase the Resilience of Coral Reefs.” This national recognition underscores the quality of research taking place at UVI and in the Territory. o The largest graduating class in the history of CMES is comprised of 17 students who recently earned their Master’s degree in Marine and Environmental Science during UVI’s May 2018 commencement ceremonies. The range and complexity of the students’ research topics and its relevance to the Territory were recently highlighted in the local media. For the aforementioned reasons and being a cornerstone of continuing research excellence with significant local and national impact, the President’s Appreciation Award is presented to the Center for Marine and Environmental Studies. President’s Report to the Board of Trustees Dr. David Hall, President Reporting Period: February 20, 2018 to May 18, 2018 Board of Trustees’ Meeting – June 2, 2018 22 PART II: PATHWAYS TO GREATNESS INITIATIVES AND ACTIVITIES AREA OF FOCUS #1: ACADEMIC QUALITY AND EXCELLENCE  The first issue of the Greatness Through Innovation newsletter was published and shared with the University community on March 5, 2018. A first draft of the new strategic plan was shared with the Strategic Planning Task Force, President Hall and Cabinet members. Sessions for gaining input from additional University constituents and the general public will be scheduled in June 2018. Ideas received from UVI ideation workshops thus far has been entered in software for grouping by the Planning Task Force (PTF), Focus Areas and others.  Institutional Research administered the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) to all first- year sophomore and senior students during the months of April and May. The Graduate Exit Survey was also administered to all graduating seniors during the months of April and May. Institutional Effectiveness administered the annual ITS Customer Service Survey during the months of April and May. The surveys will be analyzed and the results shared with the University community when available. Student responses will be considered and incorporated into the development and maintenance of new and enhanced programs.  The School of Nursing procured three tethered training simulators and one skills mannequin on each campus through funds received from the Virgin Islands Legislature and a donation from the Community Foundation. Training was provided to faculty on the following products: o Adult simulator (Juno) o Child simulator o Baby Simulator o Adult skills manikin  The UVI Title III grant program has been granted a waiver to submit the grant formula factors that it submitted in 2017 for 2018. This means that the precipitous declines in enrollment that resulted from the advent of the two category five hurricanes will not be a factor in the determination of the grant award to the institution. In 2017, the numbers submitted for the three factors — number of graduates (25% of the formula); number of graduates enrolled in graduate programs in disciplines in which African Americans are underrepresented (25% of the formula); and number of students receiving Pell grants (50% of the formula) — were the best that the institution had reported in several years. The ability to continue to report 2017 figures will allow UVI to maximize the size of its grant award at a time when those dollars are most needed.  The Agricultural Experiment Station (AES) published its 2017 Annual Report. This document contains lists of grants received and publications produced in the past year by research faculty, staff, and students. The 2017 Annual Report can be downloaded at http://aes.uvi.edu. President’s Report to the Board of Trustees Dr. David Hall, President Reporting Period: February 20, 2018 to May 18, 2018 Board of Trustees’ Meeting – June 2, 2018 23 AREA OF FOCUS #2: STUDENT DEVELOPMENT AND SUCCESS  At the start of the Fall 2017 semester, sixteen students were participating in the Dual Credit Program. After the passage of Hurricanes Irma and Maria, thirteen students remained in the program and three students left the Territory. Of the thirteen students, nine are on the Albert A. Sheen Campus and four are on the St. Thomas Campus. The Dual Credit program is a joint initiative between the University and the Virgin Islands Department of Education (VIDE) to provide public high school juniors and seniors the opportunity to gain college credit while completing high school requirements.  The Office of Student Activities on the Albert A. Sheen Campus organized and hosted an open forum entitled, “State of the Territory: Where do we go from here?” on February 28 as part of its Black History month programing. The aim of the event was to provide a productive and effective platform for the UVI community to discuss concerns, hopes, and potential actions for improvement of the territory after hurricanes Irma and Maria. Topics discussed included community health, economic positioning, government responsibility and liability, and education. The panelist included UVI student Michael Pemberton, UVI Alum Richard Motta, UVI Part- Time Faculty Genevieve Whitaker, community members Anumaat Davis-Kahina and Paul Lockhart and moderated by VICCC Director Dr. Chenzira Davis-Kahina. Approximately sixty individuals attended the event. Other activities included Black History Month speakers (Marcel Galiber II, and private movie screening of the Black Panther movie at Caribbean Cinemas (130 in attendance).  The Student Affairs Department on the St. Thomas Campus organized a Relief Drive on February 5, 2018 to distribute items donated by Howard University in collaboration with Senator Marvin Blyden’s Office. The items included bedding, clothes, toiletries, and food items. On the Albert A. Sheen Campus, the Office of the Dean of Students collaborated with Center for Student Success to distribute school supplies donated by “Student Helping Students” from Des Moines Area Community College, Iowa. Supplies distributed included notebooks, binders, pens, pencils highlighters, staplers, calculator, and t-shirts. Over 100 students benefited from both relief efforts.  On the Albert A. Sheen Campus, the Office of Student Activities hosted the first Miss Incredible Competition on March 2. The goals of the Miss Incredible were to empower females attending UVI to continue their pursuit of higher education, building self-confidence/self-esteem, develop leadership and networking skills. Six students participated in the competition. Both MacKenzie Gross, a business major, and Alexandria Wozniak, an education major, were crowned Miss Incredible by way of tied decision. President’s Report to the Board of Trustees Dr. David Hall, President Reporting Period: February 20, 2018 to May 18, 2018 Board of Trustees’ Meeting – June 2, 2018 24  The 14th Annual Shadow Our Student (SOS) Program – the Student Government Association’s annual university recruitment campaign—took place on March 14 on the Albert A. Sheen Campus. Approximately 130 high school seniors and juniors, several of whom committed to attending UVI in Fall 2018, participated in the activity in which they learned about the opportunities and services available at the University of the Virgin Islands. They interacted with current students and faculty as well as attended several mock classes, including Introduction to Nursing, Psychology, and Radio Broadcasting.  On March 15, the Office of Student Activities on the Albert A. Sheen Campus hosted its annual Leadership Conference: Sculpting Passion into Action in which Nicholas Powell, CEO, and principal consultant of The Mind Game Consultant Company served as the keynote speaker. A number of topics were discussed to include networking, financial literacy, and personal honesty. Mr. Nicholas highlighted his experience of motivating 50 conference participants to envision their desired goals, develop a plan, and implement strategies to maximize their full potential. The interactive conference concluded with an award and recognition dinner and reception.  The Office of Student Activities on the Albert A. Sheen Campus hosted the “Slay the Runway,” runway-style showcase of locally available fashion, on April 21. Twenty-five (25) students participated in this event. The aim of the event was to develop and build on self-confidence.  In observance of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, a forum entitled Empowering New Voices: A Closer Look at Stopping Sexual Misconduct was held on April 5 on the St. Thomas Campus. The purpose of the forum was to inspire conversations among students and persons in the community that will empower others to speak out against sexual misconduct. Panelists included Mrs. Angelina Prince Jeffers, Ms. Sheelene Gumbs, Women’s Coalition, Mr. Carnell Troutman, Men’s Coalition, Ms. Nereida Washington, Title IX Coordinator, Verna Rivers, Title IX Coordinator. The panelists shared their experiences, insights, and knowledge related to helping others understand what constitutes sexual misconduct, the survivor recovery process, Title IX, and services available in the community and at UVI. Thirty-five (35) persons attended the forum.  The Counseling Services in collaboration with the Student Housing Office facilitated workshop/presentations for on-campus residents focused on raising awareness about dating violence prevention. Students were provided with information about maintaining healthy dating relationships. Ms. Leslyn Tonge presented a presentation entitled “Love is NOT Abuse” highlighting her experiences of being a survivor. Twelve students participated in this event.  A series of workshops designed to increase students’ awareness of their learning style and to provide strategies to improve study skills and effective time management strategies were facilitated in collaboration with the Center for Student Success. Twenty (20) students participated in these interactive 60-minute workshops focused on teaching students effective time management strategies without becoming overwhelmed and stressed. President’s Report to the Board of Trustees Dr. David Hall, President Reporting Period: February 20, 2018 to May 18, 2018 Board of Trustees’ Meeting – June 2, 2018 25  Students on the St. Thomas Campus were engaged in the first ever Tree Brick Project aimed at providing a forum in which students could creatively express themselves by decorate a brick. The decorated bricks were then placed around the tree planted in memory of Dr. Doris Battiste, former Dean of Students. Twenty-two (22) persons participated in this activity. The University hosted a Tree Planting ceremony in honor of Dr. Battiste and invited her family, loved ones, colleagues, students and well-wishers to the event.  Student Activities Office on the St. Thomas facilitated a series of Sip N’ Paint activities on February 9, March 16 and April 15 in the Administration and Conference Center (ACC) Building. The event featured artist Amy Gibbs of the Art Emporium. Approximately 60 individuals including faculty, staff, and students attended these events, which served as a networking opportunity and stress reliever.  Sixteen students applied for disability services this semester. Accommodation letters were provided to the students. Twelve were returning students and four were new students to the program.  Forty-seven students were inducted into Golden Key International Honor Society on the St. Thomas Campus. At the induction ceremony held on April 8, Mr. Addie Ottley and Mr. Leon Lafond were inducted as honorary members. Two scholarships were awarded to Hilrianna Chooran and VerNae Callwood, students on the St. Thomas campus.  On the Albert A. Sheen Campus, the 23rd Annual Installation and Recognition Ceremony for new inductees was held on April 15 where twenty-seven (27) students and four (4) honorary members were sworn-in. Honorary members inducted were Dr. Chenzira Davis-Kahina, Dr. Joan Ledbetter, Professor Donna Kilgore, and Ethlyn Matthew. Mr. Dwane Hendrickson, Thurgood Marshall Student Ambassador, former President for a Day student, and TWC Scholar presented the keynote address. The newly inducted executive officers are Julienne Ekpe-President, Geneke Beazer- Vice President, Jahvan Navarro-Secretary, and Iris Battiste-Treasurer.  There were eight students from the St. Thomas Campus placed at the recently held National Student Exchange (NSE) placement conference. Outgoing students will be attending various institutions including Florida State University (2), Tuskegee University, California State University, Monterey Bay, Bishops University, Alabama State University (2), and Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Seven students were placed on Plan B and one student on Plan A. Incoming students will come from University of Wisconsin, La Crosse, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (2), University of South Dakota, Western Oregon University, Marshall University, New Jersey City University, University of South Carolina, Columbia, University of Northern Iowa, Dakota State University, University of Kentucky, Easter Oregon University, Colorado Mesa University, University of South Carolina, Columbia and University of New Orleans. President’s Report to the Board of Trustees Dr. David Hall, President Reporting Period: February 20, 2018 to May 18, 2018 Board of Trustees’ Meeting – June 2, 2018 26  On March 13, Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) Campus Coordinator, Anyha Lord- Jerris and the TMCF Student Ambassador, Dwane Hendrickson hosted a professional development workshop series on the Albert A. Sheen Campus. The goals of the professional development workshop series included preparing applicants for the upcoming TMCF recruitment site visit and providing students with tools for increasing their professionalism and marketability as young professionals.  Tione Grant, Jhanna Fields, Nikkoiya Cromwell, Marc-Anthony Colon, Julienne Ekpe, Joseph Williams, Shakyra King, Jahvan Navarro, Geneke Beazer, Requel Petersen, and Angel Cedeno participated in the 6-hour professional development workshop which included sessions on resume building, dressing for success, developing effective interviewing skills, developing your brand and networking skills, and mock interviews. Workshop presenters were Anyha Lord-Jerris, Dr. Maria Fleming, Dr. Chenzira Davis-Kahina, Kevin Dixon, Dr. Sharon Honore, Professor Donna Kilgore, and Mr. Rick Grant.  The TMCF Talent Acquisition representative, Mr. Deshawn Spellman coordinated a site visit with the TMCF Campus Coordinator, Anyha Lord-Jerris on the Albert A. Sheen Campus from March 19-20. Representatives from various schools and colleges as well as the staff from Center for Student Success met with the TMCF representative to discuss opportunities available for UVI students. Seventeen students participated in the interview sessions March 20 in the Residence Hall Conference room on the Albert A. Sheen Campus. AREA OF FOCUS #3: COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND GLOBALIZATION  The Office of the Dean of Students on the Albert A. Sheen Campus participated in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in collaboration with Access and Enrollment Services, University Bound and the Frederiksted Health Care Clinic. The parade provided an opportunity to highlight our students and promote their accomplishments, build on school spirit and engage the community. The UVI Royal Court included Miss UVI Angelique Flemming, Miss Incredible Alexandria Wozniak and MacKenzie Gross, Mister Incredible Amali Krigger, Miss Charter Day Damalia Simmonds and Mr. Charter Day Dante James. Students and staff distributed enrollment information and pamphlets highlighting UVI and the University Bound program. Literature about communicable diseases and safe sex practices were also distributed.  The Dean of Students Office on the Albert A. Sheen campus hosted a UVI Easter Eggstravaganza on March 18 on the campus lawn. This community engagement event was open to the public. Four hundred and sixteen attendees enjoyed engaging activities such as face painting, an egg hunt, kite flying, egg decorating, musical chairs, and 3-legged races. The event’s primary purpose was to engage the community, create volunteer opportunities for UVI students and other support groups such as Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, University Bound, Golden Key International Honor Society, Student Nursing Association, and the Virgin Islands Fire Department. President’s Report to the Board of Trustees Dr. David Hall, President Reporting Period: February 20, 2018 to May 18, 2018 Board of Trustees’ Meeting – June 2, 2018 27  The Health Services hosted its 19th Annual Health Fair on March 23 on the Albert A. Sheen Campus grounds. Approximately 110 individuals, including volunteers from UVI’s Cooperative Extension Services and local community organizations including the Frederiksted Health Center and the Virgin Islands Department of Health participated in the event. The fair provided free HIV/STI Testing, vaccination, health and wellness, vision screening, diabetes and hypertension screening, and alternative medicinal therapy workshops. Approximately 15 exhibitors were present from different community service agencies.  The Eastern Caribbean Center, in collaboration with the Office of the Vice Provost, Research and Public Service, completed an OIA-supported grant to conduct a Virgin Islands Household Income and Expenditures Survey for $243,000, whose data are primarily used to update the VI’s Consumer Price Index. A Carnival Exit Survey was also reported out for the VI carnival in 2015 for $41,000. Both research projects were on behalf of the VI Bureau of Economic Research.  Cooperative Extension Service (CES) staff presented a poster titled, “Pests, an Unwanted Side Effect from Two Hurricanes,” at the 4th International Integrated Pest Management Conference- Improving health, environment, & global sustainability, which was held in Baltimore, MD on March 19-22, 2018. Authors included A.J. Dreves, S. Crossman, V. Forbes, and O. Davis.  The “Give Back to St. Thomas Carnival Cruise Line Tour” is scheduled to include Cooperative Extension Service (CES) as one of the few locations that Carnival Cruise Lines regularly brings tourists to as part of an intentional effort to offer visitors something more than the normal shopping and sightseeing visit. CES will receive donations, as well as free national/international advertisement in regular write- ups (press releases etc.). The Give Back to St. Thomas Carnival Tour will include a stop at CES, where the presenter will discuss some of the programs offered to the community. The tour will also include a local food platter from Crabbe's Island Grille, a stop at My Brother’s Workshop to learn about their community initiative, a visit to the St. Thomas Synagogue, and a short overview of the island’s history  In response to a request for technical information, the Cooperative Extension Service (CES) participated in two activities that were organized by a farmers’ organization, We Grow Food, Inc. During the Bordeaux Farmers Market Day and annual St. Thomas Agricultural Fair, estimated 400- 500 farmers and other interested persons increased their knowledge of plant pest identification and pest management strategies.  To address the on-going need to educate homeowners, professional landscapers, and other interested persons regarding the proper techniques for pruning trees, two one-day training activities were conducted (one on St. Croix the other on St. Thomas). Forty-four homeowners and professional staff (including UVI Physical Plant personnel) increased their knowledge and awareness about the art and science of tree pruning. The workshop consisted of classroom presentations and practical field activities. President’s Report to the Board of Trustees Dr. David Hall, President Reporting Period: February 20, 2018 to May 18, 2018 Board of Trustees’ Meeting – June 2, 2018 28  Two Cooperative Extension Service (CES) staff members attended the South African Association of Family and Economic Consumer Science, 13th International Conference in Pretoria, South Africa on March 5-8. They each made a presentation. One entitled “Batik for Profit and Pleasure” and the other “Water Ambassador Program: Furthering the Understanding and Protection of Watersheds, Hydrology and Agriculture and their Health Impacts in the USVI.”  Staff made a presentation at the Southern SARE AC annual meeting in Georgia. The presentation focused on the ways in which Cooperative Extension Service (CES) is changing the Culture of Growers to Adopt and Use New Technologies for Promoting Agricultural Sustainability in the US Virgin Islands. Every year, the Council selects one person to present at their annual meeting. Given the challenges of the hurricanes, the presentation also covered how CES responded to the needs of the community by shifting regular computer classes to accommodate the increase in mobile device use after the hurricanes.  The VI University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (VIUCEDD) held its Annual Autism Conference on April 2-4 on both St. Thomas and St. Croix. Each site had an attendance of more than 80 attendees. The focus of the conference, which was Disability and Disaster, featured local and national experts on disabilities and trauma. Dr. Karen Brown, Associate Director of VIUCEDD and CDC Act Early Ambassador to the USVI, collaborated with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the VI Department of Health, Maternal and Child Health Division to offer families in the Territory free Zika specialty screenings from March 19-24. Over 100 infants and toddlers benefited from these screenings across the three islands.  Dr. Karen Brown facilitated a professional development training to personnel of Infants and Toddlers Part C Program under the VI Department of Health on April 14.  Dr. Greg Guannel, Director of the Caribbean Green Technology Center, gave a presentation entitled “Future Climate Risks to USVI” at the USVI Governor’s Hurricane Recovery Task Force and another entitled “Towards a Resilient Virgin Islands” to the St Croix Chamber of Commerce Business after Hours.  The VI Institute for STEM Education Research and Practice (VI-ISERP) conducted a workshop on April 19 on the St. Thomas Campus. Ten in-service teachers from seven schools on St. Thomas participated in the workshop, which was organized by Dr. Nadia Monrose and Dr. Michele Guannel. Teachers working with VI-ISERP made presentations on their activities to demonstrate the effectiveness of problem-based learning in the classroom.  Faculty in the UVI Physics program and working at the Etelman Observatory held three monthly “Astronomy Day” events in the UVI library (St. Thomas Campus) using the new UVI Planetarium. Over 300 students and adults attended the event including groups from Boy Scouts of America, Girl Scouts of America, Ulla Muller School, Gladys Abraham Elementary School, Antilles School, and Emmanuel Benjamin Oliver School. President’s Report to the Board of Trustees Dr. David Hall, President Reporting Period: February 20, 2018 to May 18, 2018 Board of Trustees’ Meeting – June 2, 2018 29  Akacia Halliday and Jennilee Robinson gave a presentation about their research “Characterizing a Caribbean Fish Blood Parasite” for junior and senior science students at VI Montessori School and Peter Gruber International Academy on April 11.  Renata Platenberg presented at Earth Day Friday Seminar, entitled “The Value of Wildlife” at Antilles School, St. Thomas on April 19.  Master of Marine and Environmental Science (MMES) faculty and students participated in the Eighth Annual Reef Fest held at the Yacht Haven Grande, St. Thomas on April 14. Contributions to the event included an interactive display of mangroves species, ecosystem benefits, and scientific sampling techniques, demonstrated by Allie Durdall, Amelie Jensen, Sydney Nick, and Kristin Grimes. The MMES cohort demonstrated coral reef nurseries as part of their capstone project. Kristin Grimes, Tyler Smith, Paul Jobsis, Renata Platenberg, and Marilyn Brandt gave talks. https://stthomassource.com/content/2018/04/14/210729/.  The Master of Marine and Environmental Science (MMES) 2018 cohort conducted a webinar for resource managers with the focus on coral restoration on fish communities. The webinar opened up a discussion about management concepts and approaches for protecting both resources in the wake of today's changing climate (24 April).  MMES Natural Resource Management class (MES 506) is conducting a study toward the development of a restoration plan for the Arboretum at Magens Bay Preserve, in conjunction with Magens Bay Authority. Activities include ecological damage assessment, stakeholder interviews, and conservation planning. https://stthomassource.com/content/2018/03/25/the-long-road-back-for- nelthropp-arboretum-has-begun.  On March 21, the UVI Call Center launched the annual calling campaign with the focus on locating lost donors through the UVI Alumni Birthday Club campaign and increased contributions of the Caribbean Alumni Scholarship Funds. The scholarship campaign is focused on alumni contributions in areas where high concentration of where graduates reside.  The UVI website received 359,483 page views with 293,079 unique page views for the period of February 2018 through April 12, 2018. During this period of time, the UVI Homepage received the most traffic with 75,854 hits; the average person spent 1 minutes 49 seconds. The second most viewed page was in the registrar’s section. Persons spent an average of 4 minutes and 32 seconds on the webpage viewing our registration guidelines and selecting Summer and Fall 2018 courses. For the 2018 calendar year, UVI’s website received 541,926 page views.  Website Views by Device – The UVI website was viewed 67.9 percent of the time via desktop computers, 27.4 percent on mobile devices and 4.8 percent of the time on tablets.  Our Social media networks have maintained their followers for this time period. During this period, live video posts on Facebook were viewed 11.5 thousand times. The top videos were the Charter Day live stream with 4.7K views, the HBCU Rising livestream with 840 views and the tree dedication livestream for the late Dr. Doris Battiste with 778 views. President’s Report to the Board of Trustees Dr. David Hall, President Reporting Period: February 20, 2018 to May 18, 2018 Board of Trustees’ Meeting – June 2, 2018 30  During this quarter, the Reichhold Center for the Arts (RCA) has assisted with the following projects on campus and in the community: o The RCA lighting board and processor were transferred to the UVI Little Theatre to assist UVI student director/writer, Nyaila Callwood, with her senior project, “Phenomenally.” RCA also installed a sound system for the production which was scheduled for April 19- 22. o In conjunction with The Virgin Islands Council on the Arts (VICA), RCA provided production assistance with their first art exhibit pop-up, “Love After the Storm.” RCA’s support included the event setup and providing lighting, audio, and event equipment. o The Center assisted the International Capital Management Company with their first “Jazz in the Park” since the hurricanes. The RCA researched and connected ICMC with the Instituto de Cultura Puertorriquena. From this connection, ICMC was able to present three-time Grammy winner Edgar Abraham and his Quintet. The staff also assisted with the setup of Roosevelt Park. o RCA provided Constant Contact marketing for ICMC, VICA, United Jazz Foundation, The Forum, Pistarckle Theatre and the UVI Music Department events. o Reichhold has also been involved with the National Coalition for Arts’ Preparedness & Emergency Response group to assist with the assessment of the arts in the community after the hurricanes. The Center has been updating the group on its status and is working along with Virgin Islands Council on the Arts in addressing the needs of artists within the Territory.  In conjunction with Sponsored Programs, the National Endowment for the Humanities Grant has been awarded Reichhold Center for the Arts with a grant in the amount of $13,875 to repair the African Art Collection.  The Institutional Advancement Component and WUVI collaborated on the development and implementation of the UVI Radio Program to highlight success stories and current events specific to the University. “Connected Conversations” is an hour long program hosted by Ms. Che-Raina Warner, a communications major, and 2016-17 Ms. UVI and HBCU Hall of Fame winner. The inaugural show hosted on March 21, 2018 featured, renowned author and UVI Social Media Likes or Followers Percentage Increase Facebook 5,172 3.2 % Twitter 1733 3.2% Instagram 983 2.2% Linked In 7004 2% President’s Report to the Board of Trustees Dr. David Hall, President Reporting Period: February 20, 2018 to May 18, 2018 Board of Trustees’ Meeting – June 2, 2018 31 Professor Emeritus of History, Dr. Marilyn Krigger. Connected has reached more than 6,000 listeners through the various broadcasts mediums. Other guests have included President David Hall. The show has also highlighted the University’s Reef Fest and Research Day activities. AREA OF FOCUS # 4: MODERN AND SAFE UNIVERSITY ENVIRONMENT  Information Technology Services (ITS) continues to provide project management services to the Provost’s component on the operation of UVI Online. The processes for course creation in Blackboard, as well as that of network and email accounts, is automated. These now follow the pattern for all courses and new employee/student accounts. Collaboration with Access and Enrollment Services continues on improving and streamlining the admissions, financial aid and registration Banner processes.  In order to better serve the UVI community, changes were made to the operation of the ITS Service Desk and Call Center. The ITS Service Desk staffing model was changed. ITS technicians, whose offices were located behind the desk, and librarians, whose offices were further back in the library, were switched. Technicians will no longer directly staff the service desk but will instead be on call and respond as issues arise. This allows them to focus on responding to trouble calls, desktop and classroom support issues in the field. Librarians and library technicians will instead staff the Service Desk henceforth. In addition, technicians will primarily answer the call center line (x1466) with other ITS staff backing them up on a schedule.  In order to reduce phishing attacks to the UVI network, where email account holders are bombarded with emails claiming to be from a known entity (IT Helpdesk, Accounting, etc.) encouraging the sharing of credentials which then lead to compromised accounts, Advanced Threat Protection for Office 365 was licensed. This module of software allows IT network engineers to set rules to safeguard the network, add users whose accounts are explicitly protected, establish attachment safeguards and other policies. With these in place, we hope to see less phishing attempts, though hackers continue to try new methods to get access to accounts and systems.  Both libraries conducted focus groups to gather student input into service and facility upgrades. The Evans Center Library, where facility upgrades are planned, asked students to jot down comments and stick it on an easel. Students were asked to tell the staff ‘What we are doing well?’ and ‘What could be improved?’. In addition, a survey was sent to students who reside on campus. The insight used will help to inform the redesign of the library on the Albert A. Sheen Campus to better meet the needs of students and faculty.  Both the Evans Center and Paiewonsky Libraries now offer charging stations for patrons. These devices include multiple charging cables, allowing persons to place their mobile device in a tray for quick and easy charging. Where outlets may be in short supply, these stations provide additional options for powering up devices. President’s Report to the Board of Trustees Dr. David Hall, President Reporting Period: February 20, 2018 to May 18, 2018 Board of Trustees’ Meeting – June 2, 2018 32  The St. Thomas Campus sustained extensive damage to its exterior pole lighting system throughout the campus. The selection of a replacement, LED Post Top Large Round Reveal open area light 176-watts was procured. An order of 100 units was placed immediately after the storm; twenty-five units were immediately shipped while the balance of seventy-five units were back ordered. As the units arrived on campus they were installed in strategic locations, with priority given to the safety of the students and campus population. The final shipment was received on March 23, 2018, and was installed immediately. This improvement has increased the safety and security level of the campus, for both pedestrians and motorists.  The Administration and Conference Center lost all of its Solar Lighting System in the parking lot. The new system has been redesigned to include heavy gauge aluminum replacement poles designed to withstand wind speeds in excess of one hundred and fifty miles per hour and an upgrade Solar Pole mount system. All components for the system have been paid for and should be on campus and installed the week of June 10, 2018.  St. Thomas campus sustained severe unstable power to its 15 KVA Prime Electrical Infrastructure on March 19. This created a problem on both incoming WAPA electrical feed utility lines to the campus, the Main Station and Generator and the Campus West Entry point, which primarily services the Sports and Fitness Center and West Hall. WAPA crews, Bryan’s Electric, and Physical Plant personnel tried trouble-shooting the problems in an effort to reactivate power to the campus. After several attempts, on March 21, 2018, the Campus was finally restored to WAPA’s power. However, the Main station remained disabled, leaving the campus without emergency power. On April 3, EISEC Co. and Assemblers Fabricators of PR (ASFA) Rico arrived on campus to inspect and repair the Main Automatic Transfer Switch (ATS) and Distribution System. They proceeded to test all components of the electrical system. After extensive investigation, troubleshooting, repairs or replacement, on April 24, upon the completion of the scheduled tasks by the contractors, the system repairs were completed and were ready for the testing phase of the project. The testing and final diagnosis of the system was completed and found to be in accordance with all specifications. The system is presently operating and continued monitoring showed that a number of WAPA’s unscheduled outages, resulted in the successful operation of the Emergency Generator Power System.  The need for a Child Care Center for the St. Thomas campus was determined and approved by the administration and the Board of Trustees. Faculty East one and two were chosen for the location. The accessibility of the units was the first priority in addition to all code compliance and the minor renovation of the units. DCM Corporation was selected based on their all-inclusive submittal. The project start date was May 3, 2018 and completion is expected June 2018.  On the St. Thomas Campus, the construction project for the Classroom Building for the School of Medicine is moving forward. The contractor is in the process of installing the final plaster finish on the exterior with the approved color scheme. Rooftops Construction has started the installation of the TPO membrane installation which upon completion will secure a water tight roof. The doors and windows which are in stock will be installed upon completion of the installation of the final exterior finish. President’s Report to the Board of Trustees Dr. David Hall, President Reporting Period: February 20, 2018 to May 18, 2018 Board of Trustees’ Meeting – June 2, 2018 33 The primary focus in moving forward would be to have the facility exterior finishes and roof completed and all openings closed, i.e., windows and doors. The focus on the interior will work in conjunction upon closure and settlement of the insurance claim.  On the Albert A. Sheen Campus, Springboard Construction poured all building footings, system walls, reflection-pool bottom slab and reflection pool walls for the Simulation Center for the School of Medicine. The foundation backfilling and the cistern were also completed. Work in progress includes the utility rough-in and slab on grade prep and forming. According to the revised schedule, the project is on schedule. Construction of the building is proceeding as originally designed to include the tissue, wet-lab program requirements. Completion is scheduled for March 27, 2019.  Approximately twenty-two light posts in the parking lots and on Palm Drive were damaged by Hurricane Maria, creating a safety concern in the parking lots and on the primary access road to and from the campus. It was determined that temporary emergency protective measures were needed to mitigate safety concerns on the campus, which required installing energy efficient light towers with minimally four 1000 W bulbs and generator capacity to illuminate approximately 6 to 7 acres each. After a cost analysis on the rental of the light towers was completed and quotes were received and compared, it was determined that the purchase of the towers would be more cost effective than the rental. In addition, the purchase would also enhance the University’s emergency protective measures to help mitigate future emergency safety and security concerns with outdoor lighting challenges on the campus. Upon completion of the bidding process, RIMCO, LLC was selected for the project. On February 28, 2018 the light towers were placed in the Melvin Evans Centre West parking lots and began use immediately. The towers provide lighting for the two parking lots, for sections of the walkway from the Evans Centre to the Residence Halls, the area in front of the Residence Halls and ambient lighting on portions of the Palm Drive.  The Outdoor Tennis and Basketball Courts damaged fencing prevented use of the outdoor courts for both instructional and recreational purposes, which are integral to the academic programming as well as the student life on campus. Approximately 490 linear feet of fencing repairs was needed, 270 lf, 8’ high around the Basketball Court and 220’ lf, 10’ high around the tennis courts. After careful review of quotes, A&J Fencing was selected to provide the fencing repairs. The first phase of the fencing project was successfully completed March 15, 2018.  The St. Thomas Campus Security Department continues to meet Peace Officers Standards and Training (POST) requirements in the following areas: appropriate usage of firearms and non-lethal weapons, handcuffing, CPR and First Aid, Search and Seizure, Self Defense, Report Writing, ASP baton, Pepper/OC spray, and usage and instructions regarding other relevant, equipment and general duties of Security Officers. President’s Report to the Board of Trustees Dr. David Hall, President Reporting Period: February 20, 2018 to May 18, 2018 Board of Trustees’ Meeting – June 2, 2018 34 AREA OF FOCUS #5: ORGANIZATIONAL AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT  A working group was convened and is finalizing a first draft of a Wellness Policy, which would guide the operation of the program. Comprised of persons from Human Resources, the Center for Spirituality and Professionalism and Information Technology Services (ITS), the group will have the draft prepared shortly for review and approval by Cabinet and other shared governance parties.  The Information Technology Services (ITS) Department partnered with Human Resources (HR), the Office of the Provost and the Institute for Leadership and Organizational Effectiveness (ILOE) on the development of a master training calendar for the University and other interested persons. The complete training schedule for all UVI employees and students can be found at https://liveuvi.sharepoint.com/Professional%20Development%20&%20Training/SitePages/Master- Training-Calendar.aspx Upcoming and future training sessions are sent directly to all UVI employees, students and subscribed community members. Through the direct messaging and campaign tool called Mail Chimp, subscribers receive information on upcoming events. In addition to the Professional Development and Training Assessment survey administered in August 2017, questions were added to the 2018 ITS Customer Service survey to assess the existing training efforts. The 2018 ITS Customer Service survey was administered in April 2018. The recommendations provided will be incorporated into the training structure to improve the marketing efforts, time and delivery preferences and enhance and expand training offerings.  The Human Resources (HR) onboarding process through PeopleAdmin is being reviewed to streamline the process through which new employees are introduced to UVI. If the software allows, it will save HR staff valuable time while improving the flow of information to new employees. In addition, preliminary communication began with HR to move the employee orientation to a virtual environment. The move will allow new employees to access, thoroughly review and sign required documentation prior to the first day of employment.  As part of the on-going training initiative between ITS and the Human Resources Departments, a training and informational session was held on March 22, 2018 for all employees. Topics of discussion were GERS: Will it still exist beyond 2020?; TIAA: An Open enrollment opportunity; and Health Insurance plan design: Life Insurance-Do we need it or not?  The GESC Group Health Insurance Board including associate members from the VI Port Authority, University of the Virgin Islands, Division of Personnel and WAPA attended the 2018 Benefits Administration Workshop hosted by the Gehring Group in West Palm Beach, Florida from April 17 through April 20. The workshop included sessions on Benefit Basics; the Consultant/Benefits Administrator Relationship When things go Wrong; True Color, the Key to Success; Worker’s Compensation or Benefits Coverage; and Innovation in HealthCare. The information exchanged and networking with other Human Resources Benefit Professionals were very valuable and will help move UVI’s benefits platform from a task based function to that of a strategic partner within the University community. President’s Report to the Board of Trustees Dr. David Hall, President Reporting Period: February 20, 2018 to May 18, 2018 Board of Trustees’ Meeting – June 2, 2018 35  The GERS Group Health Insurance Board released a bid for health, life and vision insurance coverage from March 15, 2018 through April 15, 2018. The Board reviewed bids and held presentation session with responders on April 17. An announcement on the changes to our insurance lineup is forthcoming.  IDEMIA, a company that specializes in identity and security, and third party administrator, hired by the TSA to conduct pre-check screening certification for land, sea and air has asked the University of the Virgin Islands Human Resources Department to serve as a screening location for the United States Virgin Islands territory. The company had operations at the Cyril E. King Airport on St. Thomas; however, the offices were destroyed after hurricanes Irma & Maria. The company needed a secure, safe and accessible location to conduct pre-check screening certification activities. Representatives of the company are scheduled to conduct certification procedures from May 8- 10, 2018 for four members of the Human Resources Team and services for more than 60 individuals waiting for pre-check screening authorization. AREA OF FOCUS #6: FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY AND GROWTH  In April, 2017, the University engaged the audit firm of Deloitte to perform the audit of fiscal year ended September 30, 2017. The auditors commenced preliminary audit procedures June 2017, prior to the audit year end. Deloitte abruptly resigned in November of 2017, without any prior notice to the University. In January of 2018, the University procured the services of BDO Puerto Rico, to serve as the University’s external auditors for the period ending September 30, 2017. The auditors commenced their planning procedures on March 5, 2018, working remotely from Puerto Rico. The auditors arrived on St. Thomas the week of April 2, 2018. As of May 1, 2018, the auditors have completed the planning phase of their audit and are currently in the process of performing fieldwork (substantive) testing. The auditors have estimated the Financial Statement report is on schedule to be completed on May 31, 2018. This deadline has been deemed suitable for the fulfillment of the University’s obligations to financial institutions as well as the Government of the Virgin Islands. Additionally, the Accounting Department provided monthly, quarterly and other periodic financial reports to components, government agencies and vendors. These reports provided important information to allow for a better management of operations.  The Accounts Payable (AP) & Payroll section of the Accounting department worked on tax forms requests (W2-VI, 1099MISC, 1098-T) during the reporting period. The staff continues to provide technical support to components and units on the BANNER system as it pertains to data entry, end- users technical support, NSF conditions, vendor payment and travel. All payrolls for the period were paid on time using the Web-time module, which is part of the Paper Sparse initiative.  Collaboration between the Accounting department and IT department continues with the testing phases of the new travel module “CROME.” The new system will be replacing the current travel and expenses module “TEMS.” The team continues to have weekly meetings on the new module. The team from Crome River is working on the interphase from CROME to BANNER. President’s Report to the Board of Trustees Dr. David Hall, President Reporting Period: February 20, 2018 to May 18, 2018 Board of Trustees’ Meeting – June 2, 2018 36  On the St. Thomas campus eight student were enrolled in Tuition Management Systems (TMS) with a total cost of $14,791.00. No students were enrolled on the Albert A. Sheen Campus. On the St. Thomas campus one hundred and six students were enrolled in the UVI payment plan. The total payment fee charged was $4,770.00 and the total amount of the payment plan was $308,794.55.  Two hundred and fifty-eight Spring 2018 refund checks were processed during the reporting period, from February 1 to April 26, 2018, which amounted to $444,118.40.  For Fiscal Year 2018, Hurricanes Irma and Maria interrupted the Virgin Islands Government’s Budget Process. As a result, the Legislature was unable to pass the required appropriation bill to establish the budget for FY2018. In Fiscal Year 2017, the University’s Operating Budget was appropriated at $32,246,750 as authorized by Act No. 7920 (Bill No. 31-0427), therefore, as provided by the Revised Organic Act of 1954, the FY2017 budget was rolled over into FY2018. However, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) notified the University via a memorandum dated September 29, 2017 that the allotment ceiling level was reduced by 12.5% or $4,030,844. This reduction has lowered the University’s allotment level to $28,215,906. Thus, the University’s allotment of $2,351,325.50 is requested from OMB and the Department of Finance each month. As of April 30, 2018, the University received a total of $16,459,278.50 in allotments from the V.I. Government for Fiscal Year 2018. This represents 100% of the $16,459,278.50 requested through April 2018.  The University submitted its FY2019 Appropriation Budget Request to the Office of Management and Budget, Office of the Governor and VI Legislature for Senator Kurt Vialet’s, Finance Chair, on April 18, 2018 with a total appropriation, including miscellaneous items, of $33,856,750.