Campaign For UVI Honoring Our Past Celebrating Our Present Creating Our Future Join us to become a part of the adventure! www.uvi.edu HISTORICALLY AMERICAN. UNIQUELY CARIBBEAN. GLOBALLY INTERACTIVE. SPECIALIZING IN FUTURES The Honorable Kenneth E. Mapp - Honorary Chair Governor of the Virgin Islands The Honorable Henry C. Smock, Esq. - Chair St. Thomas, Virgin Islands The Honorable Alexander A. Moorhead - Vice Chair St. Croix, Virgin Islands Dr. David Hall - ex-officio President of the University Board Secretary St. Thomas, Virgin Islands The Honorable Sharon A. McCollum, Ph.D. – ex-officio Commissioner VI Department of Education Ms. Winona P. Hendricks - ex-officio Chair - V.I. Board of Education St. Croix, Virgin Islands Ms. Debbie Bermudez Student Representative 2016-2017 St. Croix, Virgin Islands The Honorable Oran C. Bowry St. Croix, Virgin Islands Dr. David Gould Faculty Representative 2016-2017 St. Croix, Virgin Islands The Honorable Jennifer Nugent-Hill St. Croix, Virgin Islands Ms. Jacqueline A. Sprauve Alumni Association Representative St. Thomas, Virgin Islands Dr. Yvonne E. L. Thraen St. Thomas, Virgin Islands Rev. Dr. Wesley S. Williams, Jr. St. Thomas, Virgin Islands Revised: September 1, 2016 UVI Trustees Welcome A MESSAGE FROM UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT DR. DAVID HALL I am determined to see the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) become the best and most effective institution of higher education it can possibly be. That is how passionately I care about the future of the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Caribbean region and all its people. Our purpose is to become a major center of academic excellence, an even more vital force for economic growth, and a catalyst for improving the quality of life for residents across the Territory. I invite you to honor and strengthen the connections among all of us by supporting Campaign for UVI, the first comprehensive fundraising campaign UVI has ever undertaken. As a “comprehensive campaign,” this means we seek annual unrestricted gifts to fund daily operations, and gifts designated to create and sustain our future. The latter includes making capital investments in new facilities; growing our endowment; expanding the number of scholarships for bright, deserving students; and building new academic programs essential to the success of our students in today’s more competitive and increasingly global labor market. Moving UVI farther along our Pathways to Greatness requires a higher level of involvement and financial support. I need you to do more than give – I need you to create a legacy by going beyond your usual support and partnering with us both as a volunteer and a donor. Together, we can strengthen UVI and create a more prosperous and thriving community. Together, we shall succeed! Thank you. Dr. David Hall President 1 The University of the Virgin Islands Campaign for UVI Since its founding fifty-five years ago, the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) has played a vital and ever-growing role in strengthening the economic, cultural and community life of the territory and the Caribbean. During UVI’s first half-century, the institution has achieved tremendous milestones: • Graduated over 9,000 students; many of these alumni serve today as respected professionals in the fields of medicine, law, politics, business, the arts and education. • Enabled thousands of adult learners to advance their careers through occupational and technical training. • Stimulated a widespread positive impact on the economic vitality of the territory by: • attracting millions of dollars in federal research and education grants. • investing heavily in both upgrades and new construction of facilities. • increasing the number of people who come to the Territory each semester to teach, study and conduct important research. In addition to fulfilling its core mission as an institution of higher learning, the University supports programs that help the region’s people, at little or no cost, while stimulating the local economy. • UVI’s Small Business Development Center works with the U.S. Small Business Administration to provide essential resources to local entrepreneurs and small business owners. • The UVI Research and Technology Park attracts high-tech firms and entrepreneurs to the region, generating long-term economic growth. • UVI’s Sports and Fitness Center hosts the renowned Paradise Jam Basketball Tournament, attracting numerous NCAA Division I teams and supporters. • The University serves as a repository of critical data, both historical and current, which is used frequently to secure essential government funding for the Territory and its people. • The University’s Reichhold Center for the Arts presents annual seasons featuring performances by world-class artists, and provides arts education for local elementary, middle, and high school students. The University of the Virgin Islands has produced a Pulitzer Prize winner, a mathematician who discovered two new prime numbers, Rhodes and Thurgood Marshall Scholars, National Science Foundation Fellows, and many other noted scientists, accomplished professionals, and heads of state throughout the Caribbean. UVI’s Past & Present: Prologue to a Glorious Future 2 Honoring Our Past In April of 1961, Territorial Governor Ralph M. Paiewonsky used his inaugural address to announce the creation of a college for the United States Virgin Islands. Moving quickly to make good on his promise, Governor Paiewonsky hosted a Conference on Higher Education in July of that same year, at which twenty educators observed and analyzed the Virgin Islands’ educational scene, and made recommendations for the creation of the College of the Virgin Islands (CVI). Two years later, the first campus opened on St. Thomas, on land donated by the federal government. A second campus opened on St. Croix one year later. In 1972, the College was awarded Land-Grant status by the U.S. Congress, enabling the establishment of an Agricultural Experiment Station (AES) on St. Croix and creation of the Cooperative Extension Service. Working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the College helped to develop the Senepol breed of cattle, which has since proved successful in many other countries around the world. The AES Aquaculture Program has been developing tilapia production systems since 1979. The program offers practical, hands-on aquaponics workshops each spring semester and is offered to interested students, entrepreneurs and farmers alike. In 1979, the Reichhold Center for the Arts hosted its inaugural season. Since then, the Center has presented many world-class artists, including Itzhak Perlman, Ray Charles, Sarah Vaughan, the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra, and the Alvin Ailey Dance Company. Beginning in 2001, the Center began its signature summer program for local high school students, the Youth Moviemaking Workshop. Many of these students, who received training in video production and related skills, have since gone on to major in Film and to work for Disney and other noteworthy employers. In 1986, the college changed its name to the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) to reflect the growth and diversification of its academic curricula, community and regional services, and research programs. That same year, the U.S. Congress named UVI one of America’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), the only institution of higher education outside the continental United States to hold this distinction. In 2010, the St. John Academic Center opened in Cruz Bay. In 2012, UVI celebrated its Golden Jubilee and proudly embarked on its second half-century of great achievements for the Territory and its people. Former Territorial Governor Ralph M. Paiewonsky 3 The University of the Virgin Islands Campaign for UVI Celebrating Our Present The University consists of five schools and colleges: • College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences • College of Science and Mathematics • School of Business • School of Education • School of Nursing Together, these schools and colleges offer thirty-eight Bachelor and Associate degree programs, as well as Master degree programs in seven distinct disciplines. UVI now offers a Ph.D. in Creative Leadership for Innovation and Change. Of the 2,331 students enrolled in the Fall 2014 semester (170 of them in graduate programs): • More than 90% of students come from the Territory; • Approximately 64% of undergraduates are full-time; • Approximately 70% of all students are of African descent; • 7% are Hispanic; • 70% are female; • 6% of entering freshmen in 2014 originated from the U.S. mainland, eastern Caribbean, and countries around the world. More than 350 administrative and support staff members serve this diverse student body. Of the more than 100 full-time faculty at UVI, 44% have achieved tenure. Additionally, UVI has 125 part-time faculty. The student/teacher ratio at UVI is 11:1. In addition, UVI is home to thirteen research centers and service units that make a significant contribution to improving the lives of the people of the Territory and the wider Caribbean region: • The Caribbean Exploratory Research Center • The Caribbean Green Technology Center • The Center for the Study of Spirituality and Professionalism A Beacon of Academic Excellence • The Virgin Islands Caribbean Cultural Center • The Center for the Study of Complementary & Alternative Medicine • The UVI Institute for Leadership and Organizational Effectiveness • The Agricultural Experiment Station • The Cooperative Extension Service • The Virgin Islands Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research • UVI Community Engagement and Lifelong Learning • The Virgin Islands University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities • The Small Business Development Center • The Virgin Islands Environmental Resource Center on St. John 4 UVI Makes A Significant Contribution to the Economic Vitality of the U.S. Virgin Islands It is always difficult to quantify an academic institution’s overall economic contribution to its region. However, UVI commissioned Appleseed, an economic development consulting firm based in New York City, to undertake an economic impact analysis. Its report, submitted in June of 2014, clearly indicates that UVI has had, and continues to have, a substantial and positive impact on the fiscal health of the Territory and the Caribbean region as a whole. The report noted many key indicators of the institution’s impact and success: • In the fall of 2013, UVI employed approximately 790 people (excluding students), 61% as full-time. • Wages and salaries paid by the University in fiscal year 2013 totaled nearly $30.2 million. • Off-campus spending by students and by visitors to UVI in fiscal year 2013 directly and indirectly accounted for: • 152 FTE jobs in the U.S. Virgin Islands • $3.97 million in wages and salaries • $18.29 million in Territory-wide economic impact The analysis also predicts that during the next five to ten years, UVI’s contribution to the ongoing development of the economy of the U.S. Virgin Islands is likely to be even greater. Over time, the cumulative impact of recently established academic programs (such as the Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality and Tourism Management) will increase as more and more graduates of these programs enter the Territory’s workforce. In addition, new programs being planned by the institution will have an increased economic impact on the territory. Additionally, programs at UVI such as the Caribbean Green Technology Center, which is collaborating with New Generation Power on the development of solar energy facilities, will be further catalysts for the continuing development of the Territory’s economy. 5 The University of the Virgin Islands Campaign for UVI Strategic Vision The Campaign for UVI germinates from the University’s current strategic plan, Pathways to Greatness 2012-2017. The strategic plan has one overarching goal: to make UVI a cornerstone of academic excellence and unparalleled operational effectiveness, while enhancing the significant economic contribution UVI currently makes to the U.S. Virgin Islands and the region. Pathways to Greatness 2012-2017 focuses on strengthening UVI resources and capabilities in six core areas: 1. Academic Quality and Excellence 2. Student Development and Success 3. Community Engagement and Globalization 4. Ensuring a Modern and Safe University Environment 5. Organizational and Human Development 6. Financial Sustainability and Growth Part of this strategic vision is guaranteeing access to higher education for more young people in the Territory, the Eastern Caribbean, and the mainland US. In addition to maintaining low tuition and associated costs, and providing generous scholarship aid, the University offers: • Summer programs, including bridge programs for current high school graduates, the Entrepreneur Business Institute, and Youth Moviemaking Workshop; • Programs throughout the regular semester, such as University Bound and Junior University, to intervene early with at-risk students in the local schools to provide them with the skills needed to graduate from high school and succeed at higher education; • Close monitoring and support for current UVI students via the Center for Student Success. 6 UVI also enriches the community by offering arts, sports and entertainment for the people of the Territory and visitors alike. The Reichhold Center for the Arts at the University of the Virgin Islands is a 1,196-seat amphitheater that annually hosts a wide range of concerts and performances, enriching the cultural and social life of the people of the Virgin Islands. Henry Reichhold had a passion for the Virgin Islands, dividing his time between St. Thomas and the mainland for many years. He supported higher education in the Territory and was elected to the original Board of Overseers at the College of the Virgin Islands in 1962. He made substantial donations to the development of the college, endowed the beautiful arts center which proudly bears his name, and contributed $3.5 million to finance the cost of construction through the Reichhold Foundation. The UVI Sports and Fitness Center serves as host for the renowned Paradise Jam Basketball Tournament, an annual NCAA Division I event, held every November during the Thanksgiving recess. To show their Buccaneer spirit, UVI fans traditionally wear the school colors of blue and white at these and other sports events. A pillar of the Community 7 The University of the Virgin Islands Campaign for UVI Creating Our Future To keep pace and succeed in the high-tech and increasingly interconnected world of the 21st century, UVI must position itself to meet the realities and embrace the opportunities these trends present. To serve our students, the University must be nimble and ready to respond to the new realities that will shape the future of the higher education landscape and the ever-more- competitive global employment market. To that end, UVI has begun Campaign for UVI to help support its current and newest initiatives, to build on our past achievements as a center of intellectual dynamism in the Territory and the Caribbean region, while positioning UVI as a destination university known for dynamic programs and performance. The Campaign aims to provide students, faculty, and staff alike with ongoing opportunities to improve and advance their skills and knowledge. The Campaign for UVI goals are intended to support three areas of excellence as we create an even more vibrant future for the University of the Virgin Islands: • Support for Students, Faculty, and Excellence In Teaching • Facilities and Infrastructure • Campus Programs 8 Your Generous Contribution Supports: Students, Faculty, and Excellence in Teaching Endowed Professorships and Chairs: These endowed positions honor esteemed scholars who deserve recognition for their achievements and ensure them the support necessary to pursue significant research and provide high quality teaching. These positions represent a tradition and standard of excellence that are distinguishing attributes of a great university. They support a more diverse curriculum and inspire and challenge students to achieve greatness. $5,000,000 Endowed Research and Discovery Fund: Research support is a primary factor in faculty development and retention, as well as a driver of discovery and opportunity for the benefit of the University and wider world. This endowment will support faculty investigators and fuel promising research activities, including how students learn STEM concepts and skills, and environmental sustainability. $2,250,000 Merit and Need-Based Scholarships and Grants: The University is a primary source of educational opportunity, committed to ensuring access for all motivated students regardless of their economic circumstances. While Federal and other financial aid is available for eligible undergraduate students, UVI scholarships and grants are vital to ensuring that academically talented and deserving students can continue to enrich the UVI experience and succeed in reaching their goals. $2,000,000 Facilities and Infrastructure STEM Fund: The STEM fund will support new equipment and infrastructure needs for enhancements and restructuring of the manner in which STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) courses are taught. $1,200,000 Computer and Computational Science Laboratory Enhancement: This includes creation of a dedicated space with applicable equipment and materials to support interactive experiences that facilitate learning. $500,000 Etelman Planetarium: Renovation and re-configuration of a space that can accommodate the University’s portable planetarium and telescope, which currently has no “home” on campus, while supporting informal science education opportunities for the broader community. $500,000 Library Learning Center: To reduce commute times for St. John and East End St. Thomas students, UVI’s Information and Technology Services will partner with the Charles W. Turnbull Regional Library to enable students to take courses via video conference. This will attract more students from these areas to enroll at UVI. $500,000 St. Croix Multi-Purpose Center: This new facility will provide appropriate and flexible space for University and community programming. The proposed facility will include a student activities center, gymnasium, wellness center, faculty offices, classrooms, and laboratory space. It will also serve as a venue for commencement exercises and other special events. $6,250,000 Reichhold Center for the Arts: This internationally recognized theatre consistently attracts sold-out audiences. Continued renovation will help the Center serve its audience, drawn from the University and the overall community, and will help the facility become self-sustaining. $2,500,000 Community Engagement and Lifelong Learning (CELL) CELL provides programs and services for USVI residents that support occupations in high- demand and emerging industries. To increase CELL’s capacity to serve the community, several equipment and infrastructure needs must be funded. $500,000 9 The University of the Virgin Islands Campaign for UVI Campus Programs UVI Goes Green: Establishing an effective system of environmental management accountability includes resurfacing of the main road through campus in accordance with the best environmental practices. This project builds on UVI’s improving record of responsible compliance with environmental and safety regulations, and will also reduce annual maintenance costs and hazardous conditions for both cars and pedestrians. $1,300,000 Campus Life/Student Support: Several areas of student life will benefit from additional support. $500,000 Unrestricted funds for innovation: Unrestricted gifts provide the university with the flexibility to respond to opportunities as they arise. $2,000,000 The Honors Program The Honors Program would gain its own dedicated meeting space where students can host guest speakers and networking sessions, and provide funding to offer students who have completed three years of the program the opportunity to study abroad. Brothers with a Cause Brothers with a Cause addresses the imbalance of gender and low enrollment of males at the University. This is a concerted effort to attract more male students, and provide tools and assistance to help them succeed. It expands academic support programs, including peer tutoring, and includes a public relations campaign that projects a positive image of male achievement for boys. The program also provides mentoring for junior high and high school boys and promotes the creation of male organizations on campus. Sisters with Purpose Sisters with Purpose is a student-run organization working to make UVI a comfortable, helpful, and empowering place for women, focusing on creating and developing opportunities for sisterhood and networking. Meeting the needs and challenges of the University’s female students (among whom the mean age is 26) is the goal of this initiative. The Athletics Program The Athletics Program attracts many students to UVI and supports retention among these students. Student athletes contribute significantly to the overall school spirit and sense of community. Increasing scholarships for student-athletes will be central to the effort to enroll and retain these students and enable their achievements. 10 Campaign Priorities Cost Support for Students, Faculty, and Excellence in Teaching $9,250,000 Endowed Professorships and Chairs $5,000,000 Endowed Research and Discovery Fund $2,250,000 Merit and Need-based Scholarships and Grants $2,000,000 Facilities and Infrastructure $11,950,000 STEM Fund $1,200,000 Computer & Computational Science Laboratory $500,000 Etelman Planetarium Renovation $500,000 Library Learning Center $500,000 St. Croix Multi-purpose Center $6,250,000 Reichhold Center for the Arts $2,500,000 Community Engagement and Lifelong Learning (CELL) $500,000 Campus Programs $3,800,000 UVI Goes Green $1,300,000 Campus Life/Student Support (Honors Program, Brothers with a Cause, Sisters with Purpose, Athletics) $500,000 Unrestricted Funds for Innovation $2,000,000 CAMPAIGN GOAL TOTAL $25,000,000 11 The University of the Virgin Islands Campaign for UVI Dr. Beverley Anne Lansiquot Class of 1973 Dr. Lansiquot began her nursing education at UVI, earning her associate’s in nursing here. She returned to the university as Dean of the School of Nursing in July 2014. In the meantime, she completed her Bachelor of Science in nursing and her Master of Science in nursing degrees at the University of South Florida in Tampa, along with a doctorate in nursing practice from Case Western Reserve University in Ohio, with a specialization in clinical leadership. She has held leadership positions at the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College, in St. Lucia and served as vice president for academics at the American International Medical University, also in St. Lucia. Dr. Lansiquot served on several regional organizations including on the executive committee of the Association of Caribbean Tertiary Institutions and the Caribbean Area Network for Quality Assurance in Tertiary Education. “I think the University of the Virgin Islands gave me a tremendous education,” she says. “My practice experiences in the territory on both St. Thomas and St. Croix shaped me to be the nurse leader I am today.” Richard “Ricky” Skerritt Class of 1980 The stream of students from St. Kitts and Nevis to CVI, then UVI, began early, only 3 years after the institution’s founding. Among the many distinguished graduates who went on to key positions (including Vance Amory, MBA 1988, who later was Premier of Nevis, and several other government ministers), both of UVI’s Rhodes Scholars come from the island nation. Richard Skerritt was the first. He has since been manager of the West Indies Cricket Team and chairman of the Caribbean Tourism Organization. He served as Minister of State for Tourism, Sports & Culture of St. Kitts and Nevis starting in November 2004. He was then appointed Minister of Tourism & International Transport following the 2010 elections. In February 2013, International Trade, Industry, Commerce & Consumer Affairs were added to his responsibilities. He is currently the Caribbean’s longest-serving Minister of Tourism. “I especially enjoyed the liberal arts education and the strong Caribbean consciousness that we created as students on campus,” he says. Aron Gumbs UVI Student Hospitality and Tourism Major Aron Gumbs is one of the first wave of students enrolled in the University of the Virgin Islands Hospitality and Tourism major. Gumbs comes from a family that has long ties to the hospitality industry. As a youngster, Aron spent time on the job with his mother as she worked at Cap Juluca Hotel in Anguilla. At UVI, Aron is president of the Hospitality and Tourism Organization, a group of students who work to promote the school’s new major. He completed an internship at Ani Villas in Anguilla where he worked as a sous chef, a private service attendant, receptionist, and childcare specialist. He also worked in marketing, accounting, housekeeping, and maintenance. “I believe that hospitality is not just my major or a profession but an extension of me. I try to help promote hospitality and help better the program in order to keep the major alive at UVI.” Extra! UVI Shining Stars 12 www.uvi.edu HISTORICALLY AMERICAN. UNIQUELY CARIBBEAN. GLOBALLY INTERACTIVE. SPECIALIZING IN FUTURES For more information please contact: Mitchell Neaves Vice President of Institutional Advancement Email: mneaves@uvi.edu Office: (340) 693-1040 University of the Virgin Islands #2 John Brewers Bay St. Thomas VI 00802-9990