University of the Virgin Islands
Encyclopedia
The University of the Virgin Islands (or UVI) is a public university located in the United States Virgin Islands
.
programs. The graduate programs consist of a Specialist Degree in Education Specialist in School Psychology and five Masters Degrees in the following: Master of Arts in Education, Master of Arts in Mathematics for Secondary Teachers, Master of Business Administration, Master of Marine and Environmental Science,Master of Psychology and Master of Public Administration. The Undergraduate Degree Programs are divided into several categories: Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Associate of Arts , Associate of Science, and Associate of Applied Science.
Its liberal arts
curriculum is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
. In addition, the university works diligently and strategically to recruit local, national and international students to broaden and create a diversified student population, as 94% of its current students are natives of the US Virgin Islands.
The university also has several strong academic programs under its College of Science and Mathematics. One of these is a 3-2 engineering program where students attend UVI for three years and then transfer to either Columbia University
, the University of Florida
, Washington University in St. Louis
, or the University of South Carolina
(Columbia) to complete the last two years of their engineering studies. After successfully completing the program, students will acquire a Bachelor of Science in Applied Mathematics from UVI and a Bachelor of Science in their specialization of engineering from the partner university.
The university also has an early medical school selection program with Boston University
which affords selected students to study for three years at UVI and then transfer to Boston University Medical School in their senior year where they are afforded the opportunity to take medical school courses early. The university also holds several National Science Foundation
-funded research grants and programs including MBRS-RISE, SEAGEP, HBCU-UP, and MARC under its Emerging Caribbean Scientist (ECS) program. The mission of the Emerging Caribbean Scientists programs is to increase research training and promote excellence for STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) & psychology students at the University of the Virgin Islands. The university fosters research by hosting research symposiums every semester where students are given the opportunity to present research projects conducted both locally and abroad, to the UVI faculty and the Virgin Islands community.
program attracts students from all parts of the world. The University is right next to John Brewers Bay, which hosts a variety of marine life to study for both undergrad and masters students. Students explore the intertidal marine life in many of the courses offered at UVI as well get opportunities to get aboard the Willie Mac (UVI's largest research vessel) and go island hopping for an afternoon.
. Tuition is paid toward either the student's home or host school.
. The institution also changed its name in 1986 to the University of the Virgin Islands to reflect the growth and diversification of its academic curriculum, research programs, and regional community services.
. The latter campus is three miles (5 km) from Charlotte Amalie
, the capital of the territory. The St. Thomas campus is situated on two hills and it has its own beach (John Brewer's Bay beach) which can be directly accessed off the main road which cuts through the campus. The majority of the buildings on the St. Thomas campus are made of volcanic rock and cement. This makes the campus not only aesthetically pleasing but it also improves the structural integrity of the structures as the U.S. Virgin Islands are known for experiencing very active hurricane seasons.
On St. Croix, there is an outdoor sports facility equipped with basketball, volleyball, and tennis courts. Also, there is a small exercise gym inside the Student Activities center. St. Croix has large fields in front, and they are usually acceptable for athletic use, but they tend to flood during heavy rain.
and the Caribbean University Sports Association. It fields Division II and/or III varsity teams for both men and women in basketball
, tennis
, volleyball
, track and field
, cross country
, swimming
, and table tennis
. UVI athletic teams are nicknamed "the Buccaneers."
Currently, the head coach of UVI's men's basketball team is Sean Georges. The interim head coach of the women's basketball team is Curtis Gilpin, Sr.
UVI is a member of the Liga Atlética Interunivuersitaria university league. LAI was established in 1929 and currently consists of the 20 American universities in the Caribbean — 19 in Puerto Rico
and the University of the Virgin Islands. As a result, UVI athletes' opponents are often from Puerto Rico, although they play many teams from mainland universities.
UVI offers intramural sport activities during both the fall and spring semesters.
The University of the Virgin Islands host the Paradise Jam tournament in November of every year. Division I and II basketball teams from across the US mainland compete in a men's and women's basketball tournament. The tournament has national coverage and is a major event in the Virgin Islands each year. It also serves as an opportunity for these Division I and II teams to play before the spring season and to witness the beauty that the Virgin Islands have to offer.
The mascot of the University of the Virgin islands is the buccaneer. The school colors are white and blue.
United States Virgin Islands
The Virgin Islands of the United States are a group of islands in the Caribbean that are an insular area of the United States. The islands are geographically part of the Virgin Islands archipelago and are located in the Leeward Islands of the Lesser Antilles.The U.S...
.
Academics
The university has five academic divisions: Business, Education, Humanities and Social Sciences, Nursing, and Science and Mathematics. UVI offers several graduate degree programs and undergraduate degreeUndergraduate degree
An undergraduate degree is a colloquial term for an academic degree taken by a person who has completed undergraduate courses. It is usually offered at an institution of higher education, such as a university...
programs. The graduate programs consist of a Specialist Degree in Education Specialist in School Psychology and five Masters Degrees in the following: Master of Arts in Education, Master of Arts in Mathematics for Secondary Teachers, Master of Business Administration, Master of Marine and Environmental Science,Master of Psychology and Master of Public Administration. The Undergraduate Degree Programs are divided into several categories: Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Associate of Arts , Associate of Science, and Associate of Applied Science.
Its liberal arts
Liberal arts
The term liberal arts refers to those subjects which in classical antiquity were considered essential for a free citizen to study. Grammar, Rhetoric and Logic were the core liberal arts. In medieval times these subjects were extended to include mathematics, geometry, music and astronomy...
curriculum is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
The Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools is a voluntary, peer-based, non-profit association dedicated to educational excellence and improvement through peer evaluation and accreditation...
. In addition, the university works diligently and strategically to recruit local, national and international students to broaden and create a diversified student population, as 94% of its current students are natives of the US Virgin Islands.
The university also has several strong academic programs under its College of Science and Mathematics. One of these is a 3-2 engineering program where students attend UVI for three years and then transfer to either Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
, the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
, Washington University in St. Louis
Washington University in St. Louis
Washington University in St. Louis is a private research university located in suburban St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1853, and named for George Washington, the university has students and faculty from all fifty U.S. states and more than 110 nations...
, or the University of South Carolina
University of South Carolina
The University of South Carolina is a public, co-educational research university located in Columbia, South Carolina, United States, with 7 surrounding satellite campuses. Its historic campus covers over in downtown Columbia not far from the South Carolina State House...
(Columbia) to complete the last two years of their engineering studies. After successfully completing the program, students will acquire a Bachelor of Science in Applied Mathematics from UVI and a Bachelor of Science in their specialization of engineering from the partner university.
The university also has an early medical school selection program with Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
which affords selected students to study for three years at UVI and then transfer to Boston University Medical School in their senior year where they are afforded the opportunity to take medical school courses early. The university also holds several National Science Foundation
National Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation is a United States government agency that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National Institutes of Health...
-funded research grants and programs including MBRS-RISE, SEAGEP, HBCU-UP, and MARC under its Emerging Caribbean Scientist (ECS) program. The mission of the Emerging Caribbean Scientists programs is to increase research training and promote excellence for STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) & psychology students at the University of the Virgin Islands. The university fosters research by hosting research symposiums every semester where students are given the opportunity to present research projects conducted both locally and abroad, to the UVI faculty and the Virgin Islands community.
Marine Biology program
The marine biologyMarine biology
Marine biology is the scientific study of organisms in the ocean or other marine or brackish bodies of water. Given that in biology many phyla, families and genera have some species that live in the sea and others that live on land, marine biology classifies species based on the environment rather...
program attracts students from all parts of the world. The University is right next to John Brewers Bay, which hosts a variety of marine life to study for both undergrad and masters students. Students explore the intertidal marine life in many of the courses offered at UVI as well get opportunities to get aboard the Willie Mac (UVI's largest research vessel) and go island hopping for an afternoon.
National Student Exchange
At UVI, students from around the nation are allowed to participate in a semester or year-long exchange to UVI through the National Student ExchangeNational Student Exchange
National Student Exchange is an exchange program for undergraduate students in the United States and Canada. Through this program, students can study in a different region of the United States or Canada at little or no additional cost....
. Tuition is paid toward either the student's home or host school.
History
UVI was founded as the College of the Virgin Islands on March 16, 1962. In 1986, it officially became one of the 117 U.S. Historically black colleges and universitiesHistorically Black Colleges and Universities
Historically black colleges and universities are institutions of higher education in the United States that were established before 1964 with the intention of serving the black community....
. The institution also changed its name in 1986 to the University of the Virgin Islands to reflect the growth and diversification of its academic curriculum, research programs, and regional community services.
Campus
The university has two campuses: one on St. Croix and the other on St. ThomasSaint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
Saint Thomas is an island in the Caribbean Sea and with the islands of Saint John, Saint Croix, and Water Island a county and constituent district of the United States Virgin Islands , an unincorporated territory of the United States. Located on the island is the territorial capital and port of...
. The latter campus is three miles (5 km) from Charlotte Amalie
Charlotte Amalie, United States Virgin Islands
-Education:St. Thomas-St. John School District serves the community. and Charlotte Amalie High School serve the area.-Gallery:-See also:* Anna's Retreat* Cruz Bay* Saint Thomas* Water Island-External links:* *...
, the capital of the territory. The St. Thomas campus is situated on two hills and it has its own beach (John Brewer's Bay beach) which can be directly accessed off the main road which cuts through the campus. The majority of the buildings on the St. Thomas campus are made of volcanic rock and cement. This makes the campus not only aesthetically pleasing but it also improves the structural integrity of the structures as the U.S. Virgin Islands are known for experiencing very active hurricane seasons.
Athletic facilities
The campus on St. Thomas boasts a 64000 square feet (5,945.8 m²) Sports and Fitness Center, as well as a golf course, tennis courts, outdoor basketball and volleyball courts, and baseball and soccer fields. The Sports and Fitness Center can seat up to 3,500 people and annually hosts the Paradise Jam tournament for mainland NCAA basketball teams.On St. Croix, there is an outdoor sports facility equipped with basketball, volleyball, and tennis courts. Also, there is a small exercise gym inside the Student Activities center. St. Croix has large fields in front, and they are usually acceptable for athletic use, but they tend to flood during heavy rain.
Student activities
There are a number of standing committees on both campuses. One prominent standing committee is the Sports Committee, whose current president is Jewelle Ible, Vice President, being Charnele Burton, Treasurer, Nailah Williams,and PRO, Lyle Gumbs.Athletics
UVI is a member of the NCAANational Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
and the Caribbean University Sports Association. It fields Division II and/or III varsity teams for both men and women in basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
, volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
, track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
, cross country
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
, swimming
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
, and table tennis
Table tennis
Table tennis, also known as ping-pong, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight, hollow ball back and forth using table tennis rackets. The game takes place on a hard table divided by a net...
. UVI athletic teams are nicknamed "the Buccaneers."
Currently, the head coach of UVI's men's basketball team is Sean Georges. The interim head coach of the women's basketball team is Curtis Gilpin, Sr.
UVI is a member of the Liga Atlética Interunivuersitaria university league. LAI was established in 1929 and currently consists of the 20 American universities in the Caribbean — 19 in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
and the University of the Virgin Islands. As a result, UVI athletes' opponents are often from Puerto Rico, although they play many teams from mainland universities.
UVI offers intramural sport activities during both the fall and spring semesters.
The University of the Virgin Islands host the Paradise Jam tournament in November of every year. Division I and II basketball teams from across the US mainland compete in a men's and women's basketball tournament. The tournament has national coverage and is a major event in the Virgin Islands each year. It also serves as an opportunity for these Division I and II teams to play before the spring season and to witness the beauty that the Virgin Islands have to offer.
The mascot of the University of the Virgin islands is the buccaneer. The school colors are white and blue.
Notable alumni
External links
- www.uvi.edu Official web site
- www.uvivoice.com UVI Voice student newspaper
- Archived copies of the printed versions of UVI Voice fully and openly online in the Digital Library of the Caribbean
- www.uvicampus.com UVI Campus life