USVI Public Records

Document text

SPECIALIZING IN FUTURES HISTORICALLY AMERICAN. UNIQUELY CARIBBEAN. GLOBALLY INTERACTIVE. Information & Technology Services PROVIDING THE TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS AND THE INFORMATION RESOURCES TO ACHIEVE VISION 2012 U V I niversity of the irgin slands Tina M. Koopmans Chief Information Officer Tina.Koopmans@uvi.edu June 2009 ITS Newsletter Vol. 4, Issue 3 IN THIS ISSUE: Digital Signage, Page 1 Come Chat With Us, Page 1 ITS to Host Student SIG, Page 1 ITS Rocks!, Page 2 Years of Service Awards, Page 2 ITS Graduates, Page 2 Celebrating National Library Week, Page 2 Blackboard/VC Survey, Page 2 New ITS Staff Members, Page 3 STX Library Renovation, Page 3 Information Literacy, Page 3 Collection Development, Page 3 News Casting Technology, Page 4 New Tool added to Blackboard, Page 4 ITS Staff Receive Scholarship, Page 4 Microsoft Software Update, Page 4 How quickly time flies, it seems as if we’ve only just completed graduation exercises, and yet the fall semester is almost here! Information & Technology Services (ITS) is already preparing to upgrade computer labs, to install new smart classrooms and to introduce new services for the academic year (AY 2010). INTERNET2: Internet2 (I2) is now available on both campuses. This means that any traffic to an I2 University will be routed through our connection to Florida International University. St. Croix has a 45mb connection dedicated to I2 and St. Thomas has a 7mb connection via the inter-island microwave. This connection capacity will be increased in upcoming months. The Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) will be offering information sessions on I2 resources during AY 2010. WIRELESS: The installation of the wireless network continues to progress. The President’s Office funded the purchase of equipment to provide wireless access in most classrooms. This equipment has been received and work is ongoing. In the fall semester, students and faculty will have increased options for wireless access to the campus network from the learning environment. CLASSROOM & LIBRARY IMPROVEMENTS: ITS is upgrading computer labs, installing new smart classrooms and continuing our steps to improve and stabilize network services. Additionally, the request for bids to develop architectural plans for St. Croix Library renovations is underway. We invite you as our stakeholders to provide feedback via the Helpdesk on what we can do to assist you in your preparation for the new semester. Letter from the CIO Information & Technology Services has invested in a digital signage display system in an effort to enhance Customer Service and provide up-to-date, real-time com­ munication to the University commu­ nity. Messages posted on the digital display bulletin will include: technol­ ogy updates/news, library service updates, notice of unscheduled ser­ vice outages, upcoming events in ITS, changes in operating hours, sched­ uled maintenance, number of avail­ able computers in labs and Internet bandwidth usage. Digital Signage Come Chat With Us In March 2009, the libraries launched a new chat reference service for the UVI community. The potential of this service was demonstrated by a non-UVI inquiry in April from Bloomington, IN. The German-born patron was interested in finding information about her great-great-grandfather who sailed quite often to the Dan­ ish West Indies between 1875-1885. He was the owner of the ship, Doris Brodersen, which is the patron’s maiden name. The patron wrote, ‘I am highly interested in lo­ cating the book,Von Flensburg nach Westindien, because it describes my family.’ The question was received by the St. Thomas Librarian and the resource was found on St. Croix. The patron, who is planning to visit St. Croix, was directed appropriate­ ly to make the best use of her short stay. This chat service will supplement in-person, email and phone services. It allows patrons to get answers, in real time, from a cross-campus team of librarians without disconnecting from a current internet ses­ sion and it provides off-campus patrons with access to a librarian for research as­ sistance. To use the service, go to http://library.uvi.edu and click on the link, “Chat Services.” At scheduled hours throughout the day, librarians will be available to respond to queries in real-time. We look forward to chatting with you! Students, would you like to share your ideas regarding the use of technology for teaching and learning at UVI? ITS-Learning Resources and Student Technology Services is hosting a series of Special Interest Group (SIG) meetings to hear your ideas in order to establish a student committee that will share ideas, make rec­ ommendations and identify and resolve student issues as they relate to the use of technology. The first meeting was held May 14, 2009 where agenda items and criteria for committee membership were established. We invite all interested stu­ dents to attend upcoming meetings. The schedule of upcoming meetings will be announced. For further information contact Rachelle Shells at 693-1372. ITS To Host Student Special Interest Group June 2009 Cherie Wheatley, Dawn Matthew, Rachelle Shells and Coreen Matthew ITS Rocks! Congratulations also go out to Wenda Stephenson on her 10 years of Service Award and to Marilyn Henderson on her 5 years of Service Award. Years of Service Awards There’s jubilation in the ITS component – ITS Rocks and it’s been sanctioned! Dawn Matthew, an Information Technology Specialist I, is the University of the Virgin Islands – St. Thomas Campus, Employee of the Year. Dawn was nominated because she performs beyond the call of duty, exemplifies professionalism, supports the activities of the University, works as a team player, and her ideas have resulted in an increase in ITS efficiency and accountability. Dr. Ragster presented Erik Pattison, ITS Supervisor for Learning Environments, with one of this year’s President’s Awards for his dedication and excellent service. It is a pleasure to be associated with such highly motivated and committed individuals. ITS asks you join us as we congratulate Dawn Matthew and Erik Pattison for their accomplishments and for making ITS ROCK! UVI President, Dr. Laverne Ragster congratulates Erik Pattison ITS Graduates Congratulations to Suzanne Darrow, IT Supervisor, who received her Master’s in Education/Instruction­ al Technology from Western Connecticut State Uni­ versity. Her thesis, ‘Connectivism Learning Theory: Instructional Tools for College Courses’ has been acknowledged as a distinguished Master’s Thesis. She will be presenting her paper at the upcoming Blackboard World Conference in July. Congratulations to Janice Simon, Library Special­ ist I on St. Croix. She received her Masters in Li­ brary and Information Science through the UVI/ University of Pittsburgh program. Congratulations to Brian Thomas, our St. Thomas ITS intern. He re­ ceived a Bachelor of Arts in Busi­ ness Administration with a concen­ tration in Computer Applications. Brian is continuing to work in ITS as an Administrative Assistant. National Library Week 2009 was observed with a variety of ac­ tivities to engage students and faculty and to highlight pro­ grams and services of the UVI Libraries. Both libraries held a very successful amnesty week for students and staff during which fines were waived on overdue, returned library ma­ terials. Each library also held unique activities to celebrate. On St. Croix, there was a ‘Know your Staff’ quiz with prizes for winners, and a Local Author Appreciation Day to honor Prof. Marvin Williams. On St. Thomas, there was a library treasure hunt and bulletin board quiz with prizes, a faculty weeding party to obtain library collec­ tion development input, and ‘Read on the Green’ activities to encourage reading. Celebrating National Library Week STT student contest winners for National Library Week 2009 STX students enjoy refreshments in the STX Library From April 13 - 18, 2009, faculty and students were invited to par­ ticipate in a survey providing feedback about their experiences us­ ing Videoconference (VC) and Blackboard Course Management System (CMS). All participants in each category (faculty/student) were entered into a raffle for an iPod Nano; one for each campus. Congratulations to our survey winners: Faculty Member, St. Thomas campus : Martha Joseph, Faculty Member, St. Croix campus: Vanda Espinosa, Student, St. Thomas Campus: Chelcy Angol, Student, St. Croix Campus: Lacey Baker Blackboard/VC Survey June 2009 Information literacy (IL) is defined by the American Library Association as the ability to “recognize when information is needed and to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information.” Library navigation and foundational research skills comprise the core of the IL program at UVI, which has traditionally been conducted in electronic and lecture format with students at computer workstations. However, UVI libraries now offer a novel tool to assist the academic community in becoming more information-literate. “Information Literacy and the Library 101” is a new course designed to present IL principles by harnessing the interactive functionality of the University’s Blackboard Course Management System (CMS). All UVI students are pre-enrolled into the course which had 500 hits during its first month. A virtual tour of the Ralph M. Paiewonsky library on St. Thomas is a highlight of “Information Literacy and the Library 101”. The virtual tour for St. Croix is pending due to renovations. There, users will also find photo profiles of library course instructors, a glossary of IL jargon, multimedia resources such as a YouTube clip entitled, “Why not to use Wikipedia for research”, help sheets to supplement library instructional material, links to various UVI library tools, and more. Content is continuously being added and modified with the Fall 2009 semester being the target date for the full launching of the Blackboard CMS course. New ITS Staff Members Ms. Joyce Hobson joined ITS in March and is the Administrative Assistant to the CIO. She represents and sup­ ports the CIO in projects to advance the goals of the University, including planning, implementing, and support­ ing key areas of ITS. Prior to joining ITS, Joyce worked for more than seven years as the Administrative Assistant to the Humanities and Social Sciences di­ vision on St. Croix. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management, en­ joys spending time with her sons and listening to music. She has a pleasant attitude and is a team player. Joyce will be a real asset to ITS. Mrs. Rachel F. Fenske has been a ref­ erence and instruction librarian for 21 years working in the academic sector for 18 years prior to moving to the Virgin Islands in the Fall of 2005. Mrs. Fenske received her Master’s of Library Service degree from the University of Alabama and has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Studies from the Uni­ versity of South Alabama. She brings to the UVI Library her expertise in informa­ tion literacy where she developed and implemented vigorous library instruc­ tion programs at the university level. She has presented her research findings in information literacy and student as­ sessment at national, state and local conferences. On St. Croix, Mrs. Fenske has worked as the Head Librarian at St. Joseph Catholic High School and the Florence Williams Public Library. When not teaching students and faculty how to use library resources, she is sailing with her husband, Matt, on their 40 foot sailboat which they call home. Joyce Hobson Rachel F. Fenske Information Literacy,Blackboard Debut STX Library Renovation FY 2010- Redesigning for the 21st Century Collection development is as much a part of the creed of librarianship as commitment to service and resistance to censorship. Required Master’s level courses prepare librarians to under­ stand the legal and ethical implications of copyright, intellectual property, and fair use for collection development and use of information. Librarians plan for and coordinate the growth of collec­ tions in ALL library systems: school, pub­ lic, special, and academic. Collection development is dynamic and requires staff to conduct an ongo­ ing assessment of the collection regard­ ing space, condition of the item, circulation, duplication, relevance to the current curriculum, and overall appropriateness for use at UVI. As a result of usage trends, we recently changed our subscription format from print to print and online for various journals including: Review of Public Personnel, Review of Educational Research, Gifted Child Quarterly, Journal of Business Communication, Journal of Cross Cultural Psychology and Journal of Black Psychology. The Collection Development Librarian and other library staff identify publishers relevant to the various academic divisions, review dealer catalogs, read reviews, identify serial titles which should be consid­ ered for addition to the collection and more. The Libraries subscribe to CHOICE Reviews, the premier academic tool for publication re­ views, to provide faculty with lists of new publications for consider­ ation. The resource is also available for faculty who wish to locate reviews of new publications on their own. An integral component of maintaining a collection is the selection and deselection (weeding) of materials. Faculty play an important role in those processes and are encouraged to participate in the selection and weeding of library materials. Here at UVI, the Collec­ tion Development Librarian serves as liaison and contacts faculty to promote communication and interchange about the library’s collec­ tions. These activities enhance the library’s ability to support instruc­ tional programs and to be responsive to changes in curricula. Instruc­ tors, Deans, students are all encouraged to contact the collection development librarian at any time to give input as well as assistance in shaping the library’s collection. For additional information please contact Tanisha Mills, 693-1373. Collection Development Schematic drawings for the STX Library renovation project are now on display in the library. The drawings show the proposed redesign for improving the flow for staff, students, and materials in core ser­ vice areas; and for creating dedicated spaces for quiet study and group work. There are several major changes anticipated. The back balcony and front alcove next to the elevator on the 700 level and the balcony on the 900 level will be covered and enclosed. This will add approximately 1,100 sq. ft. to the library’s overall space. Both reclaimed spaces on the 700 level will facilitate the development of that floor as a dedicated quiet study space, and will create the first QUIET study room in the history of the St. Croix Library. Also on the first floor (700 level), in the current periodical storage section, expect to see an improved reading room with seating arranged close to win­ dows to take advantage of natural light and view of rolling land­ scapes, making the space more conducive to quiet study. June 2009 St. Thomas Campus #2 John Brewer’s Bay St. Thomas, Virgin Islands 00802-9990 Admissions - (340) 693-1150 St. Croix Campus RR 1, Box 10000 Kingshill St. Croix, Virgin Islands 00850-9781 Admissions - (340) 692-4158 The University of the Virgin Islands is accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104 Phone: 215-662-5606. The Commission on Higher Education is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Commission on Recognition of Postsecondary Accreditation. On Wednesday, April 29, 2009, UVI and Clarence Fitzroy Bryant Col­ lege( CFBC), St. Kitts, presented an inaugural videoconference con­ nection. Under the direction of Provost Musah, collaboration be­ tween UVI and CFBC which began in early 2008, came to life with this connection. Present at the inaugural ceremonies from UVI were President Laverne Ragster, Provost Al Hassan Musah, Registrar Ju­ dith Edwin, Professor Simon Jones-Hendrickson and other UVI faculty and staff. Representing CFBC were Principal Sonia Boddie-McPhail, Professor Hugh Heyliger, Professor Randy Taylor and numerous other CFBC faculty, staff and students. The government of St. Kitts was rep­ resented by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Hon. Sam Condor and many others from the Education Ministry. On hand also were representatives from St. Kitts Cable & Wireless (LIME). With the assistance of Cable & Wireless (LIME) of St. Kitts, the selected room was rebuilt, new lights installed, air conditioners relocated, new carpet installed along with curtains and a fresh coat of paint. and a high speed network connection of up to 1 Megabit provided. In February 2009, ITS Supervisor, Erik Pattison and Spectrum A/V owner, Doug Purvis, spent sev¬eral days in St. Kitts at CFBC installing the new videoconference equipment and training users. The inaugural con­ nection was completed successfully. We look forward to its deploy­ ment for courses in the near future. News Casting Technology Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) Provost launches VC Connection to CFBC, St. Kitts How does the University benefit from the Government’s economic develop­ ment program? Here is one example of how we win. In St Croix, there is a Company named US Viking. They manufacture software called ENPS for the news business, that runs like the scheduling arm of the News producer. It runs the newsroom of a television or radio station or a newspaper. On one computer screen are wire services like Associated Press and locally produced stories from local reporters. The software links the story with the graphics and video clips to keep it all together. The software has tools to organize a broadcast, tools to insert commercials and station breaks; every­ thing right down to the text that appears on the teleprompter. The software is for professionals. It is so complete that CNN runs their entire operations in Atlanta with ENPS software. So does the BBC, CBS, FOX and International Broadcasters in 57 countries from Sweden and Nor­ way to Australia and Hong Kong. Hundreds of news channels, televi­ sion stations and other professional media outlets use ENPS, and so does UVI. That’s right. Viking fulfilled its EDC requirements – in part – by offering UVI the use of their software. In the fall of 2009, COM-205 – Broadcast Communication I will begin utilizing the ENPS software. We expect to begin learning how to use the software and how to build complete broadcasts. Dr Alex Randall, Professor of Communication, said, “We are going to continue reinventing our whole Broadcasting curriculum to incorporate ENPS into every class.” We dream of send­ ing students to job interviews in CNN in Atlanta and having them say “I already know your software. We used it at UVI’ THAT will get some UVI graduate a job!” A huge Thank You to former Journalism Profes­ sor Robin Sterns who pursued the donation of this software. She saw the vision and kept pushing to get ENPS on our campus. Faculty Technology Services has recently installed a Blackboard/ MERLOT interface that will allow instructors to quickly and easily add free teaching materials and resources to courses. MERLOT (Multi­ media Educational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching) is a free, leading-edge, user-centered, searchable collection of peer reviewed and selected higher education, online learning materials and services. Directions to search and add MERLOT content in Black­ board: 1) From the Course Control Panel, click into a Content Area 2) From the ‘Select’ Drop-Down Menu on the right, click on ‘MERLOT Search’ and then click ‘Go’ 3) Enter search terms that you would like to find material for, ex. ‘mi­ crobiology’ 4) View results and place a check mark next to the items that you would like to add to your Blackboard course. 5) Click ‘Insert’ at the top of the page, then refresh to come out of the interface. To directly access MERLOT, go to http://www.merlot.org. Instructors can also join MERLOT to contribute their own learning materials to the collection. New Tool Added to Blackboard CMS ITS Staff Receive Scholarship to Attend Leadership Program Microsoft Software Update Ms. Cherie Wheatley and Mrs. Celia Prince Richard have been se­ lected to attend the Third HBCU Library Alliance Leadership Institute on a full scholarship. The sessions begin with on-site presentations on August 2–4, 2009 in Stone Mountain, Georgia; the final session is scheduled for June 4-6, 2010. Funded by a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the nine-month leadership program will focus on developing leadership skills among staff at HBCU institutions through both web-based and in-person classes, site visits and mentoring. This is the second time ITS staff has been granted the opportunity to par­ ticipate and benefit from this training opportunity. Effective the Fall semester, faculty and staff will be allowed to down­ load Microsoft software from a website. The option will also be avail­ able to have a copy mailed to the individual, at the cost of shipping. Look out for additional information.