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PRESIDENT’S REPORT TO THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS MAY 1 TO SEPTEMBER 30, 2010 The President’s Report for this reporting period is organized in two major sections. Part I provides highlights of new and ongoing Presidential initiatives and institutional accomplishments since the last reporting period. A new element of Part I of the President’s Report is a feature segment on a particular Component. Part II highlights major accomplishments within the framework of the Seven Management Values. This framework has been adopted to enhance our capacity to deliver programs and services as well as address challenges and embrace opportunities. For accomplishments directly related to the four strategic focus areas of VISION 2010, the relevant focus area and/or strategic objective is noted in parentheses. PART I: PRESIDENTIAL INITIATIVES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS This President’s Report comes at the end of my first year as President and the start of a new academic year. I am very pleased with the direction of the University and the enormous support I have received from various constituencies within the University and throughout the Territory. I am even more confident that we can achieve our dream of “greatness.” This report captures some of the progress we have made along that path in the period following the Board’s last meeting. I am proud of the collective accomplishments of our students, faculty, staff and administrators. You will discover our journey toward “greatness” in the lines of these pages as we report on and celebrate our forward progress. President’s Report to the Board of Trustees Reporting Period: May 1, 2010 – September 30, 2010 Dr. David Hall, President 2 Board of Trustees Meeting: October 30, 2010 St. Thomas Campus There are numerous challenges that still await us and many new projects that we have collectively undertaken. I hope that in the months and years to come, we will build on the foundation that was laid during this first year, and create new platforms upon which we can build a brighter future for UVI. Update on Searches Since the June 2010 Board meeting, the executive and administrative searches that were in process since fall 2009 were successfully concluded. During the reporting period, four executive level positions were filled -- Provost, Karl S. Wright; Vice President, Institutional Advancement, Dionne V. Jackson; and Campus Executive Administrators - Claude Steele on the St. Croix campus and Dianne Piper on the St. Thomas campus. Also, Charles Williams and P. Rudy Mattai have joined the institution as Deans of the Schools of Business and Education, respectively. Additionally, Bettina Miller was appointed Director, Human Resources, Bettina Miller; Roderick Pullen, Chief of Security; and Stacey Chados, Internal Auditor. Announcements regarding the new hires were shared with the Board and the University community. Institutional Structures for the Implementation of Recommendations from Presidential Task Forces Since the June 2010 Board meeting, much work has been done with respect to the recommendations submitted by the Presidential Task Force on Improving Retention and Graduation Rates and the Presidential Task Force on Improving Education Quality in the U.S. Virgin Islands. One approach that has been taken to ensure both an institutional and systemic approach to the implementation of Task Force President’s Report to the Board of Trustees Reporting Period: May 1, 2010 – September 30, 2010 Dr. David Hall, President 3 Board of Trustees Meeting: October 30, 2010 St. Thomas Campus recommendations is the development of institutional structures through which the recommendations of the task forces can be implemented. First, a P-16 Collaborative has been established to address the recommendations of the Presidential Task Force on Improving Education Quality in the U.S. Virgin Islands. This Collaborative is headed by Education Dean, Dr. P. Rudy Mattai. With respect to the recommendations made by the Presidential Task Force on Improving Retention and Graduation Rates, a structure for a Center for Student Success has been developed. A Search Committee is in place to identify potential candidates to fill the position of Executive Director of the Center for Student Success. The Center will be housed within the Provost’s Component and the Executive Director will report directly to the Provost. Updates on both the P-16 Collaborative and the Center for Student Success will be provided in subsequent President’s Reports to the Board. The University’s Budget Hearing On August 24, 2010, the University appeared before the Committee on Appropriations and Budget of the 28th Legislature of the Virgin Islands to present its budgetary request for Fiscal Year 2010-2011. The University’s testimony was presented by the President and featured four major sections – highlights of accomplishments for FY 2009-10; institutional goals for FY 2010-11; the University’s approach to addressing the 3% reduction in its FY2010-11 appropriations budget; and the University’s budgetary request for the same fiscal year. The University’s presentation was favorably received and in the budget mark-up phase. The Legislature increased the appropriations level for UVI, including funds line-itemed for the Caribbean Center for Green Technology and an increase in the debt service line, which would President’s Report to the Board of Trustees Reporting Period: May 1, 2010 – September 30, 2010 Dr. David Hall, President 4 Board of Trustees Meeting: October 30, 2010 St. Thomas Campus increase the University’s debt capacity and assist with funding an academic building on the St. Croix campus. The Governor has signed the FY 2010-11 appropriations budget for the University, as submitted by the Legislature. Administration of Faculty and Staff Satisfaction Surveys In May both faculty and staff satisfaction surveys were administered across both campuses of the University. Analyses of survey results have been completed for the faculty survey and the report is posted on Blackboard for faculty to access at their convenience. Additionally, the report was submitted directly to the members of the Faculty Executive Committee. A preliminary report on the staff satisfaction survey has been completed and is under review. It is anticipated that, within the next two weeks, the final report will be ready for distribution to the Staff Council and for posting to the Campus Portal, for access by all staff. Highlights of Fall Semester 2010 There is much that can be reported regarding accomplishments to date for the fall 2010 semester. Specifics regarding academics, student affairs, institutional improvements, and community engagement will be presented in Section II of this report. Here, three areas will be presented. First, the enrollment for the fall semester, at 2,733, is the highest fall enrollment in the last decade. This record enrollment was achieved due to the hard work of the staff in the Access and Enrollment Services unit within the Provost Component, the staff within the CEA component, who deal directly with students with respect to payment, and faculty, staff and administrators across the University who continue to encourage students to enroll and remain at UVI. President’s Report to the Board of Trustees Reporting Period: May 1, 2010 – September 30, 2010 Dr. David Hall, President 5 Board of Trustees Meeting: October 30, 2010 St. Thomas Campus Another highlight of the fall semester is the implementation of the Master’s degree program in Counseling Psychology. Currently there are 11 students enrolled on the St. Croix campus and nine on the St. Thomas campus. There are three courses being offered across the two campuses. Finally, a major highlight for the fall semester was the completion and official opening of the Wellness Center on the St. Thomas campus. A grand opening ceremony was held on September 24th and representatives from the Department of the Interior and the Virgin Islands Legislature attended and offered remarks. Additionally, the Delegate to Congress and the Governor also attended and offered congratulatory remarks. Since the official opening, the Wellness Center has been heavily utilized, primarily by students. Membership and usage will be tracked and the information will be shared periodically with the Board. Featured Component: Institutional Advancement Institutional Advancement made significant strides during the reporting period, particularly in the area of Alumni giving, an area of particular interest to the Board, with respect to the role of Alumni in meeting institutional targets for the Annual Fund. As of the end of the reporting period, the Alumni giving rate was 10.4%, a significantly higher level than the target goal of 7%. This accomplishment would not have been possible without the able leadership of former Interim Vice President for Institutional Advancement, Dr. Henry Smith and Director of Annual Giving and Alumni Affairs, Ms. Linda Smith. Special thanks are also extended to the alumni for their response to direct appeals made through the Office of Institutional Advancement and the Office of the President. President’s Report to the Board of Trustees Reporting Period: May 1, 2010 – September 30, 2010 Dr. David Hall, President 6 Board of Trustees Meeting: October 30, 2010 St. Thomas Campus PART II: MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS PRESENTED WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE SEVEN MANAGEMENT VALUES In presenting major accomplishments for the reporting period within the framework of the Seven Management Values, a brief summary statement of the focus of each management value will be provided followed by associated accomplishments. For accomplishments that represent an achievement of one of the strategic objectives of VISION 2012, the particular strategic objective will be identified in parentheses at the end of the accomplishment statement. Management Value I: High Performing Institution with a Focus on Quality At the core of this management value is the recognition that time and quality are our greatest assets. To that end, during the reporting period, the University sought to deliver programs and services to: reduce the turnaround time to complete normal institutional operations and requests; create systems to ensure the development of accurate, complete, and consistent documents; and, identify areas of potential or existing vulnerabilities and develop strategies to address the vulnerabilities. Selected accomplishments that demonstrate recognition of the importance of time and quality follow.  The implementation, during the fall semester 2010, of an Honors Program Newsletter and a new Speaker/Debate Series, addressing current affairs and issues.  The self-study process of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Program is ongoing in preparation for a re-accreditation site visit February 22-24, 2011. President’s Report to the Board of Trustees Reporting Period: May 1, 2010 – September 30, 2010 Dr. David Hall, President 7 Board of Trustees Meeting: October 30, 2010 St. Thomas Campus  The study proposal, "Factors Affecting HPV Transmission, Cervical Cancer Screening and Condom Use Among Single, College-Age Adults in the US Virgin Islands” has received National Institutes of Health (NIH) approval. Data collection will begin in September.  The College of Science and Mathematics hosted a Summer Research Symposium, sharing the research of approximately 20 students with members of the UVI and St. Thomas community. Copies of abstracts of the students’ research can be accessed from the following link: http://www.uvi.edu/sites/uvi/Publications/abstract_booklet_summer_2010.pdf.  UVI’s Information & Technology Services worked with Aviat Networks, formerly Harris Stratex Networks, to replace the inter-island microwave connection. The upgrade increased the wide-area network’s bandwidth from 12.3 Mbps to 300 Mbps to accommodate Internet2 traffic, enhanced picture quality, and increased video conference capabilities.  The library database was upgraded from Dynix Classic, which was implemented at UVI in 1992. Online databases and the library catalog can now be searched from one interface. Users are automatically given an account in the library database, based on their role in Banner, eliminating the need for persons to separately provide proof of status to the library in order to get access to that system.  The Center for Excellence in Teaching & Learning (CETL) was instrumental in progress made towards two important Information and Technology Services (ITS) annual goals: 1) an increase in the number of faculty using Blackboard to 80%; 2) train 50% of faculty to build capacity for use of UVI’s technology. The President’s Report to the Board of Trustees Reporting Period: May 1, 2010 – September 30, 2010 Dr. David Hall, President 8 Board of Trustees Meeting: October 30, 2010 St. Thomas Campus second goal was achieved and surpassed, with 53% of faculty being trained. The 80% target was not met for the first goal, although 72% of faculty are currently using Blackboard. Faculty attrition accounts, in part, for the first goal not being achieved, as approximately 10% of faculty who did not return from fall 2008 to fall 2009 had been using Blackboard. Technology training was achieved through adding technology resources and training courses through the CETL, while continuing to focus on the growth of the CETL.  New Student Orientation: Approximately 275 new and transfer students and parents participated in the fall orientation program held on the St. Thomas campus. Feedback from students, parents and staff indicate that the programs and activities were successful. [1.C]  The Upward Bound Program completed its 2009-2010 academic year on June 20, 2010, with the graduation of 20 high school seniors who received certificates of completion, scholarships and awards. Eighteen students are currently pursuing higher education goals. Six are enrolled at the University of the Virgin Islands while the remaining 12 students were accepted by Seton Hill University, Florida Memorial University, Lincoln College of Technology, University of Tampa, Texas Tech, Texas Southern University and Seminole Community College of Florida. [1.D]  The UVI Golden Key International Honour Society, St. Croix Chapter, was awarded the “Silver Standards Honor”, the second highest level of recognition currently awarded to Golden Key Society chapters, at the 2010 Golden Key International Summit held in Scottsdale, Arizona from July 15 – 17, 2010. In President’s Report to the Board of Trustees Reporting Period: May 1, 2010 – September 30, 2010 Dr. David Hall, President 9 Board of Trustees Meeting: October 30, 2010 St. Thomas Campus keeping with the organization’s core values, students participated in community service projects while at the Summit.  On the St. Croix campus, a pathway or a ‘shortcut’ between the West Campus and the Residence Halls was enhanced with a stone and concrete finish. The 6- foot wide stone sidewalk improved pedestrian safety between the West Campus and the Residence Halls. The sidewalk will provide direct access from the parking lot below the Great House via the Pavilion down to the Residence Halls facilities. The project is 85% complete.  During the summer, emergency repairs were completed to mitigate safety risks encountered with uneven wooden floors (damaged by severe weather and age) in the Mathematics Enrichment Center in the Modular Building on the St. Croix Campus. The rotted joist and floors were replaced and the building was also painted.  The Accounting and Purchasing Departments completed work on the annual audit which began November 1, 2009. The 2009 A-133 Single Audit and the audited financial statements have been published and can be accessed through the federal clearinghouse website.  Fixed Asset inventory was completed by Purchasing Department in collaboration with American Appraisers. [2.B]  The Human Resources and Accounting Departments within the Administration and Finance Component and the Eastern Caribbean Center within the Research and Public Service area of the Provost Component worked collaboratively to ensure the successful completion of the 2010 Census. As a result of reduced redundant approval levels, the temporary appointments were processed more President’s Report to the Board of Trustees Reporting Period: May 1, 2010 – September 30, 2010 Dr. David Hall, President 10 Board of Trustees Meeting: October 30, 2010 St. Thomas Campus efficiently, without any loss to the integrity of the current recruitment system. In conjunction with the Accounting department, Human Resources delivered timely bi-weekly payrolls.  The Human Resources Department processed approximately 600 Census 2010 temporary appointments with a marginal failure rate. A close-out debriefing with UVI representatives was conducted on August 19, 2010, by Census Bureau representatives. Issues surrounding the efficiency of the 2010 Census operations were discussed as well as the identification of areas for improvement for Census 2020. One significant recommendation made was to have future Census workers classified as “Intermittent Workers” rather than “Temporary Workers” due to the fluctuating nature of the Census work. The University, through the Human Resources Department has begun to receive and process Unemployment Insurance Benefit claims attributed to the close-out of Census 2010. [2.B.5]  On June 30, 2010, UVI On-line Giving was officially launched to 3,000 alumni via an email blast. This initiative makes it easier for persons to make contributions to UVI, and as the site is strategically marketed, it is anticipated that it will be instrumental in increasing donations from alumni. It is believed that this effort contributed to the significant increase in alumni giving for 2009-10 (from 6% to 10% of alumni giving).  On September 15, 2010, the Office of Institutional Advancement hosted an envelope stuffing party, to ensure the timely mailing of the year-end final appeal letters. President’s Report to the Board of Trustees Reporting Period: May 1, 2010 – September 30, 2010 Dr. David Hall, President 11 Board of Trustees Meeting: October 30, 2010 St. Thomas Campus  On May 11th, the St. Thomas and St. Croix Counseling and Placement offices partnered with the Annual Giving and Alumni Office to host “The Real World: After UVI” reception for prospective graduates. Booklets were distributed to assist graduates with guidelines on how to navigate through the many challenges faced by persons entering the job market. Five (5) UVI alumni shared their UVI experiences, career highlights and strategies for survival in the professional world.  New members for the 2010-2011 Student Government Association (SGA) on the St. Thomas campus were elected on September 22nd and installed into office on September 28th. The new St. Thomas SGA officers include: President Charlesworth McCarthy; Vice President Merle Eustache; Treasurer Davin L. Francis; Senior Senators Randel Thompson and Ismael Rosado Jr.; Junior Senators Dimitri Maduro and Michael Celestine; Sophomore Senators Chenelle Kuntz and Zuri Baker; and Freshman Senators Raydiance Granger, Britanny Robinson and Raynard Malone. [1.E]  Miss UVI, Jonesia Smith, participated in the HBCU Black College Queens National Pageant held in Atlanta on September 25th. Management Value II: Service Oriented At the core of this management value is the recognition that the University’s ultimate client is the student. In addition, this service principle applies to how components, divisions and department interact with and respond to requests from each other. To this end, during the reporting period, the University sought to improve the way in which programs and services were delivered by: i) developing processes, to include President’s Report to the Board of Trustees Reporting Period: May 1, 2010 – September 30, 2010 Dr. David Hall, President 12 Board of Trustees Meeting: October 30, 2010 St. Thomas Campus training, that result in the substantial reduction of customer complaints; ii) developing processes to enhance customer satisfaction with programs, services and products; and iii) developing processes that send a substantial message to customers that they are special.  To increase efficiency and provide access to academic records to current and former students, Access and Enrollment Services implemented electronic sharing of transcripts with other institutions and organizations through the vendor, ScripSave.  Financial Aid awards are now being sent electronically. This allows students to sign on to the Banner system and accept or reject their financial aid awards. This has greatly enhanced the timeliness of student notification of financial aid awards.  The supplemental grant on Ciguatera and Global Warming includes a collaborative relationship with the Medical University of South Carolina. Relationships have been established with WTJX, the public television channel, to air material to educate the public on the impact of global warming on the sea and the health of residents.  Over 3,500 persons attended the Mango Melee & Tropical Fruit Festival, sponsored by the Cooperative Extension Service (CES), the Agricultural Experiment Station (AES), the St. George Village Botanical Gardens, and the V.I. Department of Agriculture. [4.B]  The Aquaculture Program held its 12th International Aquaponics and Tilapia Course on June 13-19, 2010 and had a record enrollment of 92 students. (4) President’s Report to the Board of Trustees Reporting Period: May 1, 2010 – September 30, 2010 Dr. David Hall, President 13 Board of Trustees Meeting: October 30, 2010 St. Thomas Campus  This year’s six-week, 4-H Summer Academy, held on the St. Croix and St. Thomas campuses this past summer, focused on the theme “Go 4 the Green,” with an emphasis on the importance of conservation of resources. Over 200 youth, ages 5-14, as well as 20 organizations and government agencies, participated in the program. Youth were given instruction in writing, mathematics, science and robotics, nutrition, sewing, computer technology, agriculture/gardening, arts & crafts, and steel pan. Fifty-five (55) teachers and college students assisted in the implementation of this program. [4.B]  The Virgin Islands Small Business Development Center (VI-SBDC) partnered with the VI Farmers Cooperative, Inc. to offer an 8-week farm management and planning course to local farmers on the island of St. Croix. The course was funded through the Risk Management Community Outreach and Assistance Partnership Program Grant, which was awarded to the VI Farmers Cooperative, Inc. by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Local farmers were offered instruction on business plan development; farm planning; financial management and financial statement; recordkeeping and tax preparation. [4.B]  The Virgin Islands University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (VIUCEDD) worked with advocates, government agencies, and stakeholders to re-establish the Developmental Disabilities Council. VIUCEDD also sits as a member of the Council. The Council funded a 2010 summer program at St. Croix’s Kingshill School for adolescents with disabilities, ages 16 to 21, who were still attending school. The program focused on job skills, computer literacy, art, and physical fitness routines. President’s Report to the Board of Trustees Reporting Period: May 1, 2010 – September 30, 2010 Dr. David Hall, President 14 Board of Trustees Meeting: October 30, 2010 St. Thomas Campus  The Center for Community Engagement and Lifelong Learning (CELL) trained a total of 271 persons between May and August 2010 and 1,294 for the fiscal year, through the end of August. This reflects about 100 more than the total trained during FY 2008-09.  The College of Science and Mathematics hosted a workshop for junior high and high school students focusing on robotics and programming. A news article on the workshop can be retrieved from: http://stcroixsource.com/content/news/local-news/2010/07/03/high-tech-whiz- kids-strut-their-robotic-stuff.  The ITS component is in the final stages of completing the single sign-on project, including the implementation of the CampusEAI portal. This project will provide for all UVI enterprise applications to be accessible with a single username and password. These applications include BanWeb, Blackboard, PeopleAdmin and the helpdesk application, which persons can now use to log their own helpdesk calls. The project allows for users to reset their own passwords and provide a source for announcements, social networking, polling, voting and communities. User access to data on the portal will be determined by the user’s role in the institution (faculty, staff, and students) as well as membership in organized campus groups.  The University libraries continue to address the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance issues in the St. Thomas library. During the reporting period, several steps were completed to remediate the findings of the USVI Attorney General. Specifically, the installation of a new ADA compliant service desk, reference desk and library self-service check out station was completed. President’s Report to the Board of Trustees Reporting Period: May 1, 2010 – September 30, 2010 Dr. David Hall, President 15 Board of Trustees Meeting: October 30, 2010 St. Thomas Campus  The ITS component continues to work towards the full implementation of the customer service charter. The ITS Service Desk has surpassed the objective to resolve 30% of service calls during the initial contact with the service desk. For FY2010, the ITS Service Desk resolved 49% of first line calls to the ITS Service Desk from Oct 09 – Sept 10. This task involved the customer service manager being accessible to the ITS Service Desk to provide on hand leadership and coaching. Staff was empowered with competencies in technology and circulation solutions. Forty six percent (46%) of customers surveyed said their service request was resolved immediately at the service desk during the first call. The percentage of calls closed within the 3 day standard has risen from 73% in FY2009 to 79% in FY2010. The calls closed within 24 hours rose from 67% in FY2009 to 72% in FY2010. [2.B.10]  To address compliance and safety concerns, as well as space enhancements, the Physical Plant Department on the St. Thomas campus completed several renovation and repair projects. These projects included:  the construction of a direct route between the President’s residence and the guest house;  exterior painting and refinishing of wood panels and ceilings of the Upper Campus academic buildings;  exterior and interior painting in the Humanities and Classroom Administration buildings;  renovation of the second floor of the Peñha House for expansion of Security offices;  the renovation of the second floor of Quarter’s B to create two faculty offices for the College of Arts and Sciences; President’s Report to the Board of Trustees Reporting Period: May 1, 2010 – September 30, 2010 Dr. David Hall, President 16 Board of Trustees Meeting: October 30, 2010 St. Thomas Campus  completed roof repairs in the Dining Pavilion and Faculty East One building to replace membrane coatings and sealants to preserve structural integrity; and,  the installation of electronic card access locks in East Residence Halls.  On September 24, 2010, the Wellness Center was turned over from Capital Projects to UVI Physical Plant. A training session was conducted by the General Contractor for UVI Physical Plant and Wellness Center staff. In addition, selected additional work requested by the Athletic Department was completed, including repairs to wall finishes caused by fitness equipment installation; installation of additional electrical outlets to accommodate 9 television sets in the Fitness Equipment Room; installation of additional mirrors in the Fitness Equipment room; and installation of benches and other loose furnishings.  On September 2, 2010, UVI’s CZM Major Land Permit Application for the Brewers Bay Beach Bathhouse was reviewed by the Virgin Islands Coastal Zone Management Commission. UVI received the approved permit on September 20, 2010. UVI submitted a completed building permit application to the Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources on September 25, 2010. Rumina Construction is prepared to begin construction upon receipt of the building permit. Construction is anticipated to take four months to complete.  On the St. Thomas campus, key vacancies in the Security Department were filled, to include the hiring of a Chief of Security and three security officers.  The Bucs Community Service Project is an initiative of the Campus Executive Administrator’s Office on the St. Croix Campus geared to engage UVI students in community service opportunities in the Virgin Islands. The objective for the academic year 2010-2011 was set at a minimum of 500 volunteer hours to be President’s Report to the Board of Trustees Reporting Period: May 1, 2010 – September 30, 2010 Dr. David Hall, President 17 Board of Trustees Meeting: October 30, 2010 St. Thomas Campus achieved by May 31, 2011. Thirty BUC Volunteers completed 92 hours on August 15, 2010 by assisting at the 2nd Annual Kite Flying Autism Awareness Summer Jam held on UVI grounds and hosted by the Virgin Islands Autism Network.  Construction of the facility to install the ATM on the St. Croix has been completed. The facility was constructed adjacent to the UVI Security Office on the 100-level of the Melvin Evans Center. First Bank is awaiting delivery of the ATM from Diebold and delivery of a dedicated communications circuit and security lines. Delivery dates are forthcoming from the respective vendors.  The U.S. Department of Education approved the College Access Challenge Grant (CACG) application for $1.5M on August 13, 2010. The application was submitted by the University of the Virgin Islands on behalf of the territory of the USVI. Major initiatives of the CACG project will focus on a marketing plan to provide information for public junior and senior high schools regarding the availability and benefits of the program; provide training to school and university counselors and financial aid officers to increase understanding of higher education admission requirements; provide $1M for scholarships to first time college attendees and underrepresented students through the VI Board of Education, and support programs or targeted intervention strategies that impact underrepresented students and their holistic development as well as provide information and access to post secondary institutions.  The Accounting Department, in collaboration with Office of Sponsored Programs conducted a workshop on grant management in the post award period. The purpose of the workshop was to familiarize the staff with the Grant Accountant’s President’s Report to the Board of Trustees Reporting Period: May 1, 2010 – September 30, 2010 Dr. David Hall, President 18 Board of Trustees Meeting: October 30, 2010 St. Thomas Campus role in administering and reporting grant activity and the need for cooperation from Principal Investigators and grant administrators.  The Human Resources Department (HR) continued to fine tune the PeopleAdmin web-based recruitment system to improve the overall efficiency of the system. This initiative to reduce paper is the result of collaboration between HR, applicants, hiring managers and search committees and will also improve the efficiency of the University’s recruitment process. Within the last five months, there was approximately 75% utilization of the system by internal departments. This has contributed to the streamlining of the recruitment and selection processes. The PeopleAdmin system was used for each of the recently filled top executive and administrative level position searches as well as for other faculty and staff positions. Ongoing training is provided to improve end users’ proficiency in the system. [2.B.5]  The Director of Benefits facilitated meetings with three health insurance organizations, specifically WorldWide Insurance, United HealthCare and MAPFRE, to determine the viability of providing affordable insurance coverage for UVI students who are not covered by other insurance or who are insured by companies outside of the U.S. jurisdiction. The Work Group is focused on obtaining a health insurance plan for students that would maximize student use and include accident coverage currently held by UVI.  As a result of the Health Insurance Reform Act of 2010, CIGNA HealthCare provided a Webinar to inform clients about the changes to Medicare for individuals who may retire before the age of 65. Effective September 23, 2010 Medicare will offer limited health insurance coverage to early retirees. The President’s Report to the Board of Trustees Reporting Period: May 1, 2010 – September 30, 2010 Dr. David Hall, President 19 Board of Trustees Meeting: October 30, 2010 St. Thomas Campus coverage is only available to retirees whose employers do not offer health insurance coverage.  The Public Relations Office developed and implemented a six-month, comprehensive local “Why UVI?” marketing campaign, emphasizing UVI as an institution that represents quality, excellence and commitment. Television and radio commercials, large format display ads in ferry terminals, as well as in the Cyril E. King and Henry Rohlsen airports, online features, and newspaper ads emphasize the academic opportunities that have been afforded to students and successful alumni. [1.E]  For the 2010-2011 season, the Reichhold Center for the Arts (RCA) instituted a Payroll Deduction Plan to facilitate UVI Employees’ purchase of season or individual tickets or donations to RCA. Management Value III: Uncompromised Integrity At the core of this management value is the aspiration that our individual and collective integrity are never compromised. To that end, during the reporting period, the University sought to improve the way in which programs and services were delivered by providing ethical training to personnel, particularly in areas where ethical dilemmas often occur and creating systems of checks and balances to allow for the detection of unethical behavior.  A new Honors Council was established to consist of one faculty member from each School (School of Business, School of Nursing, and School of Education), two faculty members from each College (College of Humanities and Social President’s Report to the Board of Trustees Reporting Period: May 1, 2010 – September 30, 2010 Dr. David Hall, President 20 Board of Trustees Meeting: October 30, 2010 St. Thomas Campus Sciences and College of Science and Mathematics), Deans from each School and College (ex-officio), and the Provost (ex-officio). The Honors Council, Chaired by the Director of the Honors Program, will meet monthly to discuss matters relating to the development of the Honors Program.  During the reporting period, changes in Banner records were completed to ensure unique university ID numbers for each record. Each user is now able to utilize this unique number to access her/his record in BanWeb. This ensures employees can be tracked across multiple systems. For improved database integrity, social security numbers were removed as an alternate ID in Banner. [2.C.7]  To ensure integrity of handling employment applications and issues, the Human Resources Department continues to place emphasis on the communication of process changes to all managers and staff; thoroughly researching and addressing concerns and issues raised by customers; and ensuring that staff maintains an awareness of and sensitivity to confidential matters. [2.B.5] Management Value IV: Informed Decision Making At the core of this management value is the commitment that decisions are made in a thoughtful, reflective, data-informed, and transparent manner. To this end, during the reporting period, the University sought to improve the way in which programs and services were delivered by: creating systems for including more information and feedback from key individuals in decision-making processes; creating processes for developing more comprehensive and reliable data in regards to key University President’s Report to the Board of Trustees Reporting Period: May 1, 2010 – September 30, 2010 Dr. David Hall, President 21 Board of Trustees Meeting: October 30, 2010 St. Thomas Campus operations; and developing processes or matrices for informed decision-making across the University.  Federally mandated changes were made in Banner relative to the ethnicity determination. In compliance with new federal regulations, UVI students and personnel are presented with an ethnicity survey upon accessing self service Banner, giving them the opportunity to denote their ethnicity. New reporting for the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), as well as other reporting, will utilize the new ethnicity categories. [2.B.3]  As outcome result of the implementation of the Student Technology Fee Committee, students on the Committee submitted a list of needs for funding consideration. During the reporting period, purchases were made to enhance student technology experiences. Student members recommended the purchase of new computers for the Center for Advisement and Tutorial Services (CATS) lab on St. Croix. These are being installed. A request was also approved for a new copy machine in the Classroom Administration (CA) Building and 20 additional laptops for checkout in the libraries.  As a component of readiness for Phase II of the University Budget Process, the staff of the Administration and Finance component has been educating the University Budget Committee on the University’s chart of accounts, the accounting and budget structure and other related financial management issues. President’s Report to the Board of Trustees Reporting Period: May 1, 2010 – September 30, 2010 Dr. David Hall, President 22 Board of Trustees Meeting: October 30, 2010 St. Thomas Campus Management Value V: Fiscal Responsibility At the core of this management value is the recognition that care must be taken in the management and growth of resources. To this end, during the reporting period, the University sought to improve the way in which programs and services were delivered by: identifying expenditures that could be reduced without compromising the overall quality of operations; identifying duplicative services that could be eliminated; and identifying entities or operations that have the potential for increasing profits or becoming profitable and developing strategies to achieve such profitability.  The National Science Foundation awarded a grant of $499,692 to the University of the Virgin Islands for support of the project, entitled "Education Research Grant: The Use of Creative Problem Solving as Curriculum Enhancement to Improve Cognitive, Behavioral, and Social Transformation in STEM Retention."  VIUCEDD received grant funds totaling $955,930 during the reporting period.  The Biotechnology and Agroforestry Program was awarded $2,000 from the Nielson Moses Foundation to support research on rare native Virgin Island orchids, $55,000 from the Virgin Islands Department of Agriculture Specialty Crops Block Grant to develop a breeding program for black day neutral sorrel, $45,000 from the Virgin Islands Department of Agriculture Specialty Crops Block Grant to propagate virus free sweet potatoes to distribute to local farmers; and $35,000 from Ventria Bioscience to study rice production in the Virgin Islands.  Notification has been received from NIH-NCMHD that the proposal “Protecting Haitian Women and Children Earthquake Survivors from Violence and Abuse” President’s Report to the Board of Trustees Reporting Period: May 1, 2010 – September 30, 2010 Dr. David Hall, President 23 Board of Trustees Meeting: October 30, 2010 St. Thomas Campus has been funded at the level of $600,000 over a two-year period. Preliminary planning has begun to implement the project.  In preparation for the University’s August 24, 2010 Budget Hearing before the Committee on Appropriations and Budget (CAB) of the 28th Legislature, the Budget Office coordinated the submission of requested information to the Post Auditor and the Chair of the CAB. [3.B]  On September 14, 2010, the University received its final allotment of the appropriation from the Virgin Islands Government for Fiscal Year 2010 in the amount of $2,876,265. This brings the total received for the fiscal year to $34,500,000, which represents 100% of the amount appropriated to the University through September 30, 2010. [3.B]  As of September 29, 2010, Bill No. 28-0287, UVI’s FY2011 Appropriation Bill in the amount of $34,730,000, was passed by the Committee on Appropriations and Budget, the Committee on Rules and the Committee of the Whole. The Appropriation Bill includes an additional amount of $1,265,000 beyond the revised amount of $33,465,000. The additional $1,265,000 includes an increase of $400,000 for debt service, $200,000 for the Green Technology Program, and $615,408 for the restoration of reductions to Retirement contributions.  The University Budget Committee (UBC) held several meetings to complete the task of analyzing the entire University’s Operating Budget. Component heads and Deans presented their respective budgets in an effort to provide pertinent information that would assist UBC with making recommendations to the President for revenue enhancement, cost reductions, and any other applicable President’s Report to the Board of Trustees Reporting Period: May 1, 2010 – September 30, 2010 Dr. David Hall, President 24 Board of Trustees Meeting: October 30, 2010 St. Thomas Campus financial adjustments and/or strategies. The final report on this phase of the Budget Process is due to President Hall on September 30, 2010. [3.B]  During the reporting period, the University received responses to one (1) Request for Proposals (RFP),one (1) Request for Qualification (RFQual) and one (1) Request for Quotations (RFQuot): No. Title Summary Description of Project RFP 2010-03 Brewers Bay Bathroom Facility The University of the Virgin Islands issued a Request For Proposals for qualified contractors for the construction of an 800 sq. ft. bathroom facility to be located at the eastern end of Brewers Bay on the Thomas campus. After a review of the proposals received, the evaluation committee recommended that the contract be awarded to the lowest responsive proposer. RFQual 2010-01 Architectural/Engineering Services The University of the Virgin Islands issued a Request for Qualifications for licensed architects and engineers in the US Virgin Islands who are interested in providing complete design services in connection with ADA compliance renovations to the Upper Campus Quad and Ralph M. Paiewonsky Library located on the St. Thomas campus. The evaluation committee is reviewing the five (5) proposals received. RFQuot 2010-04 CCTV Digital Camera System The University of the Virgin Islands issued a Request for Quotations for a qualified licensed security company to supply and install 7 CCTV Digital Camera System to the University. Three companies submitted proposals which are being reviewed by the evaluation committee.  The Libraries Community Borrowers Policy which governed the use of University Libraries for many years was replaced by the Preferred Users Policy (PUP). The Preferred Users Policy (PUP) improves administration of the program for community access and clearly defines community user groups and privileges for accessing library, as well as campus network resources. Since the new policy was instituted, there have been 34 new PUP members added; 19 one-day President’s Report to the Board of Trustees Reporting Period: May 1, 2010 – September 30, 2010 Dr. David Hall, President 25 Board of Trustees Meeting: October 30, 2010 St. Thomas Campus passes issued; and 23 existing community users were grandfathered into the system. [2.B.10]  Information and Technology Services applied for and received a $30,000 grant from the National Library of Medicine (NLM). The project, funded by the National Network of Libraries of Medicine/Southeastern Atlantic (NN/LM/SE/A) region, commenced June 1, 2010. UVI students and healthcare providers on St. Croix are being trained to access quality health resources online. The award also provides funding for one ITS part-time staff position. [2.B.11; 2.B.13]  For the fall registration period beginning August 9th to September 3rd, 2010, the Cashier’s office collected approximately $1,463,789 in tuition and fees, receipts from the Bookstore and Upward Bound. Approximately $114,911 or 7.8% of the funds received were paid online.  For the fall 2010 semester, approximately 239 students from both campuses are enrolled in the deferred tuition payment plan for a total budget of $410,985.  The Bookstore on the St. Thomas campus reported having on hand 99% of the 315 required textbooks needed by students for fall semester 2010 classes. The Bookstore recorded its highest one day sales volume of $72,213.81 or 16.1% of fall 2010 sales, during the fall semester book rush and recorded total sales of approximately $448,930, including $336,843 in textbook sales from August 1st to September 15th.  The St. Thomas Student Housing Office increased its revenues through summer rental of residence hall rooms to UVI summer programs and community groups. Thirteen groups or approximately 478 persons resided in residence halls during the period May 16th thru July 30th. The approximately $85,160 in rental revenues President’s Report to the Board of Trustees Reporting Period: May 1, 2010 – September 30, 2010 Dr. David Hall, President 26 Board of Trustees Meeting: October 30, 2010 St. Thomas Campus were generated which significantly contribute to the reduction of operating subsidies from other University revenue sources. Residence Hall occupancy for the fall 2010 semester is approximately 98% or 285 beds filled out of 291 available beds. This is less than the full occupancy anticipated due to cancellations/no shows (3), full-time ineligibility (1) and withdrawals (2). [3.B]  The University of the Virgin Islands Office of Institutional Advancement exceeded its fiscal 2010 annual giving target of $1.1 M and the 7% alumni giving target. Alumni giving increased to 10.3%.  As of July 2010, The University exceeded the Sussman’s Matching Gift Challenge. On March 13, 2010, Trustee Sussman announced a $100,000 matching gift challenge for individuals, friends, and companies who have not supported the University since October 1, 2008. Trustee Sussman committed to matching every alumni contribution dollar for dollar for all gifts in excess of $100. All non-alumni gifts, from businesses and individuals, in excess of $1,000 were matched 50 cents per dollar donated.  The Office of Institutional Advancement successfully introduced a number of donor engagement opportunities, which allowed President Hall to meet with key community stakeholders. These included UVI Seaside Chats, with focus on annual giving and alumni affairs constituents on June 15th (STT/STJ) and June 17th (STX), respectively and the UVI/Sussman Reception on July 21st in Washington, DC.  Fall 2010 occupancy levels in the residence halls on St. Croix campus show that 98% of the residential rooms, 44 out of 45 rooms, are occupied. One room is currently off-line and used for storage and six rooms were designated single President’s Report to the Board of Trustees Reporting Period: May 1, 2010 – September 30, 2010 Dr. David Hall, President 27 Board of Trustees Meeting: October 30, 2010 St. Thomas Campus rooms. Of the total 90 beds available, 81 are occupied for an overall student occupancy level of 90%. Additional demographic data are presented in the charts below. Number of Gender Meal Plan Type Rms Stud. Schools/Colleges Distribution Male 23 Plan A 10 Double 37 74 Business 25 Females 58 Plan B 71 Double 1 1 Education 3 Single 6 6 Lib. Arts & Soc Sci 17 Nursing 11 Science & Math 17 Undecided/Other 8 Totals 81 81 44 81 81 Available Rooms/Beds: 45 90 Occupancy Levels: 98% 90% Residents Students - Classifications & Residency New Residents Returning Overall Freshmen Upper NSE Transfer Students Totals Local 36 3 2 12 53 USA 6 0 11 0 4 21 Other 0 0 0 7 7 Totals 42 3 11 2 23 81 Category Percentage 52% 4% 14% 2% 28%  Approximately 220 individuals occupied rooms in the St. Croix Campus Residence Halls during summer 2010. Groups housed in the halls included students from the University of Puerto Rico, Johns Hopkins, University of Massachusetts, Upward Bound and the Aquaponics Program for a total of 53 days of occupancy, yielding revenues of approximately $32,000. President’s Report to the Board of Trustees Reporting Period: May 1, 2010 – September 30, 2010 Dr. David Hall, President 28 Board of Trustees Meeting: October 30, 2010 St. Thomas Campus St. Croix Summer Residential Program 5/6/2010 - 7/30/2010 Name of Groups Number of Participants Duration of Stay Roy Mechou 1 May 6 - 7, 2010 University of Puerto Rico 8 May 16 - 28, 2010 John Hopkins University 9 May 22-30, 2010 Unity Coalition 100 May 28-31, 2010 Gladys A. Abraham Elementary School 32 June 4 -6, 2010 Aquaponics Program 35 June 11 - 20, 2010 UVI Upward Bound 25 June 16 - July 30, 2010 University of Massachusetts Research Program 11 June 23 - 29, 2010 Professor Rosalie Dance 1 June 30, July 7, 14, 21, 28, 2010 Management Value VI: Performance Assessment At the core of this management value is the commitment to regularly evaluate and assess individual and unit performance based on articulated goals and objectives and that a system of rewards is established. To that end, during the reporting period, the University sought to improve the way in which programs and services were delivered by: developing comprehensive methods for evaluating personnel; conducting performance assessments of all personnel; developing processes for evaluating units and programs; identifying and implementing non-monetary reward systems; and developing processes for linking performance to the Seven Management Values and VISION 2012.  Fourteen (14) ITS staff participated in technology training through SkillSetsOnline. Staff participation in the training opportunity was six (6) more than the targeted number of eight (8). The program supports ITS skill-building and preparation for certification without the added cost of travel, a great President’s Report to the Board of Trustees Reporting Period: May 1, 2010 – September 30, 2010 Dr. David Hall, President 29 Board of Trustees Meeting: October 30, 2010 St. Thomas Campus opportunity for those who may not have other opportunities to build capacity for meeting customer needs at UVI. [2.A.7]  “Stuffed animals” are awarded to employees in the Residence Halls as part of a non-monetary recognition system for individuals exhibiting one or more of the following characteristics: encouragement, congratulations and helping hand. Management Value VII: Emotional and Spiritual Health At the core of this management value is a commitment to nurture the emotional and spiritual well-being of all UVI personnel. To that end, during the reporting period, the University sought to improve the way in which programs and services were delivered by: convening training sessions or workshops on multiple intelligences as related to critical aspects of work across the University; developing systematic processes that allow administrative personnel to be more sensitive to the emotional and spiritual needs of personnel; and articulating approaches to effectively cope with work- related stress.  The grand opening of the University of the Virgin Islands Wellness Center was held on September 24, 2010. The Wellness Center is a new 6,250 square foot dance, aerobics, weight training facility which was recently constructed on the St. Thomas Campus. Students’ use of the Center has been steady since the grand opening. There are several features of the Center that should be highlighted:  The building design consists of a large entrance area with service desk; an aerobic and dance studio with a sprung wood floor that can be divided with the use of a foldable partition to provide two separate studios; a fitness President’s Report to the Board of Trustees Reporting Period: May 1, 2010 – September 30, 2010 Dr. David Hall, President 30 Board of Trustees Meeting: October 30, 2010 St. Thomas Campus equipment room with weight training and cardiovascular equipment, as well as changing/bathroom facilities, mechanical and storage spaces.  The building incorporates energy efficient methods, materials, and products including the poured concrete walls, exterior walkway canopy which reduces heat transfer by shading the exterior walls, high-efficiency air conditioning system with web-based temperature control system, solar hot water system, solar site lighting fixtures, high-efficiency T-12 interior light fixtures and insulated multi pane window system.  The building was declared 100% complete on July 7, 2010. The fitness equipment has been installed and UVI Physical Plant completed the installation of ground cover and landscaping for the exterior of the building. All VI Department of Planning and Natural Resources and VI Fire Service inspections have been completed. The VI Fire Service and DPNR have both issued Certificates of Occupancy that are required for the building. At this time the general contractor, GEC, LLC has completed all of its contracted work. [1.E.4]  The University received a limited amount of funding from the Government of the Virgin Islands to investigate the feasibility of constructing a restroom/shower facility to serve the users of John Brewers Bay Beach. On June 15, 2010, Rumina Construction was awarded the contract for construction. [2.B]