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ITS Newsletter Vol. 5, Issue 3 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 June 2010 Letter from the CIO T The myCampus portal, located at http://mycampus.uvi.edu was developed to provide UVI persons single sign-on access to most UVI applications. In ad- dition to being the one spot through which most technology applications can be accessed, the portal can be used for targeted messaging to spe- cifi c groups (faculty, staff, students, classes, groups, etc.), voting, polling and social networking. In this controlled environment, UVI administrators, faculty and groups can communicate with the various segments of the University community and have that communication remain internal. Students can be reached via their preferred medium, social networking, maintained by UVI and not open to those outside the academy. TARGETED MESSAGES THROUGH mycampus.uvi.edu The portal system will be used to send information that may apply only to a certain group of students. These population selections are available to all users and special selections can be made through the Banner system. Tar- geted messages from university departments or groups can use the subject line MESSAGE FROM “DEPARTMENT”. PORTAL ANNOUNCEMENTS Messages can also be posted to the “my messages” section of the portal. This can be used as an alternative to a targeted message or email, and should be used to include surveys, general advertisements, solicitations, personal group ads, departmental position announcements, events, or program announce- ments. Elections or simple polls can be created through the portal. These are easily created and can be done so by the person maintaining a user community (a class, body of persons, etc). TIMELINE FOR PORTAL DELIVERY Faculty - Summer 2010 Staff - Summer 2010 Details to follow Details to follow Students - Fall 2010 Details to follow IN THIS ISSUE: Portal Timeline & Rollout Plan This newsletter demonstrates all of the ITS initiatives that are in progress and eludes at the im- provements yet to come. As ITS nears the end AND the comple- tion of the fi ve-year technology plan, we can truly say that we have come a great distance. With the installation of the new inter-island microwave, the up- grade to the University network is complete and loss of service to any resource should be greatly minimized. Renovations of both campus libraries will provide more collaborative work space and quieter study space to bet- ter meet the needs of students. The implementation of the new portal system will provide us with new ways to communicate with all University constituents and a single password to all of our sys- tems. Many self-service features have been added in BanWeb to provide functionality to students and faculty. We have more courses and instructors on Black- board than ever before. During FY2011, the ITS staff will begin again to develop a plan to guide us for the next fi ve years. This will include working closely with faculty to clarifi ed mission and vision for the Cen- ters for Excellence in Teaching & Learning; hearing from stu- dents how to better serve their 21st century learner needs; and determining what it will take to have our computer applica- tions meet the paperless process needs of the University. It will be a year-long activity that will provide the technology and in- formation resources for the next strategic plan. We look forward to your partici- pation in these very important processes. Please let me know if there is anything we in ITS can do to better assist you. Tina M. Koopmans Chief Information Offi cer Portal Timeline, Page 1 St. Croix Library Renovation, Page 2 Inter-Island Microwave, Page 2 ITS Budget Process, Page 2 Library Catalog upgrade, Page 3Home Use Program, Page 3 80% and Rising, Page 3 Student Email Policy, Page 4 ACURIL Council 2010, Page 4 BGP, Page 4 CETL, Page 5 STT Library Renovation, Page 5 Support for teaching, Page 6 2010 Banner Summit, Page 6 Internet 2 Presentation, Page 7 Employee Recognition, Page 7 Happening in ITS, Page 8 Graduates&Service Awards, Page 8 The St. Croix Library renovation project grew out of the increasing requests of students and faculty for improved library facilities for research, study, and collaborative learning. Through Title III funding, the reclaimed spaces will add approximately 1,200 sq. ft. to the facility. This will provide dedicated quiet study and group study areas, and a training room that serves library instruction, videoconference, and Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) needs. The project was funded in 2008 with a two-year completion schedule. Work on the renovation is continuing with the recent contract for $218,000 awarded to Wilson Construction to enclose the exterior balconies on the 700 and 900 levels of the Library. It is hoped that the renovation will proceed according to the following timeline: June 1 – 15th demolition of areas (removal of railings and tiles on 700 & 900 level balconies) Mid-June to mid- July - framing exterior walls and panels Mid-July to end of July – completion of walls and roof August – completion of electrical and AC work September – fi nishing of fl oors and other surfaces The renovation is due to be completed by the end of September 2010. Stay tuned for further updates as we progress. An opening ceremony will be scheduled upon completion to celebrate the changes. St. Croix Library Renovation – Plans and Timeline for completion Inter-island microwave upgrade begins Enterprise Network Services and Aviat Networks, formally Harris Stratex Networks, have begun to upgrade the inter-island microwave connection. The upgrade will increase the wide-area network’s bandwidth from 12.3 Mbps to 300 Mbps to accommodate Internet2 traffi c. Aviat Network engineers will install a carrier-grade Eclipse wireless backhaul solution. The solution is a highly scalable software design and has a scalable capacity architecture with quality of service features that supports smooth network upgrades. Aviat Networks is the wireless expert in advanced IP network migration, building the foundation for a fourth generation (4G) broad- band future and enabling wireless transformation around the world. ITS Budget Process AcTech/BUG/Student Tech fee inclusion ITS utilizes shared governance practices in developing future years projects and budgets. Objectives and fund- ing for each area are proposed by ITS Department Managers and then the respective UVI constituency group: faculty, staff and students. Title III annual budgets are developed by the Managers of Enterprise Data and Faculty Technology Services. This budget is presented to both the Banner Users Group and the Academic Technology/Library Faculty Com- mittee for input and consensus. The budget for the use of the student technology fee is developed by the Student Technology Fee Committee and reviewed by the Academic Technology/Library Committee. Based on the project proposals, the tech fee budget, the Title III budget and other operational budget requests from the department heads, a budget for the Component is developed annually during the summer months by the Offi ce of the CIO. Included in the budget are additional funding sources available to the Component. This process ensures all groups have a say in the projects planned for implementation in a given year. Library catalog upgrade to GO LIVE July 15th The customers and staff of the UVI Libraries will soon be using a new and improved interface for searching library resources and maintaining the Libraries’ online catalog. The current DYNIX public access catalog will be up- graded to a more-powerful and enhanced E-Library interface called SYMPHONY from SIRSI/DYNIX. SYMPHONY’s enterprise application allows users to search a variety of resources, such as online catalogs, databases, and websites in a single search. Staff functions, which are currently performed through a text-based interface, will receive a face-lift with en- hanced web-based functionality. In addition to the current circulation, cataloging, and serials modules, there will be media scheduling and acquisitions modules allowing users to reserve equipment online and see materials that are on order. Additionally, ITS is using the Software As A Service (SaaS) model for hardware and software support. This means that SYMPHONY will be hosted at a remote site in Atlanta and supported by technicians from SIRSI/DYNIX. ITS staff has been engaged in intensive training since the end of March 2010 and will continue training through July 11th in preparation for the upgrade. SYMPHONY implementation will continue according to the following schedule: May 28th – July 7th – Review data from test load, software quality check, local confi guration and testing July 11th – 14th – DYNIX taken off-line (NO MORE USE AS LIVE DATABASE) July 12th - July 14th – Final Data Load July 15th – SYMPHONY GO LIVE!! Home Use Program – Offi ce 2010 (Student Downloads) The Microsoft Home Use Program allows employees of institutions with Microsoft Campus Agreements access to the Offi ce Suite of applications. In previous years, employees had to check out Offi ce from the UVI Libraries, install it and then return the disc to their respective campus library. Starting in 2009, employees were allowed to download Offi ce for $9.00 or pay an additional $14 to have a backup copy mailed out. This provided em- ployees a copy they could keep and reinstall if necessary, should their home equipment fail or be upgraded. Starting in June 2010, Offi ce 2010 will be offered through the Home Use Program. With the same pricing structure and options for delivery (download and backup in the mail), employees now have access to Offi ce 2010. In the past, faculty would encounter students with the newer software before they had access to it. This change in the software available through Home Use allows employees to remain on the front end of the upgrade spec- trum. Also starting in 2010, students will have the same options as employees for getting access to Offi ce. Instead of only the download option, they too will be able to get a backup copy mailed to them. Look for more details as they emerge on the Student Home Use Program. 80% and Rising! Thank you UVI for taking the time to respond to the 2010 ITS Customer Satisfaction Survey. Every spring since 2005, the ITS Helpdesk has solicited feedback from our customers (UVI stakeholders) through an annual on-line customer satisfaction survey. This year we had a total of 226 UVI stakeholders respond to our survey as follows: Students: 140 Faculty: 39 Staff: 43 The ITS Helpdesk service received an 80% Customer Satisfaction rating from UVI. We say thank you! Thank you! Thank you! And thank you! The results will be utilized to improve service delivery. We strive to continuously deliver the highest level of Cus- tomer service by providing exceptional library, information and technology solutions. Our goal is to constantly improve on your customer service experience. We promise to: Follow up within 3 business days if your service request is not completed. Treat your concerns as our concerns. Keep you abreast of changes in services. Student Email Communication Policy & Gmail Changes The student email communication policy was approved by the UVI Senate on Friday May 14th, 2010. This policy aims to promote the effective use of electronic mail as the offi cial communication medium to UVI students and prospective students. While email cannot be the only form of communication to students, the policy establishes UVI-provided email addresses as the source for offi cial communication to students and provides both the Univer- sity and the student with a consistent email address that assures delivery of offi cial information. In support of this objective, the University will provide an email account to all registered students and applicants to the University of The Virgin Islands. This will be the offi cial address to which the University will send email com- munications, and the address that will be used in all UVI course management systems. These addresses will be assigned from the myuvi.net domain within 48 hours of the receipt of a completed UVI application or the date of paid registration. This will be the offi cial address which will be listed in all UVI directories and other University publications. With all students provided addresses, the University expects that those communications sent via email will be received and read in a timely fashion. While the easiest way to receive electronic University communication is by using the University's myuvi.net address directly, an individual may choose to forward their University email to another email address at his or her own risk. The University will not be responsible for the handling of email beyond the myuvi.net domain. Having email redirected does not absolve a student from the responsibilities associated with offi cial communications sent to his or her University email address. Google recently announced changes to the interface through which myuvi.net mail is accessible. The start page previously found when accessing mail through myuvi.net will now resemble the iGoogle experience. Starting July 1, 2010, start pages will be converted to iGoogle. Any gadgets confi gured for the start page will be migrated to the iGoogle pages, where they can be further modifi ed. Start page web addresses will also automatically redirect users to iGoogle. Start pages can be converted to iGoogle before July 1st by opting in from the control panel. All students are expected to check their University email on a frequent and consistent basis in order to ensure that they are staying current with all offi cial communications. UVI Libraries to host ACURIL COUNCIL 2010 & IFLA Section meeting in 2011 The Executive Council of the Association of Caribbean University Research and Institutional Libraries (ACURIL) will hold its annual mid-year meeting on St. Croix, November 10-13, 2010. ACURIL is the primary professional organi- zation for Caribbean librarians. The mid-year meeting is the venue for planning the annual conference and for selecting the next conference president. ACURIL was founded in the early 1980’s at the direction of UNICA – the Association of Universities and Research Institutions of the Caribbean, to facilitate resource sharing among the institutions. ACURIL is now in its 41st year. The mid-year meeting will be hosted by the ITS component and the St. Croix Library Association. UVI library staff has served on the ACURIL Executive Council for many years. The International Federation of Library Associations, IFLA, Section on Acquisition and Collection Development will hold its annual meeting on St. Thomas on August 11-12, 2011. IFLA represents the library and information pro- fession throughout the world and will be holding its 2011 annual conference in Puerto Rico. IFLA was founded in 1927 and currently has 1,600 members in 150 countries. The ITS component in partnership with the St. Thomas/St. John Library association will host the meeting of the Acquisition and Collection Development section of IFLA on St. Thomas. The theme for the meeting will focus on the collection development challenge of diversifying collec- tions in an era of dwindling budgets. BGP now fully implemented within UVI’s network The Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) is the core routing protocol of the Internet. It maintains a table of IP net- works or 'prefi xes' which designate a network’s reachability from other networks. BGP makes routing decisions based on path, network policies and/or Internet based rulesets. Enterprise Network Services has recently suc- cessfully completed the confi guration of BGP on both campuses. The benefi ts of utilizing BGP are that UVI’s network is now multi-homed to more than one Internet Service Provider for redundancy and automatic failover and Enterprise Network Services now is in control of determining UVI route advertisements on the Internet. CETL Featured Techie In January 2010 the CETL began training with faculty using Adobe Connect Pro. Adobe Connect Pro is web conferencing software that provides an interactive environment for users. Users connect to a web conference by clicking on a web link provided by the web conference host. The host needs a microphone for audio; a web cam would enhance the experience for participants but is not necessary. Active participation by the partici- pants works like a chat room – participants can post questions in a sidebox that the host monitors and answers through audio. Steve Case, Associate Professor of Computer Science, participated in the Adobe Con- nect Pro training and has been using it for his computer science courses. Steve facili- tated a training session with some of his colleagues as a veteran user of the software and has allowed us to interview him on his experience. What prompted you to start using web conferencing for your courses? Prior to joining UVI, I had been using Adobe Connect Pro for two or three years to pro- vide synchronous delivery of lectures for distance-based education initiatives. Adobe Connect Pro allowed students to participate in lectures and real-time discussions with- out having to be physically on campus. This past Spring semester, there was an issue with the scheduling of video conference rooms and I had a video conferenced class that had no classroom. After contacting all of the students in the class, it was decided that we would try to use Adobe Connect Pro in lieu of a classroom. How diffi cult was it to transition your course materials from a traditional classroom to a virtual classroom? In some respects it was not diffi cult at all. I was still able to use my Powerpoint presentations and I was able to share my desktop with the students, which allowed me to continue to use other applications just as I would in a multimedia classroom. Adobe Connect Pro allows me to record each class session and make the recordings available to the students, which some of the students found very benefi cial. Adobe Connect Pro also allowed me to easily schedule additional tutoring and review sessions without worrying about scheduling a traditional classroom. When teaching in a traditional classroom, I like to make use of the chalkboard to illustrate concepts and ideas. Adobe Connect Pro offers a virtual whiteboard but it does take time to get comfortable drawing on that whiteboard. I purchased a Wacom tablet to help me better use the virtual whiteboard. How is your virtual class structured (asynchronous, homework, meeting times, etc)? For the most part, my virtual classroom was no different than my traditional classroom. The class taught this past Spring was CSC 433, which is a three-credit course. We met online every Monday and Wednesday from 3:30- 4:45, and I also held an optional tutoring and review session on Sundays beginning at 3:30. For the review ses- sions, I stayed in the Adobe Connect Pro classroom as long as there were students in the room asking questions or participating in discussions. It was not uncommon for the Sunday sessions to continue until 5:30 or 6:00. What has been the feedback from the students who attend the virtual class? In general, the feedback was positive. At about midterms, it appeared as though a classroom with video con- ferencing capability was going to become available and we would not need to continue to use the Adobe Connect Pro classroom. When the students were given the choice to continue with Adobe Connect Pro or move to video conferencing, the overwhelming response was to continue with Adobe Connect Pro. The use of Adobe Connect Pro allowed many of the students improved fl exibility with their own schedules, especially work schedules and daycare schedules. Adobe Connect Pro offered the convenience of attending lectures from their place of work, their residence, the library, or wherever else they were located. Similarly, the convenience for the Sunday tutoring and review sessions probably increased the level of participation in the sessions. STT Ralph L. Paiewonsky Library Renovations and timeline Renovations are taking place this summer in the Ralph L. Paiewonsky Library thanks to stimulus funding and $188, 200 in funding from the College Cost Reduction and Access Act (CCRAA). Students were happy to discover at the beginning of summer session one that they now have access to both color and black and white printers in the library and 24/7 labs. By the start of summer session two, Adobe editing software will be installed on one com- puter in each computer lab. Currently furniture upgrades which include refurbishing study carrels with desktop grommets to meet the needs of the 21st century student are underway. Stimulus funding has been allocated for general library interior construction. The UVI community will be able to enjoy a new custom designed circulation/ help and reference desks when they return this fall. The reference desk will have a desk extension that includes a monitor for the customer so that the librarian can make use of teachable moments. This will empower our students with fi rst hand research techniques and skills. For express service, a new self check-in/out system for borrowing books will be installed. Additionally, CCRAA funding will al- low us to replacing our aging security system with a new book security system. Users with disabilities will fi nd the library more accessible. An actuator is being installed at the library entrance door to allow remote entry, there are tables and workstations that accommodate wheelchairs and overall there will be more open space. Seven (7) UVI staff members attended the 2010 Sungard Sum- mit conference, which brings together people from schools throughout the world that utilize Banner. Suzanne Adrien, De- sha Brathwaite, Robert Chen, Kimbalee Dawson, Sharlene Harris, Debra Pennington and Monifa Potter represented Financial Aid, Registrar, Cashier’s Offi ce and Information & Technology Servic- es areas. The annual conference gives school staff the opportunity to at- tend sessions held by peers on implementation of Banner mod- ules or third party tools. Sessions by Sungard highlight coming changes to the software as well as some of the best methods for accomplishing tasks in Banner. Joint presentations with Sungard and schools are also a good way of attaining further information on process implementations. The ActionLine, where Banner schools, report issues requiring quick resolution is also represented, giving schools the opportu- nity to sit with someone and work through a problem. The Collaborative Hall at Summit includes Sungard, as well as vendors whose products integrate with Banner. Vendors such as TouchNet, CBORD, PeopleAdmin and Oracle were represented therein. Prior to attending the conference, ITS staff and the functional users attend- ing Summit collaborated on building the conference session. This ensured all maximized on the offerings, giving folks at UVI the opportunity to take in a var- ied list of classes. Sessions attended were on tools in place as well as some in the development or planning stages. The opportunity for staff to network with persons from other Banner schools throughout the Caribbean, US and world is 2010 Banner Summit in San Francisco Get Support for Teaching at the Center for Excellence in Teaching & Learning (CETL) The CETL offers support for faculty development and access to technology and curriculum resources. The CETL offers faculty development for Blackboard, hybrid or online course development, general course design, and VC rooms. Other technology development is available upon request. Faculty access to technology resources includes access to computer stations w/printer, internet/WiFi access, fax machine, clickers, and digital record- ers for podcasting. A color copier for faculty auditron use and 2 new desktops have arrived in the CETL! The CETL is located in the UVI Library on St. Thomas, with outreach services through the Library on St. Croix. On St. Thomas, the CETL can be accessed via the library entrance or just to the left of the library entrance using a faculty proximity card (look for the CETL logo on the exterior door). CETL New Arrivals! •New Color Copier •2 New Dell desktop computers CETL Operating hours: Monday through Thursday 8:00a.m – 10:00p.m. Friday 8:00a.m. – 8:00p.m. Faculty may contact the CETL at xt. 1466 or xt. 1214 Other changes include relocating the entire general collection to the back of the library and placing the ma- terials into compact shelving which will be installed in late August – early September, the new stacks are ADA compliant. At the same time the Caribbean and Melchior collections will be moved and relocated to the fi rst fl oor and housed in compact shelving. The Special Collections librarian will have offi ce space within the Caribbean and Melchior collection to provide better service and access to our most treasured collection. We have partnered with Capital Projects to address the electrical upgrades needed to accommodate the renovations. They are scheduled to begin mid-June and will be completed by the start of the fall semester. Likewise, the installation of new carpeting and other building modifi cations for the upgrades will take place over the course of the summer; all renovations are scheduled for completion by late September. This is just the start of our renovations; planning for transiting our library into a modern, state-of-the art library resources and commons center continue. ENS Manager presentation at the Internet 2 Spring Member Meeting The ITS Enterprise Network Services Manager, Kelly Harrigan, presented at the recent Internet 2 spring member meeting in Arlington, VA on April 26-28, 2010. The Internet2 Member Meeting explores accomplishments, dis- cusses challenges, and shares the tools and solutions used to move an aggressive cyber infrastructure develop- ment agenda forward. Internet2 Member Meetings bring the member community together for interactive discussions about new and ongoing work and provide a venue for members to make connections and form new collaborations. Addition- ally, the side meetings held in conjunction with the Member Meeting provide forums for Working Groups to meet face-to-face. Kelly presented on the challenges of implementing Internet2 at the university to the Cari- bREN Internet2 committee working group members. The presentation discussed UVI’s new Internet2 network and design and potential future applications for its use. The 2010 meeting program included the following tracks: Cyber Infrastructure and Advanced Applications in Action; Federal Agency Perspectives; Middleware; Network Planning and Engineering; Security for Advanced Networks; Teaching and Learning/K20; and The Future: What’s Next for the Net? What is Internet2 (I2)? A national high speed network dedicated to research and education. Internet2 is also the name of an organi- zation of Universities and other research partners for developing the I2 network and emerging technologies. What is I2’s purpose and how did it come to be? I2 was built to provide high speed data communications between National Research labs, Universities, Govern- ment Research facilities and other research partners for the development of a variety of research activities, which could not be conducted on the commercial Internet. Employee Recognition In our last newsletter, we announced that the ITS supervisors would be looking for those ITS employees who perform exemplary acts of customer service, accountability, dedication, commitment, and teamwork. It is our pleasure to report that we have identifi ed four such team members who demonstrate this high level of service within the ITS component. On Wednesday, May 5 2010, Romeo Richardson, IT Specialist responded to a request from the School of Business. He was asked to assist with the setup of the CA building computer lab on the St. Thomas campus so that 25 UVI students could take an important online exami- nation right away. With the short time allotted to make this happen, he responded immedi- ately, downloading and launching the testing system so that the students could begin their exam on time. Mr. Richardson provided excellent quality service, quickly and with a cheer- ful attitude that was most appreciated by all involved. Professor Eustace Esdaille, acting dean of the UVI School of Business had this to say, “The School of Business and I applaud and thank you. …from my viewpoint, you went beyond the call. Much thanks for doing your job and so well!” Christa Richardson, Programmer/Analyst II, is assigned to work primarily with Human Resources/Ben- efi ts Administration. In November of 2009, Christa was asked by Veda Richards, Benefi ts Director, to assist in resolving a critical issue with the Life Insurance Module. It was realized that life insurance costs for employees, spouses, and children were not being calculated correctly. The initial investiga- tion into the issue revealed that the Life Insurance fi gures had not been updated since 2002—which meant that all employees with supplemental life insurance codes were paying the 2002 rate. Chris- ta quickly analyzed the situation and worked with Sungard to identify the main causes of the issue. She successfully facilitated corrective measures, and subsequently oriented the Benefi ts Director on how to appropriately set up the life insurance forms and how and when to run the processes in order to maintain accuracy of rates. Her assistance was invaluable, and has resulted in saving the University thousands of dollars. Veda says, “Her exceptional attention to detail made the process of correcting this daunting supplemental life issue much smoother. It is evident that her hard work paid off big time”. Veda further stated that it was a pleasure working with Christa, and she looks forward to working with her on other projects in the near future. Tanisha Mills, Information Literacy and Collection Development Librarian, is recognized for her lead- ership efforts before and during the month of April coordinating National Library Week Activities on the St. Thomas Campus and spearheading the “Human Library” project. These activities exemplifi ed at least two of UVI’s core values: supporting our community and inclusiveness of ideas. The theme for 2010 National Library Week was Communities Thrive @Your Library. Along with her team, she put together activities that engaged students, faculty and staff: a fi ne amnesty , a literary scavenger hunt, library fest, book sale and more.” The Human Library “is a concept that originated in Denmark in 2000, and has since been adopted throughout the world. Its purpose is to encourage the appre- ciation of diversity and the reduction of prejudices about minority groups within the greater society by providing an environment that is conducive to interpersonal dialogue. It functions as a typical library, where often-stereotyped and misunderstood individuals serve as “books” so that members of the public can “check them out” for a specifi ed time period of interaction.” Human books” that were available for 20 to 30-minute check out periods on April 10th included: Baha’i, African, Muslim Woman, Dominican(o), Filipino. Ms. Mills, chair of the Public Relations Committee of the St. Thomas St. John Library Association applied for and received a grant from the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands (CFVI) for this project. The Human Library made its debut at the 4th annual “Read on the Green—Community,” a National Library Week Project that has the University as one of its co-sponsors Giovanni Garcia, IT Specialist, is recognized for his role in actualizing the phrase “Service is Key.” Recently Brian Deeker, a new hire assumed duties for classroom and desktop support. Gio took leadership in training Brian on the video-conferencing operations of the department and he has remained available as Brian’s mentor. In addition Gio recently spent a great deal of time as- sisting Prof. Aubrey Washington and Dr. Ogunmokun to troubleshoot the ViaVideo connection that allows the faculty member on the St. Croix campus to communicate with his VC class in St. Thomas and St. Martin, as no VC room was available on St. Croix. ViaVideo was used last semes- ter with Dr. Kisuule for the same purpose, and worked well largely because of Gio’s commitment. Prof. Washington later commended Gio on his persistence and dedication to the task of fi nding a solution to the challenge of limited classrooms. The ITS component would sincerely like to thank Romeo Richardson, Christa Richardson, Tanisha Mills, and Giovanni Garcia for all of their hard work and dedication to the UVI community. Keep up the good work! Who is happening in ITS! We are pleased to welcome Brian Deeker, IT Specialist I – St. Croix, to the ITS component. Brian joined the staff on April 5, 2010 and is already a recognized face on the St. Croix Campus. Brian Deeker is originally from Australia, but he has made the Virgin Islands his home. He has a lot of experience in the IT industry, particularly with servers and networks and is an expert web de- signer. Web design is a real passion and he is self taught in this area. Some other interests include golf, snorkeling and music. The Caribbean lifestyle was quite a culture shock when he fi rst got here, but he has learned to love it. Derval Prince, II has assumed leadership for technology desktop and classroom support on the St. Croix campus. Derval will be responsible for working with the other technicians to ensure the timely completion of technology work orders, and for increased communication with custom- ers and managers for effective technology project management. ITS also welcomes Infrastructure Technology Specialist III/Network Administrator, Elroy Muller on the St. Croix campus. Elroy is a native Crucian who was living and working in Atlanta at SunGard for 13 years. Elroy has an AA degree in Electronics Communication, a BS in Electron- ics and Computer Technology, and a MS in Network and Communication Management, specializing in Data Security. Elroy joins the Enterprise Network Services Department of ITS as both a Microsoft and Cisco certifi ed professional. ITS congratulates this years’ graduates: School of Business: Kimbalee Dawson (Left)- Master of Business Administration; Derval Prince, II (Middle) – Bachelor of Arts, Busi- ness Administration/Computer Applications; School of Education: Lourdes Ma Rita Aguila (Right) – Master of Arts in Education ITS Graduates and Staff Years of Service Awards St. Thomas Campus #2 John Brewer’s Bay St. Thomas, Virgin Islands 00802-9990 Admissions - (340) 693-1150 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. St. Croix Campus RR 1, Box 10000 Kingshill St. Croix, Virgin Islands 00850-9781 Admissions - (340) 692-4158 Congratulations are extended to Cherie Wheatley for 20 years of services, Sharlene Harris, Sherna Gumbs, Cynthia Richards for 10 years of services, and Derval Prince, II for fi ve years of service.