Hurricane Irma and Maria Recovery

Letter from UVI President David Hall to Students

Oct. 5, 2017

Dear UVI Students:

I am delighted to announce that classes at the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) will resume on both campuses on Monday, October 9, 2017. I want to thank our faculty, staff and administrators for their tireless work and creativity in making it possible for us to resume classes in a month after enduring two category 5 hurricanes. I am including a link to our website that will provide you with the new class schedule (www.uvi.edu).

UVI offers an unmatched, culturally diverse experience with students from throughout the Caribbean, the U.S. mainland and countries worldwide.

Please continue to check back as some minor updates will be made in the next couple of days. By noon on Friday, you should be able to access your new individualized schedule through the mycampus portal. Please pay close attention to the class times and locations because they are not necessarily the same as they were before hurricane Irma.

In order to operate within the curfew, some courses have been converted to an online format. Therefore when you see courses with the designation of ONL, ON, OL and O, it means that the course is offered online. Likewise, some courses are now offered in a hybrid format, which means that a portion of the course will meet in a classroom setting, and a portion will be delivered online. Therefore, an HY designation means that the course is in a hybrid format. The University is also offering a few courses on the weekends (S = Saturday and U = Sunday). We apologize for any conflicts with religious observances this may create for you. As the curfew is relaxed and lighting on campus improves, we will revisit the hybrid and weekend classes.
If you have any questions about the class schedule, or other academic matters, please use one of the hotline numbers below that are located in the Center for Student Success (St. Croix 692-4140; St. Thomas 693-1583).

Thanks for your patience during this very difficult time. The University is deeply committed to ensuring that you continue to pursue and achieve your educational dreams. Hurricanes Irma and Maria were extremely powerful forces, but your minds and character are more powerful than those forces put together. They were forces of destruction, but you are a force for development, transformation, and service, which can change these Virgin Islands and the world. This is why we are so excited to resume classes and continue our journey of helping to develop bright, innovative and caring people.

Sincerely,

David Hall
President

Announcements and News Releases:

Hurricane Irma and Maria Refund Policy
UVI to Resume Classes on Oct. 9
UVI Announces Work Schedule as of Oct. 2
UVI Announces Recovery Time-frame Post Hurricane Maria

Letter from UVI President David Hall

Dear UVI Community:

I pray that your personal situations are improving as we strive to commence normal operations of the University. Each of you has sustained numerous losses, and encountered devastating situations in the last month. Please continue to take care of yourself, and let your supervisor, HR or me know if there is something you need that we can provide. We must all support each other in these difficult times.

Starting Monday, October 2nd the St.Thomas campus will resume normal working hours. The curfew has been relaxed enough so that our normal working hours from 8:30 - 4:30 can be reinstituted. Supervisors should be flexible in providing time for employees to travel to work, and to address personal needs and circumstances during the work-day. St. Croix employees should report to work consistent with the curfew hours that exist. The same understanding and flexibility discussed above should be extended to all employees on the Albert A. Sheen campus. Some work stations and offices are not ideal, but please do your best can under these challenging circumstances. For those who have lost offices and workspaces, we will create general areas for you to work until your offices are restored.

As you are aware, we are committed to resuming classes on both campuses on Monday, October 9th. We need to use this week to put everything in place, so your dedication and creativity are truly needed for us to achieve this ambitious goal. I want to thank each of you for working so hard, under challenging circumstances, which has allowed us to make tremendous progress in such a short period of time.

During the St. Croix Town Hall meeting on Friday, I indicated that we have to learn to "live with uncertainty." One of the keys for living in uncertain times is to make sure we are supporting each other and checking in on each other. Please reach out to those around you and make sure they are fine. This is a time for us to demonstrate the love that resides in us all, and let that be part of our anchor in these uncertain times.

Sincerely,

David Hall

Message from UVI President David Hall to Employees & Students:

Dear UVI Students and Employees:

It is with deep gratitude that I write to indicate that all University students and employees, of whom we are aware, are safe after enduring two category 5 hurricanes. Both of our campuses have been seriously affected by both Irma and Maria, and our dedicated staff members have been stretched to the limits. As a result of hurricane Maria, we have adjusted our previous time-frames for resuming classes on St. Thomas and continuing classes on St. Croix. However, the University is still committed to saving this semester and holding all students harmless from these dual tragedies.

Hurricane Maria has interrupted ongoing classes and operations on our St, Croix campus, and slowed the recovery on the St. Thomas campus. The 63 students who endured the hurricane on the St. Croix campus are safe, but our communication and Internet systems have been disrupted. Though some classroom buildings have been damaged, we anticipate that all of them will be cleaned and restored for operations in two weeks (approximately October 9^th). We hope that some classes may resume even sooner, depending on the restoration of permanent power and Internet communications.

The resumption of classes on St. Thomas is scheduled for the same time frame, but some classes will be ready to move forward even sooner. In addition, under the leadership of the Provost McKayle and Deans of Students Affairs on both campuses, the University will offer numerous academic and non-academic opportunities for on-campus and commuter students starting this week. A list of all activities, services and meetings will be distributed by the end of the day on Monday, September 25^th. I encourage students, especially those living on campus, to take full advantage of these programs.

The University will communicate the new class schedule and the complete academic plan to all students, faculty and staff prior to the commencement of classes. Though the Territory’s normal communication infrastructure has been compromised, we will make sure to use all available forms of existing communication to reach students and employees. Please check the University’s website (www.uvi.edu) and listen to the various local radio stations for announcements. In regards to all academic questions, we encourage students to call 340-692-4021, or email at academics@uvi.edu. If students choose to withdraw they will be permitted to do so. If you are considering withdrawing, or have questions, you must first contact Wendy Fedler, Center for Student Success, at 340-692-4274.

No University has faced what UVI has encountered in the last two weeks. We could not have imagined that our two beautiful campuses would be severely harmed by two catastrophic events that attempted to take away the dreams of our students. Yet it is in the face of unimaginable destructions and challenges that we must imagine a future that embraces and exceeds our dreams. UVI will not only rise again, but it will be more creative, profound, resilient and prosperous than it was before, or than we ever imagined.

I personally ask for your patience and understanding as we strive to recommence this semester under very challenging circumstances. Our working and living conditions have changed dramatically, but our internal will, collective care for each other and our institutional pride remain unshaken. We will celebrate this victory together and broad smiles triumph will return to all of our faces.