In the regular session of its quarterly meeting on June 2, on the Albert A. Sheen Campus on St. Croix and the Administration and Conference Center Building on the St. Thomas Campus, the University of the Virgin Islands Board of Trustees re-elected Henry Smock to serve as chairman and Alexander Moorhead as vice chairman.
Board Chairman Smock welcomed new Board of Trustee Member, Dr. John Quelch, who currently serves as Dean of the School of Business Administration and University Vice Provost of Executive Education at the University of Miami. Dr. Quelch is replacing former Board of Trustees member Carol Fulp. “His resume is quite extensive and impressive both in regard to academia as well as business,” said Chairman Smock of Trustee Quelch. “Thank you for agreeing to serve and for your participation on this Board.” Trustee Smock also welcomed incoming Board of Trustee Faculty Member, Dr. Dara Hamilton.
At Saturday’s meeting, the Board unanimously approved a Bachelor of Science degree program in Maritime Management. This degree program is designed to provide expanded career opportunities in the maritime industry that would require expertise in business and will allow students to supplement their technical expertise with business acumen needed to participate in or lead a successful business in the maritime industry. This degree program is a “partnering program” designed to collaborate with existing maritime academies or institutes, which often only have two-year programs. Board of Trustees Member Trustee Yvonne Thraen thanked all involved for their creativity and commitment for expanding UVI’s offerings. “I think that this program is going to be highly successful,” said Trustee Thraen. “I am always happy when these kinds of special programs come online.”
The Board also unanimously approved a change in the minimum number of total credits required for a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree from 123 to 120 credit hours. The BBA degree, like other baccalaureate degrees on a semester basis, should require, at a minimum, 120 credit hours to be competitive with degrees offered at other universities. While most of the School of Business majors within the Bachelor of Business Administration may require more than 120 credit hours, the standard should be set at the recognized minimum number of credit hours to accommodate new majors and changes within existing majors.
More information is available in a news release on the Media Section of the UVI website – http://www.uvi.edu/ - and from this direct link.