More than 260 degrees will be awarded by the University of the Virgin Islands during Commencement Ceremonies scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on May 13 and 14, on the campus grounds of the Albert A. Sheen Campus on St. Croix and in the Sports and Fitness Center on the St. Thomas Campus. More than 100 degrees will be awarded on the Sheen Campus and more than 160 degrees will be awarded on the St. Thomas Campus.
Class speakers will be Angelina A. Haywood, who will earn an Associate’s of Science Degree in Nursing on St. Croix, and Nichole Etienne, who will earn a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Computer Science on St. Thomas.
Lawyer, writer, activist and children’s advocate Marian Wright Edelman will be UVI’s 2015 keynote speaker. Joining Edelman in receiving UVI honorary degrees at the 2015 Commencement will be former Gov. Charles W. Turnbull and former educator Dr. Ruth Harrigan Beagles.
Three graduates in the UVI Class of 2015 – Darisa Bobb, Kayresha Collins-Corum and Wilford Blyden – will be the first to earn Bachelor of Business Administration degrees in Hospitality and Tourism Management. Classes in this degree program were first offered to students in 2012.
This year the class of 1965, the first graduating class of the College of the Virgin Islands, is celebrating its 50th anniversary. The 11 graduates from that first class are hailed as trailblazers who embraced Gov. Ralph M. Paiewonsky’s vision for higher education in the territory. In celebration of their 50th anniversary they have been invited to participate in this year’s ceremony.
Also this year, the UVI School of Nursing celebrates the milestone of 50 years of nursing education at the institution and will participate in the student nurse pinning ceremonies at 4 p.m. on Monday, May 11, in the Great Hall on the Sheen Campus and at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, May 12, in the St. Thomas Reformed Church on St. Thomas.
Radio Coverage – On-Air
Both ceremonies will be broadcast live on Da Vybe 107.9 FM and will stream live online from this direct link. WUVI 1090 AM, UVI’s student-run radio station, will also broadcast a live stream of the commencement ceremony from the St. Thomas Campus on http://wuvi.am.
Social Media
Individuals are also encouraged to share their UVI Commencement experience on social media. Join in with #GoUVIGrad. Tag us on Instagram @UVI_edu and Twitter @UVI_edu. Share on Facebook at facebook.com/UVI.edu.
St. Thomas Campus Parking
Admission to the St. Thomas Campus Commencement Ceremony is by ticket only. Parking on the St. Thomas Campus will be available in the parking lot of the Reichhold Center for the Arts. Shuttle service will be provided from the Reichhold Center parking lot to the Sports and Fitness Center. No vendors will be permitted on the St. Thomas Campus. Please follow all directions from UVI security officers and law enforcement officers.
In respect to all of the graduates, their families and friends, the use of air horns, whistles and other noisemakers will not be permitted at either ceremony. Detailed information for the public, as well as graduating students, their families and friends is available from the UVI website’s Commencement webpage: http://commencement.uvi.edu.
UVI 2015 Commencement Statistics
Number of degrees to be awarded on the Albert A. Sheen Campus on St. Croix:
Master of Arts in Education – 1
Master of Arts in Mathematics for Secondary Teachers – 1
Master in Marine and Environmental Science – 1
Master of Public Administration – 9
Bachelor of Science – 23
Bachelor of Arts – 48
Associate of Applied Science – 2
Associate of Science – 3
Associate of Arts – 20
Total number of degrees on the Sheen Campus – 108
Number of degrees to be awarded on the St. Thomas Campus:
Master of Arts in Education – 9
Master of Arts in Mathematics for Secondary Teachers - 1
Master in Marine and Environmental Science – 7
Master of Business Administration – 6
Master of Public Administration – 1
Bachelor of Science – 37
Bachelor of Arts – 93
Bachelor of Business Administration - 1
Associate of Applied Science – 4
Associate of Science – 2
Associate of Arts – 8
Masters of Arts in Psychology – 1
Total number of degrees on the St. Thomas Campus – 170
Statistics contained in this press release refer to degrees conferred in the fall (December 2014) and the spring (May 2015) unless otherwise noted. Students whose degrees were conferred in December are also listed in the commencement booklet for the May ceremonies. They also have the option of participating in the ceremonies.