University of the Virgin Islands
St. Croix Campus
Assistant or Associate Professor in Computer Science
Tenure Track Position
Fall 2012
UVI and VI INFORMATION
The following aims to provide some
additional information about the University of the Virgin Islands and the
Territory for applicants as they decide on whether or not UVI might be a good
fit for them.
Making a difference:
This is a small department in a
small university in a small community. A single individual can make a really
significant difference at all of these levels.
First there’s the difference we can
make to our students. Our classes are small, often less than a dozen students.
We graduate approximately 5 to 7 students with a Bachelor’s degree in computer
science every year. We can and do get to know our students well and can have a
really big impact on their lives.
As is the case nationally at
institutions that, like UVI, have minimal entrance requirements, many students
enter University under-prepared for college level work. Over 70% of the entering Freshman
students must register for non-credit bearing courses in foundations of
mathematics. Many UVI students also work and have family responsibilities. By the time they enter upper division
courses, however, many of our students compete well at a national level. For this, we credit the sensitivity, patience
and dedication of faculty members, as well as the resilience and drive of the
students.
As one of the four computing faculty
you will not just make a difference in the Department, you will yourself be a
significant part of the Department. You will have a strong influence on all
decisions and directions. You will be involved and your input will be critical
·
as we explore the possibility of a
new program meeting the needs of employers in the territory;
·
as we continue to refine our program
and our teaching methods, using technology to reach our combined video
conferenced classes on two campuses;
·
as we try to increase the
undergraduate research opportunities available to computing students through
our EPSCoR, NSF HBCU-UP and other externally funded
programs;
·
as we continue our preparation for
ABET in accreditation in general and our feedback from students and graduates
in particular;
·
as we become involved in the
emerging Research and Technology Park which is constructing a new building on
the St. Croix campus and has the potential of involving computing faculty and
students;
·
as we try to strengthen
collaboration with other areas in the College of Science and Mathematics and make
a reality out of the “computing sciences” component in the name of the
department;
·
as we work to strengthen
relationships with two year institutions in the Caribbean and recruit their
graduates to our upper division;
·
etc.
There are many, many opportunities.
Which ones we pursue is largely a function of what we, what you, are
interested in. With only four members of faculty each one does indeed have an
effect and can make a difference.
UVI is a small university with
approximately 2,700 FTE students on two campuses with about 140 members of
faculty. The President, Provost and Dean encourage faculty involvement in
everything and are themselves accessible. It can make demands on your time to
participate in strategic planning, in budgeting, in community relations and
outreach, in a wide range of scholarly, student and community oriented
initiatives. A single member of faculty can make a very big difference in the
directions of the institution and its successes in moving in those directions.
Photo of
Melvin Evans Center on St. Croix
The Virgin Islands are relatively
small, with St. Thomas and St. Croix each having about 50,000 people, and St.
John about 8,000. There are town meetings on all sorts of issues and people do
participate. Passionate individuals have gathered support, prevented dredging
in the St. Thomas harbor, and stopped a planned waste to energy approach that
was potentially polluting. Living in the
Virgin Islands you can make a big difference if you choose to get involved.
Lifestyle:
Many will be attracted to the Virgin
Islands because of the weather, the culture, the beaches, etc. There are some things to note about living
and working in the Virgin Islands.
Broad band Internet access cost
about $60/month, though speed may be less than that of other places. There is a hospital on St. Croix and one on
St. Thomas, and a cancer center on St. Thomas, though for some conditions, one
may prefer to seek treatment outside of the territory. The cost of power is quite high, and periodic
loss of power is part of life here
We do live
in an area where hurricanes are expected.
However, most are quite adept at hurricane preparedness. The
beaches are wonderful, providing year round swimming, sailing, scuba and water
sports.
There are many annual events that
bring out many in the community, including: a jazz festival; a triathlon;
intense carnival celebrations; and active sail racing.
Next steps:
For more information on the Virgin Islands, and possible relocation, see: http://www.vimovingcenter.com/
