The University of the Virgin Islands (or UVI) is a public historically black land-grant university in the United States Virgin Islands.
History
UVI was founded as the College of the Virgin Islands on March 16, 1962. In 1986, it officially became one of the historically black colleges and universities. The institution also changed its name in 1986 to the University of the Virgin Islands to reflect the growth and diversification of its academic curriculum, research programs, and regional community services. On August 18, 2010, the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit decided that the university's regulations prohibiting signs and conduct that could cause emotional distress were unconstitutional. On January 5, 2021, Governor Albert Bryan signed into law Act 8404, which honors former UVI President Dr. Orville Edward Kean for his contributions to the University of Virgin Islands and renamed the St. Thomas campus after him.
Campuses
The university has two campuses and two extension facilities. The campus opened in 1963 on St. Thomas, at the time named College of the Virgin Islands. The Albert A. Sheen campus is on St. Croix. The extensions include an academic center and an environmental research facility, both on St. John. The St. Croix campus is located on Estate Golden Grove in mid-island. The latter campus is three miles (5 km) from Charlotte Amalie, the capital of the territory. The St. Thomas campus is situated on two hills and it has its own beach (John Brewer's Bay beach) which can be directly accessed off the main road which cuts through the campus. The majority of the buildings on the St. Thomas campus are made of volcanic rock and cement. This makes the campus not only aesthetically pleasing but it also improves the structural integrity of the structures as the U.S. Virgin Islands are known for experiencing very active hurricane seasons.
Athletic facilities
The campus on St. Thomas boasts the Sports and Fitness Center with an adjacent weightlifting and aerobic exercise gym, as well as a golf course, tennis courts, outdoor basketball and volleyball courts, and baseball and soccer fields. The Sports and Fitness Center can seat up to 3,500 people and annually hosts the Paradise Jam tournament for mainland NCAA basketball teams.
On St. Croix, there is an outdoor sports facility equipped with basketball, volleyball, and tennis courts. Also, there is a small exercise gym inside the Student Activities center. St. Croix has large fields in front, and they are usually acceptable for athletic use, but they tend to flood during heavy rain.
Housing
In 2012 the university added a 37,000 square foot residential hall. The university has six different sets of dorms on the St. Thomas campus which include: Eastern Dorms, Western Dorms, Northern Dorms, Southern Dorms, and Middle Dorms. The Eastern and Western Dorms are both unisex dorms whereas the South and Middle are all-female dorms. The Northern Dorms are all male dorms.
Albert A. Sheen Campus on St. Croix has two residence halls, which together are known as the Delta M. Jackson Dorsch Complex. Its doors opened to students in 1999. Housing consists of 45 rooms with two beds per room, allowing accommodation for 90 students. The halls are sectioned into blocks: Knight's Block, Pirate's Block, Spartan's Block, and Titan's Block. Each block is designated by gender.
St. John Academic Center
St. John, the northernmost island of the US Virgin Islands currently has no college campus on the island. Residents of St. John wishing to attend the UVI are required to travel by ferry to the island of St. Thomas to attend classes. The journey can take a few minutes each way. UVI President, David Hall, made it a priority to provide easier access to students living in St. John.
After speaking with residents of St. John, Dr. Hall (President) discovered many obstacles hindering student education, including lack of access to a library and study spaces. Through the HBCU Library Alliance, funds were raised for the construction of a learning center in St. John. UVI chief information officer, Tina Koopmans, and library and IT staff developed a plan and located the resource center in an old gymnasium in St. John's MarketPlace.