{"id":1330,"date":"2019-08-19T17:22:00","date_gmt":"2019-08-19T17:22:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/magazine.uvi.edu\/?p=9"},"modified":"2019-08-19T17:22:00","modified_gmt":"2019-08-19T17:22:00","slug":"unique-vision-of-innovation-uvi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/magazine.uvi.edu\/unique-vision-of-innovation-uvi\/","title":{"rendered":"A Unique Vision of Innovation at UVI"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Greatness Through Innovation \u2013 UVI Leads the Way with New Strategic Plan<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Thinking outside the box isn\u2019t new to the University of the Virgin Islands. This \u201chistorically American, uniquely Caribbean, globally interactive\u201d institution has long understood the need to take the road less traveled, and stretch beyond its comfort zone, even without invoking the term \u201cinnovation.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Photo
Dr. David Hall<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Seeds for the 2018-2023 Strategic Plan \u201cGreatness Through Innovation\u201d were planted with \u201cPathways to Greatness,\u201d UVI\u2019s strategic plan of 2012-2018, which resulted in considerable institutional growth and maturation. Building on that success, the thorough, honest self-review and assessment required by the recent Middle States Commission on Higher Education accreditation process, brought into even sharper focus the University\u2019s determination to reinvent itself in ways that continually improve UVI\u2019s quality and outcomes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cInnovation is building an environment where we incentivize and encourage people to think creatively on an ongoing basis,\u201d says Dr. David Hall, UVI president. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With this vision front and center, the President and his leadership team believe UVI is more than up for the challenge. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBecause the University is small, we have always been apt to think outside of the box,\u201d shared University Provost Dr. Camille A. McKayle, who believes that being innovative doesn\u2019t always mean spending more money or applying more technology. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s about how we think and how we make decisions. If we’re thinking creatively and making decisions through a creative process, we will arrive at something innovative,\u201d said Dr. McKayle, a mathematician by training. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Coming out of the Middle States experience with accreditation reaffirmed, an evidence-based approach utilizing key performance indicators will provide structure and torque as every member of the University community becomes engaged with moving the plan forward. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Photo
Sharlene Harris<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur approach to innovation says that every person at UVI can contribute and that everyone needs to be given that opportunity. This involves training \u2013 and I cannot emphasize that enough,\u201d said Sharlene Harris, vice president of Information Services and Institutional Assessment at UVI, who played a central role in developing the strategic plan. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCreative thinking can help the University as well as the individual. They go hand in hand,\u201d she added. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The aim of the current campaign is to expand these ideas such\n that creativity and innovation become part of the University\u2019s \ningrained culture, much like an individual\u2019s DNA. A special Innovation \nFund of $1 million will help to incentivize and realize new ideas that \nemerge from across the institution. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Much of UVI\u2019s strength lies in its curricula and faculty.\n It is no surprise, then, that advancing its excellence in academics, \nresearch and public service are at the center of the drive to innovate. Developing new educational opportunities; building on the strengths of extraordinary programs such as the Emerging Caribbean Scientists (ECS) and Bridge to the Ph.D. (a joint venture with Pennsylvania State University); and continuing to recruit exceptional faculty, will be key activities in the months and years ahead. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn order to create a culture of innovation, we have to envision and implement processes within the institution that force all of us to wear the mantle of that concept. We cannot just say it and then assume that it is going to happen by itself,\u201d observed the University\u2019s leader. <\/p>UVI President David Hall<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Unlike some institutions that target innovation within the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines, UVI\u2019s approach is more holistic, encompassing the broad spectrum of its business, education, liberal arts and social sciences, nursing, and science and mathematics colleges. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One goal, for example, calls for expanding\n UVI\u2019s Innovation Centers and generating increased ideation and \nexperimentation, with a target of achieving utilization of the Centers \nby 25 percent of the student population each year.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"
Dr. Camille A. McKayle <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Provost McKayle believes innovation cuts across all areas of the curriculum: \u201cWe have brought together a general education committee to look at not only what we’re doing, but also what other institutions are doing,\u201d she said. \u201cOur challenge is to think about what a 21st century education should give to our students, taking a closer look at general education, not just the majors.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

UVI\u2019s big hopes and dreams come with real price tags attached. Resources are needed to fund initiatives ranging from instructional technology, institutional effectiveness and vocational certificate programs to addressing hurricane-damaged infrastructure, building accelerated degree programs, and establishing a \u201cUniversity for Life\u201d for continuing education opportunities.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The University is looking to tap into the resources of the Territory\u2019s dynamic private sector by establishing partnerships with a number of entities each year. These relationships, it is hoped, will help to fund student internships or faculty research. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf there ever was a time to rethink what we\u2019ve done, what we\u2019re going to do in the future and to think out of the box, it is now,\u201d stated President Hall. \u201cThere couldn’t be a better time.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Achieving\n the plan\u2019s objectives \u2013 which are rooted in creating a culture where \ninnovation is encouraged, nurtured and supported \u2013 will be a long-term \neffort. The end game is for UVI to emerge as a regional, national and \nglobal leader not only in its academic offerings but also in its \u201cinnovation quotient.\u201d <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Greatness Through Innovation \u2013 UVI Leads the Way with New Strategic Plan  Thinking outside the box isn\u2019t new to the University of the Virgin Islands. This \u201chistorically American, uniquely Caribbean, globally interactive\u201d institution has long understood the need to take the road less traveled, and stretch beyond its comfort zone, even without invoking the term […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":502,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.uvi.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1330"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.uvi.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.uvi.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.uvi.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.uvi.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1330"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.uvi.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1330\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.uvi.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/502"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.uvi.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1330"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.uvi.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1330"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.uvi.edu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1330"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}