Feb. 24, 2003 – The University of the Virgin Islands Research and Technology Park moved a step closer to construction with the unanimous vote of the board of trustees on Saturday to lease 10 acres of land on the St. Croix campus for the park.
The vote was taken during the board's regular meeting, on the St. Thomas campus. Auguste Rimpel Jr., board chair, characterized the decision to lease the land on the northwestern end of the St. Croix campus as a "compromise."
The deeding of 225 acres of land to the university for the park by the V.I. government has brought protests from agricultural and community groups because the two parcels include land now utilized by eight farmers.
"We have not fully resolved the issue of the major piece of land that was given to the university," Rimpel said. "We're hopeful that over time we can work out an amenable solution to that." (See St. Croix Source report "Tech park to get going without use of farmland.")
In her President's Report, Dr. LaVerne Ragster said enrollment at UVI has increased by 10 percent over 2000-2001, which she said is thanks to a team effort. There are about 2,500 full-time and part-time students enrolled on each campus.
"Everybody's involved in [the recruitment effort], and that's how we're able to make this happen," Ragster said. "We see this as a trend of increased positivity at the university."
Roy Jackson, Finance Committee chair, reported that the V.I. government appropriation to the university for Fiscal Year 2003 is $29,050,600. Regular appropriations to UVI for October, November and December 2002 were received, but allotments for January and February 2003, totaling $4,710,318, are outstanding, he said.
The board unanimously approved revisions to several sections of the UVI Faculty Policy Manual. Among the revised areas are those pertaining to tenure, sick leave, annual leave and evaluation and promotion procedures.
In other actions, the board accepted reports from the Development, Buildings and Grounds, and Planning Committees.

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