UVI Board Approves New BS Degrees and Revised Vaccination Policy for Students

CHARLOTTE AMALIE — In the regular session of its quarterly meeting on Saturday, the University of the Virgin Islands Board of Trustees re-elected Henry Smock to serve as chairman and Oran Roebuck as vice-chairperson.

“I thank all of the Trustees for their faith in myself and Trustee Roebuck. We have a lot on our plate, both today and coming up. I do appreciate the confidence,” Board Chair Henry Smock said.

At Saturday’s meeting held via Zoom, the Board unanimously voted to establish a Bachelor of Science Degree Program in Aquaponics and a Bachelor of Science Degree Program in Horticulture.

The Bachelor of Science Degree Program in Horticulture is designed to provide students interested in horticulture with the requisite knowledge to support their interests and career goals. Horticulture is a growing field of employment with a 14 percent job increase in 2022. Students will be required to complete 120 credit hours plus two credits of physical education, including general education coursework. Fifty-five credit hours in required horticulture courses, including plant pathology, general horticulture, and tropical horticulture, and eight credits in elective horticulture courses, including tropical agroecology, forest and nursery management and special topics in agriculture research, and entomology are needed.

Aquaponics is an emerging and evolving industry with an estimated market of $1.5 billion in 2022. The Bachelor of Science Degree Program in Aquaponics is designed to provide students with in-depth knowledge and understanding across different disciplines to support their interests and career goals. The students will be required to complete 120 credit hours plus two credits of physical education, including general education coursework. Also needed are 50 credit hours in required aquaponics

courses, including aquaculture production, aquaculture techniques, and hydroponics and aquaponics, and nine credits in elective aquaponics courses, including introduction to biotechnology, agricultural regulations, and principles of agricultural business.

The Board also voted unanimously to approve a new academic degree major in Dance, Music Performance, and Theatre. The new academic major is a performance-based degree aimed at creating skilled performers and technicians who will be critical to the overall success of artistic endeavors in the territory and beyond. Students will complete 48 hours of general education coursework to allow for more performance-based courses within the majors.