Charting a course to become a Grand Destination University Grounded in Excellence
In April 2025, 60 volunteers were brought together to join UVI’s new Agile Strategic Planning effort of beginning to identify and define one of the 2-quarter projects listed under UVI’s GRAND Momentum Strategic Plan 2025 – 2030. Five (5) blended teams of UVI faculty, staff, students and members of the Board of Trustees came together and were trained in a new collaboration technique in order to implement various projects under each letter of GRAND.
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G=Giving, Fundraising & Investing in our students,
R=Resource; Recruitment; Research & Recognition,
A=Academic Achievement & Excellence,
N=Number One; Innovation & Infrastructure Improvements,
D=Data Science; Distinction in Technology; Destination Education.
In this month’s newsletter, we’ll take a closer look at one of the teams within Team G who is led by Michael Emanuel, a proud UVI alumnus and graduate student who serves as the main point of contact for this initiative. Team G is currently advancing three strategic initiatives in support of UVI’s long-term goals in relation to the objective: “Giving to and Investing in Our Stakeholders.”
Credit Michael Emanuel
The first initiative focuses on identifying strategies to attract increased donor funding by examining UVI’s current practices, fundraising goals, and target areas. The team aims to align these with the priorities of established local and national philanthropic organizations to broaden UVI’s funding base.
The second initiative seeks to identify a funding source for the development of a multipurpose center. A key part of this effort is defining how such a facility will serve UVI and the broader Virgin Islands community—through civic engagement, recreation, education, and more—to ensure alignment with donor interests and community needs.
The third initiative involves securing sustainable funding for inter-island student transportation. By highlighting the academic, research, and community engagement benefits of inter-island travel, the team hopes to establish permanent support for this critical need.
These efforts reflect UVI’s strategic value of Giving to and Investing in our students and employees. The successful execution of these projects will enhance the university experience for students, faculty, staff, and the broader Virgin Islands community—supporting not only individual growth but also institutional advancement.
