We created a Google Apps for Education at NOVA Web page consolidating all the useful Google Apps available to our students and faculty/staff. The page features icons for each App, mini descriptions and links to the Apps. Some of the new Apps you may not have heard of are Google Drive and Google Sites. There is also an expandable box at the bottom of the page that lists links to additional Apps like 3D Warehouse, Blogger and YouTube. We added a link to the Google Apps for Education page on these four other relevant NOVA Web pages for your convenience:

• Online Training
• Student Email
• Students
• Technology

Enjoy exploring all the possibilities!

The new 2013-2014 Student Handbook is now online as a Zmag. For your convenience, it can be viewed in HTML or PDF format. An application version of it was also created and added to the NOVA Facebook page on NOVAaccess. The Student Handbook is a great resource for general information about NOVA, Student Services, Student Life, Student Records, Academic Info, Policies and Procedures and more.

In addition, similar updates were made on these Student Blackboard pages – login, dashboard, access content, communication & collaboration, tools, and browsers.

Major improvements were made to the Achieving the Dream (ATD) website including updated content on all pages and a fresh new design. Lots of informative and fun features were added to the site to make it more comprehensive including:

• Did You Know? video
• NOVA in 3-Hot Minutes video
• New graphics for the Achieving the Dream Initiatives section
• An expandable “What is Achieving the Dream doing now?” section that highlights recommended policy changes based on the results of ATD initiatives
• Buttons to the ATD Blog and to OIR Research Data
  
• An initiatives navigation menu

We hope the website changes better inform our students about the initiative and give them the best opportunity for successfully completing a college certificate or degree.

As part of a robust marketing campaign, a  Guaranteed Admission Agreements website was created that features videos with student testimonials, press releases, students success stories, resources, a comprehensive scrolling list of links to four-year college offering GAA agreements with NOVA, and more. If you are a potential or current NOVA student looking to save money and take steps toward a successful future, it’s worth your time to consider NOVA’s GAA program.  

Find out what the buzz is about; check out this brief GAA video!

• Contact Us – the information was reorganized
• Tuition Assistance (TA) – the content is new and there are now overviews arranged by branch of service
• Veterans Education Benefits — contains an overview of different bills available for veterans
• Navigation — new horizontal navigation across the top was added for easier site use
• Images — the banner section at the top of all the Military pages contain new images

We hope you like the look and find the site easier to explore and locate the information you need.

NOVACard added some new features to their Web pages and great new discount offers!

• On the NOVACard home page Student Advantage information was added to the big featured events box on the right and the content was updated.
• On the Promotions page a Pepsi marketing message was posted, along with a blurb about Student Advantage which includes a link to more details about the discount program.
• On the Discounts page the content was modified and a boxed section was added featuring logos of some of the companies that are participating in the program.

In addition, the Student Advantage logo was inserted in the banner at the top of all the NOVACard pages. We hope you will enjoy these new student benefits!

Check out NOVA’s redesigned Libraries website. We’ve implemented a more modular layout that streamlines the user’s interface. We’ve created library guides for library databases and resources. There are also a series of new header images.

In addition, you can now chat with a librarian in a separate window under Live Chat. Libraries have social media pages on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. To access hours and contact staff click on the NOVA campus location of your choice under Campus libraries – details will appear in accordion format.

The National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden Ice Rink

Don’t forget! The College will be closed for Winter Break from Thurs., Dec. 20, 2012 through Tues., Jan. 1, 2013. NOVAConnect registration will still be available.

Be sure to check out the Acadmeic Calendar for other important upcoming dates.

Check out the new GPS4Success website. The site is split into two main sections — one to help students and one to help faculty.

• The student section covers what is expected of each student, how they can prepare, what they can expect from their advisor, a list of resources and FAQ.
• The faculty section features an Academic Advising glossary, explains both the role of the student and the advisor, and a list of resources; including sample syllabi, advising logs and a recommended reading list.

The content in both sections is presented in chunks using an accordion feature. Click on the + sign on the right to open and read a section and then the – sign to close it.