Math Placement Leads Provide Math Enrollment Guidance

As a response to the lack of a formal placement test (VPT) due to COVID-19, NOVA put in place alternative placement guidance for students to help them determine their readiness for college-level courses.

Which math course a student takes depends on their program of study at NOVA and their transfer intentions after NOVA. In addition, students should consider their skills and abilities so they can be successful in the math course they choose. This can be confusing for students and advisors.

A mathplacement@nvcc.edu email has been put in place to help students and advisors with math-related advising. Emails arriving in this box are read by math faculty from each campus:

• Lindsay Buckingham (LO)
• Rizza Hansen (MA)
• Richard Noble (AL)
• Kumnit Nong (AN)
• Soo Son (WO)

Since April, the Math Placement Leads have answered over 3,000 emails!

In addition to answering emails, the math placement leads grade assessments to determine if students are ready for “upper level” math (MTH 245, 261, 263). With the assistance of the Testing Center staff, qualified students are enrolled in a Canvas “course” to take assessments to determine their readiness for these courses. To date, nearly 800 short-answer assessments have been graded. Math placement leads provide advising to these students to help them pick the most appropriate course and provide enrollment assistance.

These leads are providing an enormous benefit and both students and advisors have expressed their gratitude for all the help the math placement leads have provided.