A Few Post-Office-Hours Questions and Answers

Today’s topic is a catch-up on some of your questions that didn’t make last week’s office hours and a follow-up on flex hours. I’ve paraphrased each question below with the response. Thank you again for the questions and for making the time to attend the zoom!

Is NOVA required to send out weather alerts?
Yes. We are required by the Clery Act to send these alerts as emergency notifications because they alert the college community to an immediate threat to health and safety. I know that they can be startling, but our goal (and the intent of the requirement) is to provide students, faculty and staff with the information needed to make individual decisions about personal well-being.

Does NOVA solicit letters of interest for interim positions when the employee has not left the college but is simply out on temporary leave?
No. When an employee is out on temporary leave, NOVA works internally to cover their position. When an employee is vacating a position at the dean/director level or above, NOVA solicits internal letters of interest for the interim appointment.

Does NOVA hold enough events to warrant hiring an events coordinator?
Yes. My understanding is that NOVA actually used to have a similar role, but it was put on hold when vacated. While we were remote during COVID, there was not a need to revisit this decision, but now that we’re back and the number of events has risen considerably, we have filled the role. The events coordinator’s responsibilities include scheduling, coordinating and monitoring logistical and facility requirements; placing and supporting event procurement orders; maintaining event agreements; invoicing, depositing and tracking college special event payments; supporting media needs and/or communication requirements; conducting periodic surveys for quality control and enhancement; and ensuring all applicable college, system, state and federal protocols, policies, rules and laws are followed for NOVA events. 

And, a follow-up on a question about flex hours:

I have asked Administrative Council members to work with supervisors of student-facing offices to conduct an audit of service demand on Fridays. Specifically, they will report on the number of students each hour who use these in-person services on three Fridays: September 9, 16, 23. The results will go to Human Resources, which is exploring the possibility of extending Friday flex to non-peak service weeks during fall and spring semesters. I encourage you to assist in this process to ensure HR is able to gather information from all student-facing offices. Thank you in advance for your participation.