Today’s topic is the FastForward program. During my monthly office hour Zoom discussions on enrollment, you have likely heard me talk about the growth in NOVA’s FastForward programs. While in comparison to our for-credit enrollment, this non-credit enrollment is small—1,011 year to date—but it is up an amazing 39% year-on-year! Enrollment in FastForward programs has … Continued
Today’s topic is haiku! As an annual reminder, April is both National Poetry and National Community College Month, so as regular readers know, this convergence can only mean one thing: a call for haiku! As a reminder, haiku is a traditional Japanese poetic form with three lines. In English, the haiku convention for these lines … Continued
Today’s topic is the Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE). Beginning April 1, NOVA will again participate in the CCSSE. Students will receive email invitations to take the survey, with reminders sent at a regular pace until the CCSSE closes on May 8. Emails will come from OSI@nvcc.edu. Since 2001, the CCSSE has been … Continued
Today’s topic is Women’s History Month. One of the central goals of Women’s History Month is to celebrate the contributions and recognize the achievements of women, so I thought I would look at women’s achievements in higher education. In the 1960s, about 40% of all U.S. college students were women; today, women make up the … Continued
Today’s topic is the announcement of our 2024 commencement speaker. I am pleased to share that our keynote at our Spring 2024 NOVA commencement (May 12) will be provided by NOVA alum and current student JR Bontrager. JR Bontrager is the director of technology and 3D design at 3D Herndon, where he focuses on producing … Continued
Today’s topic is our students’ stories. Over the past few weeks, I’ve had the honor of accompanying five NOVA Nighthawks—Andrew, Brionna, Emily, Mary and Rania—as they shared their stories with Senators and Representatives, both in D.C. and Richmond. I meet monthly via zoom with our student leaders, participate in town halls with students when I’m … Continued
Today’s topic is Black History Month. In a message to the VCCS community in honor of Black History Month, Chancellor Doré recognized the role of Virginian Carter G. Woodson, founder of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, in establishing this month that celebrates and honors the contributions and achievements of … Continued
Recent Study Sheds Light on NOVA’s Super-Sized Economic Impact Today’s topic is economic impact. Last week, the Virginia Community College System released the results of an economic impact study conducted by Lightcast, a respected global data analytics firm. Without question, the value of a college education goes far beyond its financial return, but we also … Continued
Earlier this month, the communications team released the newest edition of the President’s Report for 2023. This engaging publication looks back on the past year to celebrate all that our faculty, staff and students have accomplished across the College. The report demonstrates how we live out our mission of providing equitable and affordable access to … Continued
Today’s topic is an overview of the Virginia Community College System messaging and funding request during the current legislative session. This session, VCCS is focused on achieving the funding needed to connect students to economic opportunity and grow the talent pipeline in the Commonwealth. Last year, the system served 230,000 students, with almost a third … Continued
