On April 16, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., wrote what came to be called the “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” He was in that city to engage in nonviolent protest because of the violence that Black residents experienced at the hands of the notoriously racist segregation-era Birmingham police, but he mentions this purpose only in … Continued
Over the past two weeks, I had the chance to share NOVA’s story with the parents of graduating high school students across our region. Over four Zooms, that drew more than 1,600 RSVPs, I talked about NOVA’s quality and reminded attendees not to overlook the nationally-recognized higher education gem that is right in their own … Continued
Barnes & Noble continues to support summer and fall course material orders despite the on-campus stores being closed. Physical course materials are being shipped directly to students. As a reminder for teaching faculty, when course materials are changed from physical to electronic materials (not just a digital textbook), students who have already ordered the materials … Continued
Throughout this spring, all of us have focused our energies on caring for and supporting our students. You have done extraordinary work to ensure that they made it through a very turbulent semester and gone many extra miles to keep them engaged in their academic work and with NOVA. Several of you have been kind … Continued
Many thanks to those of you who shared your favorite podcasts—one has hosts whose names may sound familiar. The Most Unbelievable Life submitted by Paul Fitzgerald (and hosted two of NOVA’s own!) This Podcast Will Kill You submitted by Julie Combs Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me submitted by Laura Jacyna Stuff You Should Know and … Continued
Students from NOVA’s Man-up and WISE mentorship programs are among many who have received NOVA Scholarships and acceptance into their desired institution. In these important mentorship programs, we focus on scholarship application and encouraging students to achieve the GPA necessary to make sure that they are able to compete with other qualified applicants. Some of … Continued
Our NOVA community had a lot of music to share: 87 songs totaling more than six hours of stay-at-home listening! You’ll find the NOVAStayAtHomePlaylist on Spotify. If you missed your chance to add to it, just send me a few songs, and I’ll keep growing the playlist. Some surprises: two songs from ELO and Alanis … Continued
Do you know what direction you should take to improve your skills? Do you have a plan that aligns your goals with your department’s goals? Are you aware of the professional development resources available to you? If you answered no to any of these questions, an individual development plan (IDP) is a good way to … Continued
Thank you to all who submitted their favorite stay-at-home recipes! They are linked to this message, and I look forward to trying a few in the next few weeks. We’ve shared poems and recipes, and now, how about some music? By Friday, send me the top five songs on your telework playlist, and I’ll make … Continued
Over the last week, I’ve received questions about the Summer 2020 Full-Time Faculty Pay Plan. In the spirit of openness and transparency, I want to spend some space here addressing them and also look forward to your questions during this week’s Zoom office hours. First, I want to set the pre-pandemic institutional context: Budget—Enrollment had … Continued
