Author Archives: Dual Enrollment Coordinator

Preparing for your first day

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Do you have an online course starting on Monday? Getting anxious to get started? Not sure what to expect? We have some tips for you!

As you prepare for your fall courses, it is important to keep in mind the importance of attendance and participation. Be mindful of Critical Course Deadlines and course specific deadlines so you don’t miss any assignments and fall behind in your course work.   null

Instructors make courses available in blackboard the first day the course is scheduled to begin, or sometimes a few days in advance. If your course begins on Monday, August 22, you may not see your course in Blackboard until that day. You may also see one course open earlier than another course. That’s ok! Just keep checking for all your courses and make sure you log in at some point on Monday to make sure you have access to your courses.

If you are scheduled for a later starting NOVA Online course you may not see your course until closer to that start date.

Have you attended the NOVA Online Orientation Webinar? Join us to learn more about getting started, navigating Blackboard, taking exams, and virtual support resources available to you!

Take a look at the Webinars available to you – there are recorded and live sessions that might be of interest as you are getting started.

As soon as your course begins, log into Blackboard and explore your virtual classroom. Use this opportunity to locate and review the course syllabus and assignments folder. This will give you a chance to see what you will be responsible for throughout the term. In addition, this will also allow you sufficient time to plan your time appropriately, making certain you will be able to complete your readings, assignments, projects and tests in time for their specified due dates. It is crucial to ensure you have completed and submitted your first assignment prior to the First Assignment Due Date to avoid being administratively withdrawn from your course. 

Logging into Blackboard as soon as the course begins will also give you the opportunity to identify any unexpected issues and provide ample time to ask any questions you might have.

If you have any questions or you are not sure where to start, you can contact the NOVA Online Student Success Coaching Team at elisuccess@nvcc.edu or Student Services Team at 703-323-3347. We are more than happy to answer your questions, as well as refer you to useful resources and services that will support your online learning experience.

Critical Enrollment Dates

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Quick Start Syllabi are in the mail. Have you received yours? Not sure what the critical enrollment dates mean? Learn more so you don’t miss any important deadlines! Calendar planning conceptOne assumption some online students make is that all NOVA Online courses are self-paced. To that end, students may put off getting started and learn that their instructor has withdrawn them for not meeting course deadlines. Don’t let this happen to you!

It is very important to understand that most NOVA Online courses have weekly or even mid-weekly due dates. There are critical enrollment dates, that include your First Assignment Due Date – requiring you to log into your Blackboard course site and complete your First Assignment by the assigned due date. Failure to follow these guidelines may result in being dropped from the course without a tuition refund. NOVA Online courses may be 16, 12 , 8 , 6, or 4 weeks in length; each course has specific start, refund, first assignment due date, withdrawal, and end date that you should be aware of when you select a particular course. View the critical enrollment dates early and know your options.

You can also view your critical enrollment dates by visiting your class schedule in your Student Center.

After selecting “My Class Schedule” in your Student Center account view the calendar link under “deadlines” for each course. (See photo below)Critical_Deadlines

In addition to logging in and completing your first assignments (as referenced in your Quick Start Syllabus and Blackboard Course Site), NOVA Online courses also have weekly or mid-weekly assignment deadlines.

When taking a NOVA Online course, it is important to understand that assignment due dates as well as test and quiz due dates come quickly. Due dates are firm and in some NOVA Online courses, assignments and tests/quizzes are sometimes removed after the due date.

To be successful in your course:

Read through your course syllabus on the first day of class. Understand all the deadlines that apply to your course and record them in your planner.

Establish a Routine – Visit your Blackboard Course Site daily and read all of your emails and announcements.

Make Note of your Course Deadlines, and turn your assignments in on time.

If possible, take your test prior to the testing deadline—you never know what might come up at the last minute!

To ensure that you understand the NOVA Online course deadlines, know your course specific critical course deadlines and review the important dates to include refund date, first assignment due date and last day to withdraw with a grade of ‘W’.

Make sure to look for emails from the Student Success Coaches – elisuccess@nvcc.edu – that will give you reminders of specific upcoming dates and helpful tips for success throughout the term. You can always reply to their emails with any questions you have, or give them a call at 703.764.5076.

New Student Orientation for Adult Learners

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Are you an adult learner starting courses next week? Do you have questions about getting started at NOVA, enrolling in courses, or support resources/services available to you both virtually and on-campus. Join us for the virtual New Student Orientation for Adult Learners on Thursday, August 18 from 12:00-1:00 pm.

web meeting 2Extended Learning Institute (NOVA Online)

Time: 12:00 – 1:00 pm

Date: Thursday, August 18, 2016

Location: Online

Follow Up & Recording (Edited 8/19): To request a copy of the recording, email NOVA OnlineLearn@nvcc.edu with the subject: New Student Orientation for Adult Learners Recording

Who are Adult Learners?

  • Students who are 25 and older.
  • Students transferring into NOVA from another college/university.
  • Students returning to college after a leave of absence.

Be Alert for Phone Scams

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Identity thieves will use telephone calls as one of the most common tactics to steal your personal information, your money, and your credit. College students are a popular target for identity thieves seeking your financial and personal information, particularly for thieves seeking your information to secure bogus student loans.

First, let’s get some background on the facts surrounding telephone scams. According to the Federal Trade Commission, telephone scams are responsible for thousands of cases of identity theft every year. These scams use a number of tactics to convince you of their credibility. In most cases, the scammers try to convince you that they are from your financial institution, such as a bank or credit card company. A common scam is to pose as a government official, such as the IRS. They might even say they are from your school. NOVA will never make an unsolicited call to you asking for your financial information, so never fall for this trick.

The scammers might even know your first name, which makes it seem like they are legit. The will seem very friendly and talk in a manner that seems to show they are trying to help you with some issue regarding your account. But these are only lies intended to build your trust.

Another tactic involves an unsolicited call to try to sell you something, which of course requires you providing them with an electronic check, a credit card, or a debit card number. One of the most sophisticated scams involves placing an advertisement in the classified section of a newspaper, or sending you a text or email message. They might even send you to a website that appears to represent a legitimate business, but it has been created only to fool you. Never purchase anything over the telephone unless you expected a legitimate business to call you regarding a purchase. Never purchase anything from someone who sent you a spam text or email, even if the message references an existing account or legitimate business. Make sure any online purchase is from a website that can easily be identified as a legitimate business.

Phone with email iconsHere are some common strategies used by telephone con artists:

  • You’ve been selected to receive a special offer
  • You’ve been selected for this bonus if you make a purchase
  • You’ve won a prize
  • You’ve won money in a lottery
  • Here’s a great investment opportunity
  • Here’s a great charitable cause
  • You only have to pay for shipping and handling
  • You need to decide now or you’ll lose this opportunity

The consequences of telephone scams are severe. Some people have lost their entire life savings to telephone scammers. The headlines from around the country provide evidence of trusting people providing information to telephone scammers who then proceeded to liquidate their bank accounts.

For more information about ways you can protect your identity, your information, and your money from telephone scammers, check out this site.

Fall 2016: purchase books/supplies using financial aid

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Students with financial aid awards for Fall 2016 can purchase required course materials against their excess financial aid–either online or in campus bookstores—from August 8, 2016 through September 8, 2016, the 16-week (term) census date.  A second book purchase period will be open for students who still have anticipated aid from two weeks before the second 8-week term through that term census date, October 5 through October 28.

Students wishing to purchase books on-line must complete and sign the Bookstore Authorization E-Form, via the Financial Aid Dashboard, prior to completing a purchase. Students enrolled or planning to enroll in later starting classes who desire to use their financial aid to purchase books must purchase during one of the two purchase periods; no additional accommodations will be made.  The financial aid process must be complete and anticipated aid must be enough to cover tuition, fees and books.  Files can have no negative holds.

First Book Purchase Period

  • First day to purchase books/supplies using financial aid: August 8, 2016
  • Last day to purchase books/supplies using financial aid: September 8, 2016

Second Book Purchase Period (for students with remaining anticipated aid)

  • First day to purchase books/supplies using financial aid: October 5, 2016
  • Last day to purchase books/supplies using financial aid: October 28, 2016

You may place your on-line order 24 hours after completing the authorization e-form or on the first business day after completing the e-form, if later.

Questions about your Financial Aid award? Contact them by phone, live chat, or email through the Student Support Center.

FA Support Center

NOVA Works to protect your ID – You should too!

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Colleges and universities across the United States work diligently to protect student information.  Unfortunately, criminal operators are also at work attempting to use stolen identities and personal information to inappropriately secure student loans and other financial aid. Just recently, this issue hit home at Northern Virginia Community College as our school was targeted by identity thieves who were able to use other people’s identities to obtain federal student loans in a scheme that targeted NVCC and other schools. This blog provides tips for students to protect their information from identity thieves and outlines how NVCC is committed to protecting student data.privacy - small

NVCC provides various security protocols and technologies to ensure that your student information is protected from identity thieves. In the recent targeting of NVCC in the student loan scheme, it should be recognized that no student information at NVCC was compromised. Rather, as Alexandra News reports, the thieves used the identities of non-students to pose as students at NVCC. These identities were used to obtain federal student loans as the thieves posed as students at NVCC and other colleges and universities around the United States.

Even though no NVCC student identities were appropriated by the thieves, this student loan scheme highlights the importance of protecting your identity and reporting potential theft to authorities and school officials. There are several key actions you can take to ensure that your identity remains protected:

  • Protect your social security number. Your social security number is the primary target of identity thieves as it is the foundation for establishing an appropriated identity to secure financial aid, including student loans. Never provide your social security number to any person or institution unless you are confident in their credibility. Know your number by memory and never keep your number or social security card in your wallet or purse. NEVER give your MyNOVA password, FSA ID or other passwords to anyone!  If you think a password has been compromised, change it immediately.  Be alert for any suspicious activity, and address it.
  • Never respond to unsolicited requests for your information. Identity thieves often pose as official representatives of banks, schools, or government agencies over the telephone. Never provide personal information to someone who has called you unless you are certain that person is calling from the organization he or she claims to represent.
  • Destroy your paperwork. Bank, credit card, and school paperwork can contain vital information that can be used by identity thieves. Use a shredder or other means to safely and wholly destroy your paperwork. Securing paperless billing and communications from your financial and other institutions is another great way to avoid appropriation of your documentation.
  • Install firewalls and virus detection software. Your mobile and computing devices offer another opportunity for identity thieves to steal your identity. Make sure that all your devices have appropriate security software installed to prevent intrusion. Such software is usually provided by the manufacturer of the device and the software provider.
  • Create complex passwords. Your password should contain numbers, characters, and a mix of lowercase and uppercase format.

Lastly, NVCC calls upon all students to REPORT SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY that might indicate identity theft. If you think someone might be involved in stealing your information or that of someone you know, contact NVCC Police or your local law enforcement agency ASAP. Such activity can include observing an individual who appears to be physically snooping over the shoulder of a student working on a computer. Or perhaps you have received an unsolicited telephone call from someone claiming to represent NVCC or your financial institution.

NVCC seeks to partner with students in fighting identity theft.   We are very careful in all processes and cautious in disbursing aid.  Financial aid provides necessary support for many students, and identity theft represents a serious threat to this vital source of student aid and academic accomplishment.  Please help us help you!

References:

“Identity Theft.” USA.gov. Retrieved from https://www.usa.gov/identity-theft.

“Two Plead Guilty to Student Loan Fraud Scheme Targeting NVCC.” Alexandrianews.org. Retrieved from https://www.alexandrianews.org/2016/07/two-plead-guilty-to-student-loan-fraud-scheme-targeting-nvcc/.

Are you ready for your first day? Join us to learn more!

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Are you enrolled in your first online learning course this fall? Or, have you taken an online course previously and want to ensure that you are headed in the right direction? Do you have any questions about using Blackboard to complete your NOVA Online course? A great place to start is with the NOVA Online Orientation website. 463461567A webinar is a live, online instruction session. You can participate in a webinar from any computer or mobile device with Internet access and speakers. A microphone is not required as we will use a text chat for all questions. Participation in all webinars offered through NOVA Online is free, but registration is required. Register for a live session or request a copy of the recording on the NOVA Online Webinar webpage.

The NOVA Online Orientation webinar is a live, one hour online instruction session geared for students already enrolled in courses. The webinar will focus on getting started, navigating your Blackboard course site, taking online exams, identifying tips for success, and highlighting student support services. During the webinar, you will have the opportunity to ask any questions you have before you start your course.

The NOVA Online Orientation will cover an overview of navigating your Blakcboard Course Site. Instructors make courses available on the course start date or sometimes a few days in advance. If you haven’t used Blackboard in the past, you may be interested in some short videos to review how to submit an assignment, post on discussion board, check grades, etc.

The web conference tool we use at NOVA Online is Blackboard Collaborate. You can test your connection ahead of time by following the steps in this NOVA Online Student Blog post.

This webinar will not satisfy the Student Orientation requirement for the Start Strong Policy at NOVA. Need help enrolling? Participate in a Student Orientation at any campus or online through NOVA Online.

Connect with NOVA Online on Facebook and Twitter for tips for success in your online courses. NOVA Online Student Success Coaches are available for any questions as you are getting started. Reach out to them at NOVA OnlineSuccess@nvcc.edu or 703.323.3347.

SmarterMeasure Assessment

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Thinking about an online course through NOVA Online, but not sure if it’s the right fit for your learning styles? Take the SmarterMeasure Assessment to learn more!

SmarterMeasure Logo

SmarterMeasure is an assessment that measures learner readiness for Northern Virginia Community College’s Extended Learning Institute (NOVA Online). SmarterMeasure is an indicator of the degree to which online learning and/or learning in a technology rich environment will be a good fit for you.

SmarterMeasure is meant to be an interesting experience by which you may learn more about yourself, online learning, and how to succeed! Your SmarterMeasure score will not prevent you from registering for online classes. Take your time to rate yourself honestly. It is a tool that will help you assess your strengths and opportunities for growth related to online learning in 6 areas.

1. Life Factors
2. Individual Attributes – procrastination, time management, willingness to ask for help, academic attributes
3. Learning Styles – what is your predominant learning style?
4. Technical Competency, Skills, and Knowledge
5. Reading Rate and Recall
6. Typing Speed and Accuracy

You will receive a full color report immediately following the completion of all areas of SmarterMeasure. You may email this report, print it, or download and save for future reference. It also provides some resources related to each area of the assessment. For more information about SmarterMeasture, review the SmarterMeasure Assessment Webinar.

If you are visiting Northern Virginia Community College Extended Learning Institute and would like to determine if online learning is right for you, please use the following login information:

Log into: http://nvcc.smartermeasure.com/ (Login as First Time User on the right side of screen)

Username: Online Learning Webinar (Select from drop down)

Password: Eli123 (Case sensitive)

Please note that this information is for your use and instructors are not expected to make special accommodations for students based on SmarterMeasure results. If you think you will need additional educational accommodations please reach out to NOVA Online Counselors at elicounselors@nvcc.edu for any further assistance on acquiring such accommodations.

Top 5 student budget-friendly vacations

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These are my top 5 destinations for the young professional on the move. Most of these vacation getaways won’t break the bank, as we know most newly employed graduates and young professionals have yet to begin divesting completely into their company’s 401k program. Check my top 5, let me know what your top 5 destinations are for budget-friendly vacationers.Miami skyline from the airplane

  1. San Jose, Puerto Rico, U.S. – NO PASSPORT REQUIRED. This island state is actually a territory of the U.S., so no passports are needed and U.S. dollars are accepted. The ‘State’ language is Spanish, while American English is widely spoken. The American citizens here are always happy to see there brothers and sisters from stateside.
  2. Punta Cana, Dominican Republic (D.R.) – Coming in at number two, is the beautiful half-island nation of D.R. which shares is western border with Haiti. Off the beaten path are towns such as Santiago and Boca Chica, where tourists are greatly appreciated and can dance into the wee hours of the morning. Hotels in the area range from $40-80 a night with no reservation. An all-inclusive 5 days, 4 night stay here will run you around $825 on the budget side and passports are required.
  3. Various Mexico Destinations – Its Mexico. With it being a mainstay in American college culture as a destination for spring break. Almost any location in Mexico (outside of violent drug corridors) is a great place to spend on a budget vacation.
  4. San Jose, Costa Rica – This place is super budget-friendly. I have already traveled while still on active duty in the military. The people, the culture, and the weather will have you wanting more. There are beautiful beaches on both the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea. Costa Rica is situated between the once infamous Nicaragua (General Noriega) to the North and Panama to the South. This Central American country also has a lush rain forest in the highlands.
  5. Port-Au-Prince, Haiti – This rounds out the top 5 vacation getaways for young professionals who are on a limited budget. If an individual is willing to brave travel to a country which as a limited infrastructure you will more than double your entertainment investment. The people are friendly and the culture is rich. Once I relocate my passport, I will be sure to book a vacation to Haiti.

These vacation getaways are for individuals on a budget but are also tired of the normal Miami Beaches, N.C. / S.C. Beaches, Las Vegas, etc. Get out there and explore the world before you no longer desire to.

*Pricing information credited to Priceline and Travelocity.

Article by NOVA Online Student, Mikaal Pratt

Want to write for the NOVA Online Student Blog? Share your story? Connect with your peers? Send us a writing sample to get started. Email NOVA OnlineStuLife@nvcc.edu for more information.