What does a snow day mean for your NOVA Online courses?

Posted on February 23, 2015 by Dual Enrollment Coordinator

With winter here it is important to be aware of NOVA’s inclement weather policy and know what that means for your NOVA Online courses. Staying informed will allow you to plan accordingly and stay safe! NOVA makes it easy for you to stay up-to-date in the event of an emergency closing or delay. If the College is closed or delayed due to an emergency or inclement weather, a text alert will be sent to cell phones registered on NOVA Alert, a notice will be posted on the home page of the College’s website, and a message will appear on our cable television station as well as several local radio and television stations. The College also uses several media sources to announce delays and closings. The Emergency Preparedness website provides more information as you are planning ahead.

What does this mean for your NOVA Online class?

All in-person class sessions, and in-person labs will be canceled or delayed based on NOVA’s announcements. If you are planning to take an exam at the campus testing center, you will want to note that any closings or delays will affect campus testing center hours. Campus closing and delays will affect all campus offices, tutoring centers, and libraries.

Keep in mind, even when the college is closed, you can still log into Blackboard to access your NOVA Online courses. A snow day is the perfect time to work on assignments and get ahead. If you have a live, virtual session scheduled, that meeting may still take place. Be sure to check your student email and blackboard announcement section to find out if the closing or delay will affect your NOVA Online course or if due dates have been changed due to the weather.

If you have not already, sign up for NOVA Alert today!

This week at NOVA Online!

Posted on February 22, 2015 by Dual Enrollment Coordinator

Tomorrow, Monday, February 23rd is the start date for the 3rd 8-week courses. Do you have courses starting tomorrow? You might not see your course open until tomorrow. Any Blackboard questions? Check out Blackboard tutorial tips to learn more.

Do you have any questions for us? Call, email or chat with us!

Tuesday, February 24 from 12:00 – 2:00 pm & 6:00 – 8:00 pm – Participate in a Ask the Transfer Representative webinar. Do you have questions about transferring? Chat online with transfer representatives from any of the institutions listed below each session date. Registration is required.

Are you Ready for Online Learning? Interested in enrolling in an online class, but not sure if it is right for you? Starting a class this week and want to make sure you know and understand your strengths and challenges? Take the Smarter Measure assessment to help gage your readiness for online classes. Contact NOVA Online Success Coach, Jennifer Reed at jereed@nvcc.edu for a username and password.

Northern Virginia Community College has contracted with Tuition Management Services (TMS) to process electronic financial aid disbursements to students who are entitled to excess financial aid after all institutional charges for tuition, fees, and books have been paid. You have the ability to receive excess financial aid disbursements in as little as one to two business days, depending on your choice.

Community Service Spotlight: Better World Books

Posted on February 20, 2015 by kshagan

7658051014_64f5e2cf11_h For February, we want to highlight the Better World Books organization. Even though they may look like just another website that buy and sell used books, they are much more than that! Better World Books has an environmental as well as social mission.

–They make a commitment to sustainability! By finding and creating new ways for books to be recycled, Better World Books prevents the cycle of adding more unneeded waste to our landfills.

–They have a strong focus on literacy! Every book that is bought and sold through Better World Books helps fund literacy non-profits around the world. They have donated over 4 million books to under served communities.

How can you help?

You can support literacy programs by donating your own used books you might have! All you need is a box or envelope and Better World Books provide a free shipping label. This helps make it easier for participants to donate AND supports their sustainability mission by offsetting your carbon footprint!

Visit the site to learn more at : http://www.betterworldbooks.com/

Managing Your Study Time

Posted on February 18, 2015 by Dual Enrollment Coordinator

Balancing college, work and life can be overwhelming! With so many responsibilities there doesn’t seem to be enough time to eat breakfast, let alone start that research paper. If your life feels like a balancing act, take control of your time and consider incorporating these time saving strategies into your study routine:

To successfully manage your course assignments, try setting assignment completion goals and record them in your planner, phone or calendar. Writing down goals will inspire and motivate you to stay on track. If you have a large research paper, consider setting daily goals to complete the paper. For example, in your planner, on Monday, March 1, record: locate 3 research articles, Tuesday, March 2: review research articles and start the works cited page. Wednesday, March 3: develop thesis for paper, and so on. Be sure to set a goal to finish 2-3 days early! Need help developing or setting goals, review this SMART Goals blog post and be sure to explore the links.

For a dynamic overview of an effective plan to organize your course workload, view our free 30 minute, online workshop focused on Time Management. The workshop will help you get on track and take control of your balancing act as you explore tips and strategies to organize your course assignments along with your personal and work responsibilities by developing a daily schedule that will put you in control. To encourage your follow through on your plans, explore their workshop titled, Overcoming Procrastination. To view these and other online workshops, click here.

Don’t let social media or interruptions get the best of your time—once you start allowing interruptions, the time you had is gone!

Stay organized by creating a binder for each course. Further organize the binder with dividers for: Syllabus, Assignments, Lectures, Notes, etc. (just as you would do for an on-campus class).

Set up a study area that is quiet and free of distractions. A quiet ‘study zone’, will enable you to stay focused and get more accomplished in a shorter period of time. If you find them helpful, place post-it’s in key places to serve as reminders, encouragement or motivation! Remember to shut off your phone and don’t let social media interrupt you. Interruptions will cause you to wander and loose concentration which will get you off track and waste valuable time.

If you would like a planner to get started on your journey to improving your time management skills, send an email to the NOVA Online Success Coaches, elisuccess@nvcc.edu. They will be happy to mail you a NOVA planner.

Take control of your time by integrating these strategies into your study routine. Before you know it, life will no longer be a balancing act and you will be reaping the benefits of a controlled, stress free, and organized future! For a quick visual review of these strategies, click here.

Need help getting your assignments, tests and projects organized. Reach out to a NOVA Online Success Coach, elisuccess@nvcc.edu. They can help you map out your assignments and empower you to succeed.

#Blackhistorymonth

Posted on February 17, 2015 by

Otis Boykin: inventor of a control unit for the pacemaker

Yesterday, Professor Pool offered some great resources for understanding slavery in the United States. In celebration of black history month, the library would also like to recommend some resources to learn more about black American history and culture.

The Songs Are Free: Bernice Johnson Reagon and African-American Music – This is a video about the history of African American music and includes performances by Bernice Johnson Reagon.

Prelude and First Curtains: African Grove Theater – Offers a glimpse in to the history of Africa- American theater in America.

Women’s Work : An Anthology of African-American Women’s Historical Writings From Antebellum America to the Harlem Renaissance – an eBook that “… aims to bring together writings by African-American women between 1832 and 1920, the period when they began to write for American audiences and to use history to comment on political and social issues of the day.” -from worldcat.org

You can view these and more at the library’s homepage (http://www.nvcc.edu/academics/library). You just need your myNOVA username and password. If you have questions, please contact us at NOVA Online-Library@nvcc.edu. #Blackhistorymonth

Black History Month

Posted on February 16, 2015 by Dual Enrollment Coordinator

We can never fully understand what it is like to be a slave, but there are stories that can speak to us from the past. During Black History Month, we are encouraged to try to learn more about the experience. Here are a few resources about slavery that might make the indescribable horrors come alive in your mind.

The Library of Congress has a collection entitled Voices From the Days of Slavery. These are interviews with former slaves about their experiences.

The History Channel has a fascinating site called Slavery in America.

Here is the full text of the Autobiography of Venture Smith, a former slave who published his story in 1798. It is one of the earliest published slave narratives.

This blog was written by Assistant Professor of English, Bridget Pool. Professor Pool teaches ENG 254 – Survey of
African American Literature II. She can be reached by email at bpool@nvcc.edu.

This week at NOVA Online!

Posted on February 15, 2015 by Dual Enrollment Coordinator

Tomorrow, Monday, February 16th is the start date for the 3rd 12-week courses. Do you have courses starting tomorrow? You might not see your course open until tomorrow. Any Blackboard questions? Check out Blackboard tutorial tips here.

Monday, February 16th from 12:15-1:15pm – Participate in an NOVA Online Orientation Webinar – This one hour webinar will focus on getting started in your courses, navigating your Blackboard course site, and identifying tips for success and student support services. The NOVA Online Orientation is highly recommended for students who are new to online learning. Register or request a recording here.

Tuesday, February 17 from 7 – 8:30 pm – Participate in a NOVA/NOVA Online Transfer Panel webinar. Are you interested in transferring to a Bachelor’s degree program after NOVA? This webinar will host a panel of NOVA/NOVA Online alumni students who have transferred to 4-year institutions. Learn more regarding the transfer process and have your questions answered about their varied experiences. Register or request a recording here.

While enrolled in courses, you may want to register for NOVA Alert to get emergency related messages, including closures due to inclement weather. Campus closures will affect all campus offices, including the testing centers, tutoring centers, and campus libraries.

February’s focus on the blog is Effective Communication Skills. Throughout the month we will post topics and have guest bloggers related to improving and fine-tuning your written communication. This Wednesday, the Student Success Coaches have provided a post focused on time and stress management, which can help you keep the lines of communication open through active planning. How do you manage your time?

ToBeMe@NOVA: First Generation College Students

Posted on February 13, 2015 by

For the month of February 2015, we will be highlighting NOVA’s First-Generation College Students. Many of NOVA’s students are the first person in their family or household to ever go to college and with that role comes a very unique experience. This distinguished student group, like the many we serve at NOVA, has unparalleled strengths and character that deserves to be celebrated.

We are asking our First Generation Students to share what it’s like to be a First Generation Student at NOVA. Over the next two weeks, we want to know how handle the expectations of others, how you balance your coursework with all your other responsibilities, what it feels like to hold this position in your family, and anything more about your experience you think others need to know.

Please respond to this post with your comments and experiences. You may also post your response on NOVA Online’s Facebook and NOVA Online’s Twitter pages with the #ToBeMe@NOVA after your comment.

***Please make sure all comments are appropriate for an academic setting. Please refrain from posting obscenities, profanity, and otherwise offensive remarks***

Be on the look out for First Generation College Student resources for students, faculty, and staff on the next ToBeMe@NOVA posting on Feb. 27, 2015!

Ten Quick Steps to Emailing Your Instructor

Posted on February 11, 2015 by Dual Enrollment Coordinator

Need to email your instructor and not sure where to start? These ten easy to follow steps will help you get that email written and the send button hit in no time!1. Use your NOVA student email account to send your email. All correspondence relating to your courses should come from and go to your NOVA email address. Email messages originating from other email addresses may go directly to your instructors SPAM folder and go unnoticed.

2. Make your subject line meaningful. Your instructor likely teaches multiple courses and may even teach on other campuses. Include the course and section number along with a quick description of why you are writing your instructor.
An example might look like this:
Subject: PSY 200-E05W, Question about grade calculations

3. Briefly and politely state the reason you are writing. Be sure to include all of the relevant information pertaining to your question and leave out anything that does not relate directly to the situation.

4. If you are writing your instructor because you have a problem, include a proposed solution in your email. The instructor may or may not agree with your suggestion. Regardless, it does demonstrate to your instructor you are taking the initiative to actively work towards resolving the situation.

5. Sign your email with your complete first and last name along with your student ID number.

6. Read through your email to check for spelling and punctuation errors. Make sure all of your sentences are complete and do not contain any abbreviations or other modified text that is used in text messaging.

7. If your email is lengthy, have a second set of eyes proofread your email for clarity. This will be an opportunity to make sure you have clearly articulated what it is you wanted to say.

8. Send your email.

9. Allow adequate time for a response from your instructor. Many NOVA Online instructors also teach campus based courses so they are not always sitting at their computer in their office. Often you will find information in the syllabus relating to how soon you should expect a response from your instructor.

10. Once you have received a response from your instructor, acknowledge it. A simple “Thank you” may be all that is needed. If your instructor asks you questions in their response to your email, be sure to answer all of them thoroughly.

This post was adapted from www.wikihow.com/Email-a-professor by the NOVA Online Success Coaches to help you develop skills to effectively communicate through email to your instructor for the February focus on communication. NOVA Online Success Coaches can be reached at elisuccess@nvcc.edu or 703.764.5076.

#DigitalCivility

Posted on February 10, 2015 by


  -"Duty Calls" by Randall Munroe

We regularly hear about the harassment and bullying that occurs within social media. In fact, a Pew research study has found that “60% of internet users said they had witnessed someone being called offensive names.” So what can you do to make the internet a safer place?

image of Civility in the Digital Age: How Companies and People Can Triumph over Haters, Trolls, Bullies and Other Jerks by Andrea Weckerle e-book cover

from safaribooksonline.com

The book “Civility in the Digital Age: How Companies and People can Triumph Over Haters, Trolls, Bullies, and Other Jerks” by Andrea Weckerle offers great advice for handling conflict over the web.

The author offers a “30-Day Action Plan for restoring civility to your corner of the digital world.”¹ Here’s some of what you will learn:

“Master the foundational skills you need to resolve and prevent conflict online
Stay cool and effectively manage conflict in even the highest-pressure online environments
Differentiate between what people say and what they really want
Create a positive online footprint—or start cleaning up a negative image
Recognize online troublemakers and strategize ways to handle them
Manage your own anger—and, when necessary, express it online safely and productively
Strategically manage others’ online hostility and frustration”¹

Interested in learning more? Visit NOVA library’s website (http://www.nvcc.edu/academics/library) to read this e-book and to find other resources on the topic. As always, if you need assistance please contact the NOVA Online library at NOVA Online-Library@nvcc.edu.

#DigitalCivility

1. Excerpted from safaribooksonline.com