Inside: Pages 9-11 Up & Coming Pages 12-13 Hot Topics

Page 2: Table of Contents Pages 2 - 8: NOVA Sightings

INTERCOM

October 21, 2011

Intercom Newsletter: Intercom is a publication of Marketing and Communica-tions. It is produced electroni-cally every Friday for the faculty and staff of Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA). Submissions: Please submit your items via e-mail to Intercom@nvcc.edu by 5:00 p.m. on Friday prior to publication. Photos should be submitted as digital files and attachments should be in MS Word or MS Publisher format. All submissions are subject to editing for length and clarity. The articles and information in this publication are written and submitted by NOVA faculty and staff (contributors) and are pub-lished with the understanding that such information is correct and verified by the contributor prior to submission. Editor: Alison Nicole Nooks Phone: 703-323-3002 For Intercom Archives and Submission Guidelines: http://www.nvcc.edu/pip/ Posting Schedule: Intercom is posted on the Web by Friday afternoon each week unless there is a holiday. Inclement weather or technical emergencies may prevent In-tercom from being posted on time. During the summer and in-between semesters, Inter-com is published every other Friday. Submit your news today!

NOVA Partners with South African Colleges

NOVA has begun work with 12 Further Education Training Colleges (FETCs). On September 26, approximately 28 South African Education Managers spent a week at the Alexandria Campus to learn and gain insight on strategies for student support, retention and success. NOVA representatives from various areas of the College shared best practices and approaches to student success beginning from the intake process, financial aid, orientation, academic support services and curriculum strategies focused on retention, persistence and completion. During the course of the week, the education managers worked on developing plans based on the specific measurable outcomes and goals for their colleges. NOVA plans to continue this partnership through individualized technical support around the core institutional infrastructure in student intake and academic support.

Continued on page 2

President Robert G. Templin, Jr. addresses the South African Education Managers group and discusses NOVA’s vital role in student success and completion.

Photo by Kevin Mattingly

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NOVASIGHTINGS Table of Contents Pages 1-3 • NOVA Partners with South African Colleges Page 4 • NOVA and White House Officials Join

Nationwide Effort to Take-Back Prescription Drugs

Page 5 • NOVA Office of Emergency Management

and Planning to Update and Expand Continuity of Operations (COOP) Plans

• New Faculty at the Annandale Campus Page 6 • Loudoun Student Activities Launches the

LSA Leadership Institute Page 7 • Medical Education Campus Celebrates

Physical Therapy Month • Loudoun Student Activities Host Alive!

Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Fair Page 8 • CETL Faculty Advocates Explore Coaching

Strategies Page 9 • Taking Flight to Close 2011 Season with

Loose Knit Page 10 • Hispanic Heritage Month Events at

Alexandria • Science Seminar: "“Wetlands – An

Ecosystem Perspective” • Summoning Our Future Scientists &

Engineers Page 11 • Author Justin Martin to be Lyceum Speaker

in November • Alexandria Hosts Multi-media Concert:

“Spirit of the Civil War” Page 12 • UNUM Long Term Disability Open

Enrollment • Call for Proposals for PUP Conference • Open Enrollment Plan Change for Optional

Retirement Plan Participants Page 13 • The Chancellor’s Faculty Fellowship

Program, Chancellor’s Commonwealth Professors Program, and President’s Sabbatical Award

NOVA Partners with South African Colleges Continued from page 1

Alexandria Provost Peter Maphumulo and NOVA Grant Program Officer Rob Henderson talk about the day’s highlights with Chief of Party Modise Manota.

Photo by Kevin Mattingly

South African Education Managers from Limpopo, Mpumalanga and the Northern Cape provinces. Provost Peter Maphumulo, Provost Office Manger Nicci Dowd and Dean of Learning and Technology Resources Frances Villagran-Glover.

Continued on page 3

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NOVASIGHTINGS

Intercom Reminders:

Faculty and staff contributors and readers:

• Deadline: Submissions (by NOVA faculty and staff only) must be received (via e-mail) by 5:00 p.m. on Fridays to be considered for the following week’s edition. Please note, all submissions are “considered;” however, they all may not make the weekly edition.

• Submission Guidelines: Submissions should be emailed to intercom@nvcc.edu. Unformatted text should be sent in an MSWord document or may be put into the body of the email.

• All photos should be attached as jpeg, bmp, tif or eps files; photo captions and credit should also be included with your text. For complete guidelines, please go online to http://www.nvcc.edu/pip/guidelines.htm.

• Please make sure to also submit captions (including names and titles) for staff and faculty seen in any photographs.

• Also remember that all news submissions should highlight NOVA faculty and/or staff.

• During the college closings, holidays, and the summer months, the Intercom is publishing schedule varies.

The American Council of Education (ACE) funded the visit of the FETC managers under a grant from USAID. Alexandria Provost Peter Maphumulo is pleased to announce a sub-grant from ACE to support technical assistance teams traveling to South Africa before March of 2012 to continue the training and to structure a formal arrangement with Witwatersrand University for strengthening FETC developmental math and English programs. The visit marked the first activity under this far reaching program.

For more information, contact Maphulmulo at pmaphumulo@nvcc.edu.

NOVA Partners with South African Colleges Continued from page 2

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NOVA and White House Officials Join Nationwide Effort to Take-Back Prescription Drugs

NOVA is pleased to participate in the Third National

Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on October 29 at the Annandale Student Services Building. Representatives will help consumers safely dispose of all expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs that are potentially dangerous if left in the family medicine cabinet. The event is free and open to the public.

Joining NOVA for the first hour of the event will be Deputy Director David Mineta of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). Mineta oversees the ONDCP Office of Demand Reduction which focuses on promoting drug prevention and drug treatment programs.

The ONDCP and Department of Education have reached out to higher education institutions nationwide, highlighting President Obama’s 2011 National Drug Control Policy. The strategy supports two of the president’s goals - reducing illegal drug use by 10 percent within five years and having the highest proportion of college graduates in the world by 2020.

This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue since rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high. Medicines that languish in homes are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse and abuse. Studies show individuals that abuse prescription drugs often obtain them from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. Additionally, many Americans do not know how to properly dispose of unused medicine, often flushing them down the toilet or throwing them away – both potential safety and health hazards.

Last fall, Congress passed the Safe and Secure Drug Disposal Act of 2010, which allows users of con-trolled substances to safely dispose of them by delivering medications to entities authorized by the Attorney General. The program is part of a U.S. Drug Enforcement effort to take prescription drugs off the streets.

To learn more, see the flyer in the attachment section of this edition.

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NOVASIGHTINGS

NOVASIGHTINGS NOVA Office of Emergency Management and Planning to

Update and Expand Continuity of Operations (COOP) Plans

Flooding, hurricanes, tornados, and earthquakes-oh my! This past year has been one fraught with poten-tial natural disasters. In the midst of those incidents, did you wonder how your division could work if you could not get back into the building for three or more days? Did you consider how you could teach classes if your campus experienced major disruptions?

Over the next several months the Office of Emergency Management and Planning (OEMP) is embarking on a Continuity of Operations (COOP) planning project to revise and enhance the College’s current COOP plan. Continuity of Operations (COOP) encompasses all necessary plans and procedures to ensure that the College remains safe and secure, and is able to continue to provide services, even under the most stressful situations.

Although NOVA’s current COOP plan has received an impressive 100 percent compliance with state standards during the annual assessment by the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM), there is still room for improvement.

The focus of this year’s update project is to expand the plan to cover each of the Campuses, the remote off site locations and the Extended Learning Institute (ELI). Each campus within the NOVA system has unique issues and concerns that influence continuity of operations during emergencies and disasters and OEMP has structured the project to incorporate each campus in the process. The updated plan will provide more coverage to NOVA’s campuses and essential functions and be more operational by dialing down to specific programs and recommended actions during COOP activation to ensure continuity of education.

Stephen Brunelle, MA, MPH, 2nd District emergency coordinator, will serve as the primary point of contact for the OEMP and will be reaching out to each campus over the next few months. We look forward to working with you and receiving your valuable input as we strive to strengthen NOVA’s ability to serve its students, faculty, and staff through “all hazards” preparedness and innovative planning.

New Faculty at the Annandale Campus

Professor Shelley Slaey is enjoying her first semester as a full-time faculty in the Business and Public Services Division as an Information Technology instructor. Previously, she taught ITE 115 and ITE 221 as an adjunct faculty member at the Loudoun Campus. She began teaching at the Annandale Campus this summer and now is teaching full-time. This fall, she is responsible for ITE 115, Introduction to Computer Applications and Concepts, and ITE 170, Multimedia Design at the Annandale Campus.

Slaey held a variety of positions before coming to NOVA. She worked for George Mason University in a program that provided additional support to students in order for them to reach their academic success, as a tutor for student athletes in math and statistics. Before Mason, she worked with smaller companies throughout Northern Virginia as a technical consultant. She was responsible for helping companies with networking issues and computer security.

Slaey is in the process of obtaining her doctorate in higher education at Mason and will resume work on it in the spring after taking a semester off to adjust to being a full-time faculty member. Her doctoral research is focused on STEM classes and how to best incorporate writing into the curriculum. She is interested in the various ways that students learn as well as how people teach. She holds a M.S. in telecommunications also from GMU and received an A.A.S. in auto-technology from NOVA. She actually teaches her ITE 115 class in the same room where she took her ITE 115 class several years ago!

Welcome Professor Slaey!

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NOVASIGHTINGS

Loudoun Student Activities Launches the LSA Leadership Institute

Loudoun Student Activities (LSA) launched its new Initiative, the LSA Leadership Institute fall 2011

and opened with a dynamic two day presentation by Joshua Fredenburg, a national leadership speaker and author from California. The first presentation “Are you a Leader Ready to Impact the World?” was held September 28, and the second presentation “Leadership and Diversity” was held September 30. The room was filled to capacity with students eager to learn how they can lead in the 21st century.

The Institute offers a variety of workshops and conferences during the fall and spring semesters. Work-shops are presented by professional speakers, faculty, student affairs professionals and student leaders. Workshops are offered twice a month and are free and open to all students. Upcoming presentation topics for the fall semester include “Learning the ABC’s of Social Media” by student leader Joshua Anton, “Networking Your Way to Success” and “ How to Build a Competitive Profile” by Counselor Mary McElhinny, and “ What Skills Do Employers Seek in Job Candidates” by Math Professor Joseph Agnich.

NOVA students, guest speaker Joshua Fredenburg and Student Activities Coordinator Tiffney Laing.

“Team NOVA Participates in Dulles Plane Pull” Article Correction

Please note in the “Team NOVA Participates in Dulles Plane Pull” article in the October 7 issue, the Team NOVA finished 22nd overall, instead of 10th as previously stated.

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NOVASIGHTINGS

NOVASIGHTINGS Medical Education Campus Celebrates Physical Therapy Month

Faculty Advisor Patricia Ottavio (far

right) and members of the Student Physical Therapist Assistant (SPTA) Club, celebrated Physical Therapy Month on October 13. Cake was provided and great program information was given to those who passed by their table.

Loudoun Student Activities Host Alive! Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Fair

On October 6 from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00

p.m. the Loudoun Student Activities (LSA) hosted a mental health and suicide preven-tion fair. The event featured graffiti art therapy where students could write and share their thoughts, a brain exhibit and a post your own secret exhibit. The program also included the award winning film "A Reason to Live” and “Bullied,” a documentary that showed the terrible toll that bullying can take on its victims.

Additionally, the fair included a suicide prevention training course in Question, Per-suade and Refer (QPR), on how to ask a friend or someone you are concerned about if they are suicidal. Lastly, Reese Butler, foun-der of 1-800-SUICIDE and the Hopeline Network gave a keynote address and shared his personal story of how he overcame the death of his wife after she committed suicide.

Ashley Owusu-Sampahstudent, Pathway Counselor Shannon Nieves, Student Ambassador Ominia Elgoodah, Student Activities Coordinator Tiffney Laing.

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NOVASIGHTINGS

CETL Faculty Advocates Explore Coaching Strategies

Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) faculty advocates met on Friday, October 7

with the Assistant Director of University of Virginia’s Teaching Resource Center, Dr. Michael Palmer, to explore coaching as a strategy for teaching consultations. CETL faculty advocates offer confidential consultations, classroom observations, and coaching for improved presentational skills to NOVA faculty. To schedule an appointment, contact CETL@nvcc.edu.

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Photo by Mark Bennington

UP&COMING

Taking Flight to Close 2011 Season with Loose Knit

Taking Flight Theatre Company (in residence at NOVA Loudoun) closes its 2011 season with Theresa Rebeck’s hilarious urban comedy “Loose Knit” on October 21 to 23, 28 to 30, and November 4 to 5. Friday and Saturday performances are at 8:00 p.m. and Sunday per-formances are at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for stu-dents and seniors, and can be pur-chased online at http://www.tftheatre.org or at the door – cash or check only. All per-formances will be at the Waddell Theatre on NOVA’s Loudoun Campus.

The sarcastic comedic story follows five women who on a weekly basis, nestle in the heart of New York City and find comfort in a knitting circle. As the sweaters pile up, their lives unravel. Liz is having an affair with her sister’s husband, Gina’s lost her job, Paula is having an identity crisis and Margie just wants a date. Enter: Miles, a swaggering businessman who made his first million before he turned 30, and only needs a wife to complete his life. While seemingly supportive, these backstabbing women go head to head in a series of blind dates, who together with Miles attempt to define what men and women really want.

The cast includes: Caity Brown (Washington, D.C.), as Gina; Jackie Davis (Sterling, Virginia), as Lily; Jenny Girardi (Reston, Virginia), as Liz; Kate Keifer (Herndon, Virginia), as Margie; Anissa Parekh (Alexandria, Virginia) as Paula; Stu Fisher (Vienna, Virginia) as Miles; and Wayne Jaques (Ashburn, Virginia) as Bob.

Produced by Christy Jacobs (Sterling), “Loose Knit” will be directed by Haley Murphy (Great Falls, Virginia) and stage managed by Colleen Stock (Ashburn).

Contact Natalie V. Safley at nsafley@nvcc.edu for more information.

The cast of Taking Flight Theatre Company's production of Loose Knit. Back row (left to right): Anissa Parekh, Kate Keifer, Jenny Gerardi, Jackie Davis and Caity Brown. Front row (left to right): Stu Fisher and Wayne Jacques.

Photo by Allrand Photography

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UP&COMING

Hispanic Heritage Month Events at Alexandria

The Alexandria Campus International Studies Committee planned several events for Hispanic Heritage Month. The following event will take place at the Alexandria Campus in Room AA-196.

Monday, October 24 at 2:00 p.m.

“Seeking the promise of America, a beautiful young woman, Sayra (Paulina Gaitan), joins her father on an odyssey to cross the gauntlet of the Latin American countryside. Along the way, she crosses paths with a teenaged Mexican gang member, El Casper (Edgar M. Flores), who is maneuvering to outrun his violent past. Together they have to rely on faith, trust and street smarts if they are to survive their increasingly per-ilous journey towards the hope of new lives.” From: http://focusfeatures.com/sin_nombre.

These screenings are funded by a grant from the NVCC Educational Foundation as part of the International Studies Committee’s International Film Series.

Science Seminar: "“Wetlands – An Ecosystem Perspective”

All students, staff and faculty are cordially invited to a Science Seminar on Friday, October 28 in the

CE Forum from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. Titled “Wetlands – An Ecosystem Perspective,” NOVA faculty Lisa D. Williams will be the speaker.

Wetlands are ecosystems still undervalued in the United States and throughout the world. Although the international scientific and public communities have taken steps to protect them, the areal extent of these ecosystems continues to decline. The functions that ecosystems provide to living organisms, what the inter-national community is doing to protect these ecosystems, and some current research in wetland vegetation will be discussed.

Williams earned a B.A. and M.S. in biology from George Mason University. She spent 17 years in private industry as a toxicology and biochemistry technician. She began teaching at NOVA in 2004 as an adjunct in as a biology instructor and in 2009, she became a full-time member of the Annandale MSE faculty. Williams is currently working toward a M.S. in science education through Montana State Univer-sity.

Williams’ professional interests are in science education, botany and all aspects of wetland ecology. She assists graduate students at the Wetland Ecology Lab directed by Dr. Changwoo Ahn at George Mason University with vegetation collections and identifications. She and Ahn are currently collaborating on experiments that model competition amongst wetland plants in miniature ecosystems called mesocosms. Williams and her botany and general biology students have also worked with Earth Sangha, a local environmental group, on streamside restoration projects.

This seminar is presented by the Mathematics, Science and Engineering Division and the Lyceum.

“Summoning Our Future Scientists & Engineers”

On November 2 and 3, there will be an extraordinary STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) symposium at the Alexandria Campus in the Bisdorf Building Room 158 titled "Summoning Our Future Scientists & Engineers." There will also be a panel scheduled. See the flyer in the attachment section to see the full schedule of events and sessions.

This is presented by the Alexandria Campus Diversity Committee.

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Photo by Mark Bennington

UP&COMING

Author Justin Martin to be Lyceum Speaker in November

Justin Martin, author of “Genius of Place: The Life of Frederick Law Olmsted,” will speak about his new book on Wednesday, November 2 at 12:30 p.m. in the CE Forum on the Annandale Campus.

Martin’s new book tells the story of one of the most important figures in the history of America. Olmsted was a fervent abolitionist, noted journalist, Civil War hero, early environmentalist and the land-scape architect behind New York's Central Park, Boston's Emerald Necklace, Stanford University, the Biltmore Estate and dozens of other green spaces around the U.S.

Martin’s previous biography subjects include Alan Greenspan and Ralph Nader. The Greenspan bio was selected as a notable book for 2001 by the New York Times Book Review. The Nader bio was a primary source for “An Unreasonable Man,” an Academy Award nominated documentary.

Martin is a 1987 graduate of Rice University in Houston, Texas. He was married in Olmsted’s Central Park and currently lives with his wife and twin sons in Forest Hills Gardens, New York, a neighborhood designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr.

Alexandria Hosts Multi-media Concert: “Spirit of the Civil War”

The NOVA Alexandria Campus Music, Communication and Design, History and Photography depart-

ments will present a multi-media concert, “Spirit of the Civil War.” This concert will be held on Friday, November 11 at 7:30 p.m. in the Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center on the Alexandria Campus in remembrance of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War.

The Alexandria Campus Band will be joined by of the Mount Vernon Concert Band, the NOVA Com-munity Chorus, and the Arlington Children’s Chorus to perform a multi-media concert of civil war music. Guest soloist will include Christine Hagan, piano, and Dr. Dennis Edlebrock, on an authentic Civil War Eb Cornet. The concert will include music of both the North and South including such favorites as “Goober Peas,” “Drummer Boy of Shiloh”, “Bonnie Blue Flag,” and “Battle Hymn of the Republic” accompanied by visual images of the Civil War. In addition a number of the musical selections not heard since the beginning of the 20th Century, have been arranged by the composition faculty and students of Alexandria for this concert.

Seating is limited and tickets will be available at the door for a suggested donation for adults- $10 and students/seniors- $5. Parking fee is $6 for the Beauregard Parking Garage directly across from Schlesinger Hall. The Rachel M. Schlesinger Hall is located at 3001 North Beauregard Blvd, Alexandria, Virginia.

This concert is made possible through grants from the Northern Virginia Community College Founda-tion and the Virginia Community College System.

For more information, please contact Wendy Matthews at wmatthews@nvcc.edu or 703-845-6252 or Ken Balbuena at kpbaluena@nvcc.edu or 703-845-6067.

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HOTTOPICS UNUM Long Term Disability Open Enrollment

The month of October is the open enrollment period when salaried employees not enrolled in the

Virginia Sickness and Disability Program (VSDP) may elect to participate in the College’s group Long Term Disability Program. The College’s plan is serviced by UNUM and includes income protection at three levels: 50 percent, 40 percent and 25 percent of monthly salary. Eligible salaried employees may enroll in the program for the first time and current participants may increase or decrease their level of income protec-tion. All enrollments and changes must be received in Human Resources no later than 5:00 p.m. on October 31. New elections and changes take effect January 1, 2012. Contact a member of Employee Services in Human Resources for forms or additional information.

Open Enrollment Plan Change for Optional Retirement Plan Participants

October 1 through October 31 is Open Enrollment for participants in the Optional Retirement Plan for Higher Education (ORP). The two providers available to plan participants are Fidelity Investments and TIAA-CREF. For information on the providers visit their websites at http://www.fidelity.com/atwork and http://www.tiaa-cref.org. This open enrollment period does not allow for a change from ORP to VRS or from VRS to the ORP.

To change providers during Open Enrollment, participants must request the Provider Change Form and Provider Enrollment Application from Human Resources. Completed forms must be received in Human Re-sources no later than 5:00 p.m. on October 31. Requested provider changes take effect January 1, 2012. Contact a member of the Employee Services Team for additional information.

Call for Proposals for PUP Conference

You are cordially invited to submit a proposal for NOVA’s 7th Annual Power Up Your Pedagogy (PUP) Conference. Held each year in early January, the PUP Conference is by and for NOVA faculty. Please mark your calendars for Wednesday, January 4 and Thursday, January 5, 2012. The conference will take place at the Annandale Campus. Check the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) website for more details: http://www.nvcc.edu/CETL.

The deadline for online proposals is October 14. For more information, go to http://www.nvcc.edu/faculty-and-staff/teaching-support/cetl/conference.html. This year’s theme is “Empower Student Success.”

The PUP Conference is co-sponsored by Academic Services, CETL, the Extended Learning Institute, Human Resources, the Technology Applications Center, and Web Services and Digital Media. Contact any of these units for more details.

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HOTTOPICS The Chancellor’s Faculty Fellowship Program,

Chancellor’s Commonwealth Professors Program, and President’s Sabbatical Award

NOVA faculty have consistently distinguished themselves by winning the top teaching awards. This year

the college nominees for the prestigious SCHEV Outstanding Faculty Awards are Callan Bentley, Rebecca Kamen, Charles Poland, and Jane Serbousek.

It is time now for all eligible faculty to consider applying for three other opportunities. The Chancellor’s Faculty Fellowship Program provides paid leave and tuition assistance for doctoral degrees in leadership/higher education or discipline specific programs. The fellowship provides between $7,500-$12,500 in tuition assistance and a leave of absence of one year to pursue full-time graduate study. It pays the recipients three-quarters of their salary during their leave with continuation of insurance, retirement, seniority, and other employee benefits.

The Chancellor’s Commonwealth Professors Program provides release time and summer stipends over a two-year period for faculty members to complete a self-directed educational project. Recipients can receive up to $7,500 in reimbursable expenses related to their teaching/learning project, a $3,000 stipend for two consecutive summers, and release time for four courses over a two-year period.

There are very specific eligibility requirements for each of these awards and those interested in applying should go the Virginia Community College System (VCCS) webpage and then link to the faculty/staff section for more information. By November 21, please submit a two-page statement that the Awards Committee will review in their consideration of NOVA’s nominees for these awards. Those interested in the Chancellor’s Faculty Fellowship Awards should specify the degree that they are pursuing and the university that they will be attending. Those who wish to apply for the Chancellor’s Commonwealth Professor Program will need to address the self-directed project that focuses on community college teaching and learning.

The President’s Sabbatical Award allows three professors, one of whom can be on a 12-month contract, to receive a semester of leave with full pay. Proposals should be no longer than 1,000 words, include a 50 word executive summary, and specify how the sabbatical will uniquely benefit both the indi-vidual and the College. Faculty members on the Personnel Services Committee will evaluate the proposals and make recommendations to President Robert G. Templin, Jr. Award recipients will present a lecture on their sabbatical experience to the college community during the year following their leave. The deadline for the President’s Sabbatical Award is December 2.

Please forward your proposals for these three valuable professional development opportunities to Dr. Charles Errico at cerrico@nvcc.edu.

Please note that the attachment section of the Intercom can be accessed online at: http://www.nvcc.edu/pip/102111attachment.pdf.