INTERCOM. Answer the Call: NOVA Commits to Ambitious Initiative Focused on College Completion. November 5, Inside: Table of Contents

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1 INTERCOM November 5, 2010 Intercom Newsletter: Intercom is a publication of Marketing and Communications. It is produced electronically every Friday for the faculty and staff of Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA). Submissions: Please submit your items via 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 published with the understanding that such information is correct and verified by the contributor prior to submission. Editor: Alison Nicole Nooks Phone: For Intercom Archives and Submission Guidelines: 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 Intercom from being posted on time. During the summer and inbetween semesters, Intercom is published every other Friday. Submit your news today! Answer the Call: NOVA Commits to Ambitious Initiative Focused on College Completion NOVA s president and Board are challenging everyone associated with the College to substantially increase the number of graduates with highquality postsecondary degrees and certifications to fulfill critical local, state and national goals. Signed by Board Chair James L. White and President Robert G. Templin, Jr., Accepting the College Completion Challenge A Call to Action presents an aggressive agenda to produce 50 percent more students with degrees and certifications by Northern Virginia Community College has an obligation to meet the challenge while holding firmly to traditional values of access, opportunity and excellence, the document states. We believe the talented and committed people working heart and soul at Northern Virginia Community College are ready to take on leadership roles to increase student success and college completion. Accepting the College Completion Challenge pledges several actions to achieve this objective, such as eliminating attainment gaps that separate student groups based on race, ethnicity and family income, and changing the institutional culture from a focus mainly on access to an emphasis on access and success. Faculty and staff will be provided with development opportunities to build and sustain leadership for student success. NOVA s Board, administrators, faculty, counselors, advisors, financial aid officers, staff and students are asked to find ways to help students understand the value of degrees and certifications. In addition, students are asked to help each other succeed. Furthermore, community members, elected officials and other community colleges are invited to support the effort. We call upon every sector and constituency of our college and community to join us in this work. Our democracy needs every one of us. Read Accepting the College Completion Challenge A Call to Action at Inside: Page 2: Pages 2-7: Table of Contents NOVA Sightings Pages 8-9 : Pages 10-11: Up & Coming Hot Topics

2 Table of Contents Page 1 Answer the Call: NOVA Commits to Ambitious Initiative Focused on College Completion Page 2 Alexandria Campus Hosts Achieving the Dream Board Page 3 Matt Todd Becomes New President of Statewide Association Page 4 Hispanic Heritage Month Page 5 3 rd Annual Bonfire at Loudoun Page 6 Halloween Blood Drive Page 7 Medical Education Campus Highlights Alcohol Awareness Page 8 A Literary Event Featuring NOVA Authors Annandale Symphony Orchestra Upcoming Faculty Focus Workshops Call for Proposals for the Power Up Your Pedagogy Conference Page 9 PUP Conference Information Fostering Student Success New Horizons Conference Page 10 NOVA Provides Unique Health Information System Opportunities Flu Shots Are Available Page Entertainment Books President s Sabbatical Chancellor s Commonwealth Professorship and Chancellor s Faculty Fellowship Alexandria Campus Hosts Achieving the Dream Board Members of the Achieving the Dream Board of Directors led by Chairman and President Robert G. Templin, Jr., pose for a photo. Photo by Kevin Mattingly The Schlesinger Center was host to the most recent meeting of the national Achieving the Dream (ATD) Board of Directors. With NOVA s President Robert G. Templin, Jr., serving as chairman of the board, more than a dozen board members and ATD staff from around the country discussed the development of a new strategic plan that will allow ATD to continue its successful impact on student success. Vice President George Gabriel, who oversees NOVA s ATD Core Team committee, joined Core Team members Kathy Lloyd and Provost Hortense Hinton and Alexandria Campus committee member Ken Balbuena in welcoming the board members to NOVA. Following the threehour discussion, board members were able to tour the Alexandria Campus and meet with members of the Campus team. The Campus team members shared the various initiatives and successes of ATD s implementation at Alexandria. Board members seemed extremely impressed with the Campus implementation of a Summer Bridge Program (presented by Shannon Ingram, Pathway to the Baccalaureate counselor), learning communities (presented by Barry Selinger, English faculty), professional development by way of a guest speaker from ATD leader college El Paso Community College (presented by Stephen Suetterlein, business faculty), First Year Experience and New Student Orientation programs (presented by Michael Donnelly, academic counselor) and NCAT (The National Center for Academic Transformation) developmental math redesign (presented by Tonia Vaughn, math faculty). 2

3 Alexandria Campus librarian Matt Todd assumed the presidency of the Virginia Library Association (VLA) during its annual conference in Portsmouth, Virginia on October 22. He previously served on the association s executive council as treasurer and president-elect and is the first community college librarian to serve as VLA president. The VLA has more than 1,000 members and has served Virginia for 100 years by developing, promoting and improving library and information services to advance literacy and learning and to ensure access to information for all Virginians. As president, Todd will preside over the 2011 annual conference with the theme Nature is a Language, Can t You Read? Literacy and Sustainability in Virginia s Libraries. To learn more about the VLA, go online to Matt Todd Becomes New President of Statewide Association Matt Todd (AL) accepts the gavel from outgoing Virginia Library Association President John Moorman of Williamsburg Regional Library. Intercom Reminders Faculty and staff contributors and readers: Deadline: Submissions must be received (via ) by 5:00 p.m. on Fridays to be considered for the following week s edition. Submission Guidelines: Submissions should be ed to intercom@nvcc.edu. Unformatted text should be sent in an MSWord document or may be put into the body of the . 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 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. 3

4 In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, the Medical Education Campus (MEC) began with a tango presentation and lessons. Faculty, staff and students learned about tango from Pontitango, a professional Latin dancer, and his dance partner. The Andean music group, Itumiray, performed during a lunch event for the enjoyment of faculty, staff and students. Not only did the MEC get to experience new musical delights, they were also able to taste a Peruvian lunch and pupusas, a traditional food from El Salvador and many other Central American countries. As a service to our community, K. I. Services came in and provided information and health screenings which included HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) testing. Hispanic Heritage Month Maria Nieto-Shahsavarian, EMS student and Pontitango dancers. The Student Services event team. 4

5 Loudoun Student Activities hosted its 3 rd Annual Bonfire on October 25. More than 100 students, faculty and staff gathered at the event and enjoyed a night of karaoke, s mores and hot chocolate. Participants fully enjoyed the experience and are looking forward to having it again next year. Student Activities would like to thank the Vet Tech Club, Student Ambassadors and the maintenance staff for their assistance in making the event a success. 3 rd Annual Bonfire at Loudoun Counselor Bobby Stinnette and Administration Assistant Thien X. Le. A student roasting a marshmallow. 5

6 The Medical Education Campus Student Activities Octoberfest and Halloween Blood Drive was a success. All donor appointments were filled well in advance, which allotted more time to enjoy and celebrate! The faculty, staff and students all participated in the day s activities. Student associations MeLT (Medical Laboratory Technology) Club, SADHA (Student American Dental Hygiene Association) and RTH (Respiratory Therapy) Club were present with table displays and treats for contributors. A portion of the proceeds collected from the organizations will go to the American Red Cross Foundation. Halloween Blood Drive Dean of Nursing Florence Richman, Provost Brian Foley, Kimberly Nicely of Student Services and Paul Falkenstein of Health Information System (HIS). 6

7 Medical Education Campus Highlights Alcohol Awareness For three days, students on the Medical Education Campus were able to see the tragic results of drinking and driving with a MADD (Mothers Against Drinking and Driving) exhibit of an alcohol-related crashed car. The Student Activities Office provided water bottles with the logo Smarties Don t Drink and Drive, Smarties candy, a range of literature about laws in Virginia concerning alcohol related incidents, and resources for treatment and counseling. Staff and students experienced Fatal Vision goggles that simulate impaired vision while drinking. The Campus Police provided an intoxilizer to test for alcohol blood levels after using Listerine. Phi Theta Kappa provided a tikki bar built by one of the students with root beer floats and the Respiratory Therapy Club organized a bake sale. The MeLT (Medical Laboratory Technology) Club also had a table for making test tube pixie stick sand art kits. Proceeds from their donations went to MADD.org of Virginia. 7

8 UP&COMING A Literary Event Featuring NOVA Authors NOVA authors Raul Jordan-Smith, Robert Bausch, Elizabeth Eshelman, Lori Leeker and several others will be featured at A Literary Event Featuring NOVA Authors on the Woodbridge Campus. This event will be held on November 9 from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Gordon M. Cook Library in the 4th floor atrium of the Seefeldt Building. Annandale Symphony Orchestra The NOVA s Annandale Symphony Orchestra will present a concert of orchestral and vocal masterpieces on November 12 at 8:00 p.m. in the Ernst Center on the Annandale Campus. Under the direction of Music Director Christopher Johnston (AN), the student/community orchestra will perform Beethoven s Symphony No. 7, Mussorgsky s Night on Bald Mountain and Morton Gould s American Salute. The concert, co-sponsored by the Reunion Music Society and the Annandale Campus, will also feature lyric soprano Kathleen Kelly, a student of Dr. Dagmar White (AN), who will sing the ever-popular O Mio Babbino Caro by Puccini and Vilia s Song by Franz Lehar, among other favorites. Admission is $15; $10 for seniors and students with ID. Children 12 and under are admitted free. For more information, call Upcoming Faculty Focus Workshops Three Faculty Focus Workshops sponsored by NOVA s Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning are coming up soon. To register for these workshops, go to November 12 November 15 November 16 Meet NOOKstudy: Barnes & Noble College Bookstore Provost Conference Room, Manassas Campus 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. How to Speak So Students Listen CH Large Board Room, Annandale Campus 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Conflict Management Skills: How Do You Fight? Kings Park Library, Braddock Hall, Burke, Virginia 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Call for Proposals for the Power Up Your Pedagogy Conference Please submit your online proposal to deliver a presentation at the Power Up Your Pedagogy (PUP) Conference to We are soliciting presentation proposals for January 5, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., and for January 6, from 10:00 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. Please specify whether you prefer to offer a speed-visiting (15-minute) educational technology offering or a two-hour workshop on January 5, or a 45-minute session on January 6. Proposals for the PUP Conference will be accepted through October 15. The NOVA Professional Development Faculty Subcommittee will select the presentations and notify presenters by October 20. 8

9 UP&COMING PUP Conference Information Fostering Student Success The sixth annual Power Up Your Pedagogy (PUP) Conference is coming! The PUP Conference is by and for NOVA faculty. All NOVA faculty (new, experienced, emeriti, part-time, full-time, teaching, professional and administrative) are welcome to attend. NOVA staff are also welcome. The PUP Conference will be held at NOVA's Annandale Campus on January 5 and January 6, 2011, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. There is no cost to NOVA employees. Early-bird registration is strongly recommended. As an incentive, those who register online before January 3 will receive a PUP Conference promotional item. To register, go to On-site registration and check-in: Please help us with ordering food and arranging for special needs by registering online ahead of time. If you have registered prior to the conference, be sure to check in at the CE Atrium tables for your gift. If you have not registered, you may do so on site. Only those who register early will receive a PUP Conference promotional item. The PUP Conference replaced what was formerly called Cross Campus Days. Agenda for PUP Conference: January 5, 2011: 9:00 a.m. Registration and continental breakfast, CE Atrium 9:20 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. Plenary presentation by Executive Vice President John Dever, CE Theatre 10:00 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. Concurrent sessions 11:00 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. Concurrent sessions 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Educational technology speed visits, CE Forum 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. Lunch, CF Cafeteria 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Concurrent 2-hour workshops Photo by Mark Bennington January 6, :00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Registration and continental breakfast, CE Atrium 10:00 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. Concurrent sessions 11:00 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. Concurrent sessions 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. Lunch, CF Cafeteria 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Concurrent discipline cluster meetings Check the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) Web site for the online event planner, that enables you to look over the schedule including the discipline cluster room assignments, Be sure to print out a schedule for yourself New Horizons Conference In addition to registering for the NOVA Power Up Your Pedagogy Conference (January 5 and 6), it is time to register for the VCCS New Horizons conference (April 13 to 15, 2011). To register, go online to Please consider submitting a proposal for a presentation and/or an award. 9

10 HOTTOPICS NOVA Provides Unique Health Information System Opportunities NOVA s Health Information System (HIS) Unit and the Center for Excellence in Health Information Systems have several opportunities available to the College faculty, staff and students. The HIS Unit was formed to support approximately $8 million worth of grants from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), which is a part of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and a congressional earmark. The HIS Unit consists of the Office of the Assistant Dean (Emily Graham) for NOVA s traditional HIM programs (Registered Health Information Technician / Clinical Coding Certificate) and the Office of the Assistant Dean for Federal Programs (Shelia Peterson). Jacqueline Gibbons is the director of the HIS Unit. Gibbons and her staff are responsible for the Unit and the execution of the traditional HIM programs, plus the 300 students that are to be trained from the ONC Community College Consortia funding. To learn more: community_college_program/1804. NOVA faculty, staff and students are eligible to apply for these programs, which include tuition and books. To get more information, you may also stop by the Medical Education Campus (MEC) room 116. David Falkenstein and his staff are responsible for the fiscal and administrative management of the HIS Unit grants and the oversight of the ONC National Competency Examination Program ( initiated in partnership with ONC, AHIMA and Pearson View. The HIS Center of Excellence: NOVA is seizing the opportunity to lead a labor force transformation in health information management and technology through the realization of a Center for Excellence in Health Information Systems. NOVA s Center for Excellence in HIS operates on the philosophy that improving the quality of healthcare requires a workforce equipped with skills to manage medical information and health records in a secure, accurate and cost effective manner. HIS is a multidisciplinary career field that unites the intersection of information technology, healthcare management, clinical protocols, formal medical terminology and computer science in order to deliver comprehensive management of medical information. Tony Bansal will provide leadership for the Center. ONC Workforce Development HIM/HIT Programs: In April, ONC awarded $84 million in cooperative agreements for the Health IT Workforce Development Program to help ensure that health professionals have the technical support they need to adopt electronic health records. NOVA is starting to see the first results of the program, to include: Health IT classes are under way at 84 community colleges that are using the curriculum developed through the Curriculum Development Centers Program. This is just the beginning. All in all, ONC s Health IT Workforce Development Program is expected to reduce the shortfall of skilled health IT professionals by 85 percent. To learn more, read Dr. David Blumenthal s new letter The Health It Workforce Development Program: Help Is on the Way online Also visit the Health IT Buzz blog ( for the latest on other health IT initiatives. See the attachment section of this issue for more information on these programs and initiatives. Flu Shots Are Available Inova Health Care is willing to come to NOVA to administer flu shots during the Power Up Your Pedagogy Conference in January. To assist with planning, please respond to three quick questions at Thank you in advance. 10

11 HOTTOPICS 2011 Entertainment Books The 2011 Entertainment coupon books have arrived! They make a unique holiday gift. The Entertainment books are $35 and available in NW room 817. The NVCC Educational Foundation receives $5.00 from each book sold. The books contain over 500 discounts for dining, vacation packages, music, theaters and even online shopping. You may pay by cash, credit card (VISA or MC only) or check. For more information, please contact Michelle Beaini at or mbeaini@nvcc.edu. They can be used immediately, so do not delay buy yours today! President s Sabbatical The President s Sabbatical Award will allow three faculty members, one of whom can be on a twelvemonth contract, to receive a semester of leave with full pay. Proposals will be awarded based on their excellence and a candidate s potential to contribute to the long-term mission of the College. Those wishing to apply for the award for the academic year will need to submit a proposal by December 1. The proposal should be no longer than 1,000 words and should specify how the sabbatical leave will uniquely benefit both the individual and the College. The proposal and a 50-word executive summary should be sent via to Shelli Jarvis in Human Resources along with NOVA Form Faculty members on the Personnel Services Committee (who are not eligible for the award) will evaluate the proposals. Award recipients will present a lecture on their sabbatical experience to the College community during the year following their leave. Questions concerning this important professional development experience should be directed to any member of the Personnel Services Committee or Committee Chair Charles Errico. Chancellor s Commonwealth Professorship and Chancellor s Faculty Fellowship Chancellor s Commonwealth Professorship and the Faculty Fellowship Applications Available Opportunities are available for NOVA full-time faculty to apply for two major programs sponsored by the Virginia Community College System: the Chancellor s Commonwealth Professorship and the Chancellor s Faculty Fellowship. The Chancellor s Commonwealth Professorship provides reassigned time, summer stipends, and funding for reimbursable expenses over two years for faculty to pursue self-directed projects. Up to three individuals may be designated Chancellor's Commonwealth Professors each year. The Chancellor s Faculty Fellowship provides support to faculty pursuing doctoral degrees. The Chancellor's Faculty Fellowship is awarded annually to up to three professional educators in the VCCS. Detailed information is available at You can simply click the links provided to learn more. Applications for NOVA faculty are processed through the Awards Committee. Anyone interested in pursuing either opportunity for the next academic year should submit the required materials to Debbie Rosen, chair of the Awards Committee, by November 12. Please note that the attachment section of the Intercom can be accessed online at: 11