Studenthb2009 11

Student Handbook
20092011
Policy Regarding Online and Print Versions of the Student Handbook Every effort has been made to provide the most accurate, up-to-date information possible in this handbook. It is revised every two years, but there may be times when substantive changes are required after the handbook has been printed. Such changes are flagged in the online Student Handbook at www.nvcc.edu/resources/stuhandbook/, which is linked to a document entitled Updates to the Student Handbook. Students should consult the NOVA online Student Handbook periodically for updates.
Student Handbook 20092011 | NOVA | page 1
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Presidents Welcome
On behalf of the members of the faculty and sta at Northern Virginia Community College, it is my pleasure to say WELCOME. NOVA is an exciting and dynamic place to pursue your educational goals, and we are delighted to have you here. The programs and services available at all of our campuses and through the Extended Learning Institute have been designed with your future in mind. We have included a mixture of cultural and social programs and activities that we hope will enhance your academic experience. I encourage you to take charge of your education, to be inquisitive and get as much as you can out of each opportunity presented to you. I think you will NOVA will be a life-changing experience. Best of luck to you as you pursue your educational goals here at NOVA. ..
Robert G. Templin, Jr. President Northern Virginia Community College

Accreditation Northern Virginia Community College is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award the associate degree. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4079 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of Northern Virginia Community College. For other information about the College, please contact NOVA at Administrative O ces, 4001 Wake eldChapel Road, Annandale, Virginia, 22003-3796 or call 703-323-3000. Curricula of the College are approved by the College Board and by the State Board. The two-year associate degree programs are also approved by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV).
Student Handbook 20092011 |
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Student Handbook
This handbook is informational only, and is subject to all applicable laws or policies of the State Board for Community Colleges as they shall be in effect from time to time. The statements and provisions in this handbook are not to be regarded as a contract between the student and the College that cannot be recalled. The College reserves the right to change, when warranted, any of its policies, programs, courses and fees. Nothing herein shall be interpreted as creating any right or benefit which has not been duly authorized as provided by law, or which is contrary to any law, policy, rule or regulation of the Commonwealth of Virginia or of the State Board for Community Colleges. Policy and procedure changes made subsequent to the publication of this handbook take precedence and will be made a part of subsequent issues. It is the policy of both Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) and the Virginia Community College System (VCCS) to maintain and promote equal employment and educational opportunities without regard to race, color, sex or age (except where sex or age is a bona fide occupational qualification), religion, disability, national origin, marital status, veteran status, political affiliation, sexual orientation, or other non-merit factors. Inquiries concerning affirmative action and equal opportunity policies should be addressed to the Colleges director of Affirmative Action/Minority and Legal Affairs, whose office is located in the Brault Building at the Annandale Campus (7033233266). Virginia Community College System An equal opportunity/affirmative action institution.
Table of Contents
Introduction to NOVA Statement of Values Our Commitment Our Shared Values Student Development Services Student Services Center NOVAConnect: Student Information System Enrollment Counseling and Specialized Services Unit Disabilities Services for Students Veterans Benefits and Services Career Development Services College Records Office Student Financial Aid Student Activities Student Leadership How to Get Involved: Clubs and Organizations College-Wide Student Publications Intercollegiate Athletics Intramurals Solicitation and Distribution of Materials on College Property Publicity Contact Information Student Records Privacy of Student Records Student Record Disclosure to Faculty and Administration Student Record Disclosure to Persons Outside the College Student Review of Records Student Records Retention Use of Student Photographs NOVAConnect Student ID Number 8 9 9 9 11 12 12 13 13 16 17 18 19 19 24 24 25 25 25 25 25 26 26 26 27 27 27 28 29 29 30 30
Academic Information Academic Honors Academic Standing Bookstores Campus of Record College Catalog Cooperative Education Extended Learning Institute Faculty Advisors Graduation Educational Support Services Accommodations for Religious Observances Unexpected Delay of an Instructor in Meeting a Class General Information College Life Alcoholic Beverage Policy Alumni Federation Children on Campus Copyright Electronic Mail (e-mail) Emergencies Environmental Awareness Recycling Fire Alarms Firearms and Other Dangerous Weapons and Materials Food Services Inclement Weather Policy Insurance Information Lockers Lost and Found Meeting Rooms Parking and Traffic Regulations Police Safety Information Scheduling of Events Smoking Policy Whos Who Among Students in American Junior Colleges NOVA Fees and Fines Tuition Payment Deferred Payment Plan Tuition Refund Domicile/Tuition Appeal Process General Expenses
31 31 31 33 33 34 34 35 35 36 36 36 37 38 38 38 38 38 39 39 40 41 41 41 41 43 47 47 47 47 48 48 49 49 49 49 50 50 51 51 52 53
Library Charges Nonpayment of Debts and Holds on Student Records NOVACard ID Cards Parking Permits Physical Education Charges Traffic Fines Reference: College Policies and Procedures Advisory and Governing Bodies Student Membership on Committees Student Organizations Policies and Procedures for Recognition of Student Groups Student Rights and Responsibilities Section I: Rights and Responsibilities Section II: Student Conduct, Academic Dishonesty Section III: Student Disciplinary Policies and Procedures Section IV: Administrative Responsibility for the College Section V: Illegal Substance Policy Section VI: Academic Dishonesty Section VII: Information Technology Ethics Agreement and NOVA Computer User Agreement Section VIII: Sexual Harassment Section IX: Procedure for Registration of College Demonstrations Section X: Solicitation and Distribution of Materials on College Property Student Complaints and Grievances Course Grade Appeals Faculty Responsibilities and Obligations Transportation/Campus Locations Index Who Can Answer My Question? Administrative Offices
53 54 54 54 55 55 56 57 57 60 61 65 65 66 67 72 72 73 73 77 78 79 80 83 85 88 90 94 95
Introduction to NOVA
Welcome to Northern Virginia Community College, commonly known as NOVA or NVCC. You are now a student at the largest of 23 community colleges in Virginia, which enrolls over 60,000 students annually in credit courses. You have your own reasons for attending NOVA. You may be in an student enrolled to improve job skills, take courses for transfer to a university, or for personal growth. NOVA also o ers developmental studies, non-credit, and community services courses. Classes are o ered at the Alexandria, Annandale, Loudoun, Manassas, Medical Education, and Woodbridge campuses, the Arlington and Reston centers, military bases and other o campus locations, and by internet, television, or other media through the Extended Learning Institute.
Our Mission: With commitment to the values of access, opportunity, student success, and excellence, the mission of Northern Virginia Community College is to deliver word-class in-person and online post-secondary teaching, learnling, and workforce development to ensure our region and the Commonwealth of Virginia havee an education population and globally competitive workforce. Our Vision: To be a learning-centered organization that promotes student success. Please take a few minutes to look through the information in this Handbook, the current College Catalog, and the Schedule of Classes. All will provide valuable information during your enrollment at the College.
Statement of Values
Our Commitment
We at Northern Virginia Community College are committed to our students, to our community, and to each other. We are committed to excellence in education, take pride in our educational mission as a significant extension of the democratic tradition, and we remain true to the ideals and principles of that cherished tradition. The foundation of our institution is the unique diversity of educational experiences we provide for the community, shaped by our dedication to teaching and learning and to the values that we share.
Our Shared Values

Opportunity with Excellence We are committed to providing open access and promoting equality for all who seek to improve their lives. We are committed to offering a wide variety of programs and services within the means of all citizens and with each having its standards of excellence. We encourage our students to take advantage of opportunities and to seek the limits of their potential in aesthetic and cultural enrichment, technical knowledge, personal growth, understanding of the basic academic disciplines, and recreational and avocational pursuits. Responsiveness We believe that the citizens of Northern Virginia, both individual and corporate, should help shape the programs, courses, and services of the College. We are committed to listening to the community and inviting its participation in shaping the programs and services of the College. We believe our worth as a community college is measured by the quality and timeliness of our response and service to the community.
Comprehensive Educational Programs We see learning as an end in itself, as the most practical means to a full life, and as essential to improve the quality of life of the individual. We value our comprehensive programs liberal arts and sciences, career and technical education, continuing education, developmental education, specialized educational services, and student services and hold all to be of equal distinction and prominence. We believe each aspect of our comprehensive educational program has high value to those served; therefore, we advocate the offering of these comprehensive services alongside each other and in a unified setting. We are foremost an institution focused upon teaching we are dedicated to teaching through varied approaches and to upholding innovation with free, open discussion of ideas and values. Caring Environment We believe in the worth, dignity, and human potential of each individual who participates in the programs and services of the College. We recognize our responsibility to build and maintain a college environment that encourages all individuals to realize their potential, and to provide the diverse learning support and growth opportunities each person needs to be successful. We are committed to maintaining a caring environment for all those associated with the College students, faculty, staff, and the community in general. Public Trust and Responsibility We are committed to individual and organizational performance that builds and maintains public trust and confidence. We hold ourselves accountable for attaining management, operational, and fiscal practices that are efficient and effective. We are committed to high ethical standards, assertive affirmative action, and effective involvement in and support for local community activities and economic development.
Student Development Services

Purpose:
The purpose of Student Development Services is to assist students in achieving their educational goals and to provide opportunities for them to enhance their career and personal development. To carry out this purpose we have established the following objectives.
Student Development Services Objectives:

To assist students in their transition to the College. To implement admissions activities that clearly inform prospective students about admissions policies and procedures and that result in successful matriculation of students. To provide experiences that assist students in the development of skills and knowledge that will enable them to establish and achieve personal, educational, and career objectives. To assist students in the development of job-seeking skills. To assist students seeking transfer to a university by providing advice on transfer courses and processes. To manage student records efficiently, accurately, and with complete security. To administer an effective, objective, and fiscally-sound student financial aid program. To provide a variety of co-curricular campus activities to enhance students collegial experiences.
To offer programs and services that promote student wellness, encourage a positive campus community environment, and support the dignity and respect of all individuals. The dean of students leads and manages the functions and services listed, including the following areas that provide information and assistance to you through Student Services Centers located on each campus. Each Student Services Center provides direct service to students through their information services unit, as well as providing Counseling and specialized services to students. Student Development Services also assists students through the College Records Office (CRO) and the College Financial Aid Office (CFAO). The associate vice president for Student Services and Enrollment Management, a member of the College staff, coordinates the development of policies and procedures for college-wide student service functions and works cooperatively with the campus deans of students to implement those policies and procedures.
Student Services Center

Information Service Unit The Student Services Center on each campus provides general information and can assist you with the following: NOVAConnect Admissions and Domicile Enrollment Services Veterans Benefits Financial Aid Assistance Testing Payment, Parking and ID Cards
NOVAConnect: Student Information System

NOVAConnect, the student information system, enables students to complete numerous transactions online. Student IDs (EMPLID) and passwords are provided upon admission and allow access to online services. Online services are both convenient and secure. Using NOVAConnect students may: Apply for admission Enroll in classes including adding, dropping, and/or swapping classes Pay by credit card
Obtain grades Request an official academic transcript or print an unofficial transcript Update mailing address, telephone number, and e-mail address Print individual class schedules View financial aid awards, payment, disbursement, refund activity, and application status View any service indicators (holds) placed on their record View any to do requirements Admissions & Domicile Please refer to Tuition Appeal Process, p. 52.
Enrollment
Enrollment procedures and class times are published each semester in the Schedule of Classes, available online at www.nvcc.edu several weeks before enrollment. Questions about enrollment not answered in the Schedule of Classes should be directed to the Student Services Center. Students are responsible for assuring that their enrollments are what they intend and that adds, drops, swaps, and withdrawals are implemented as expected. The enrollment period begins several weeks prior to the beginning of classes, and is available online or by telephone (NOVAConnect) for students who have completed the admission process. You are encouraged to enroll early. You may adjust your schedule by adding, dropping, and/or swapping classes throughout the enrollment period. After the Schedule Adjustment period, you may drop classes or withdraw completely only in accordance with regulations stated in the current College Catalog. You are urged to promptly report any changes in your status online using NOVAConnect or at a Student Services Center so your official records are accurate and up-to-date. Address and telephone number changes are especially important so that correspondence from the College can reach you without delay. Please note that international students are required to notify the Student Services manager on their campus of record and the Immigration and Naturalization Service of any address changes within five days.
Counseling and Specialized Services Unit

New/undecided student advising General Studies academic advising Career counseling Transfer counseling Disability services and counseling
Personal counseling Dual enrollment services Student success instruction Specialized financial aid assistance Veterans benefits and services Student activities
Counseling Services As a service to you, the College maintains a staff of professional counselors to assist you in making decisions regarding your career, educational and personal/social concerns and plans. The counselors provide support services by aiding in curriculum choice, by providing individual and group counseling, and by acting as a resource to all faculty in their advising and instructional functions. All students are encouraged to seek information and assistance from faculty advisors in career and occupational planning. To graduate, you must obtain certification by your faculty advisor that all requirements for the degree have been met. Near the mid-point (30 credit hours) of your program, it is recommended that you meet with your advisor to discuss your progress toward graduation. Mental Health As a non-residential college, NOVA does not offer student mental health services. Counselors, however, are available to discuss personal concerns with students and to make referrals to mental health professionals in the community when appropriate. All discussions with a counselor are confidential unless, in the counselors professional judgment, the student poses a threat to him/herself or to others. New Student Orientation New Student Orientation sessions are offered at all campuses before the Spring and Fall semesters. They are designed for recent high school graduates and first semester NOVA students and are strongly encouraged. New Student Orientation gives students and parents the opportunity to learn about resources at NOVA, including degree and certificate programs, financial aid programs, transfer agreements and success skills. Students will also receive information on choosing classes and learn how to register for classes online.
You can find out more about the New Student Orientation and when they are offered by going to www.nvcc.edu > Future Students > Student Services > New Student Orientation. Student Development Courses In addition to the New Student Orientation, a one-credit student development (SDV) course designed to help you succeed in college is required for firsttime NOVA College students. NOVA students must take an SDV course before enrolling for their 16th semester hour at the College. All SDV courses cover topics related to academic success, responsible decision making, and college information. Some sections address additional topics and some are intended for students in specific programs. The Extended Learning Institute (ELI) also has SDV courses available for those who cannot attend a campusbased section. New Student/Undecided Student Advising New students and undecided students receive their general course advising through the campus Student Services Centers. Student services specialists provide assistance in general advising and course selection. Counselors assist the student in developing an educational goal, in interpreting placement test scores, and in selecting appropriate courses. Career/Study Skills Testing Testing of various kinds is coordinated through career and counseling services. These tests are available to you upon recommendation of a counselor and are used as a resource tool in the counseling process. Dual Enrollment Dual Enrollment is a unique enhancement program that allows qualified students to take courses at NOVA while still enrolled in high school. Specifically, concurrent enrollment means that you are taking a NOVA class for college credit only. Dual credit means that in addition to college credit, you plan to apply the course toward your high school graduation requirements. If qualified, you may participate in dual enrollment by taking courses at any NOVA campus along with other college students. In addition, NOVA offers special dual enrollment classes at some local high schools, where all students in the class attend the host high school. For any dual enrollment, you must obtain permission from your parents, your principal, and the dean of students at the campus you plan to attend. You will have to meet NOVAs English placement and course prerequisite requirements.
For further information, consult your high school counselor or the College Catalog. Transfer Planning Counselors help students choose a transfer institution, select an appropriate NOVA program of study, make application, and select transfer courses. Transfer activities such as representative visits and college fairs are available. The college transfer Web site, at www.nvcc.edu/currentstudents/transfer/index.html, lists articulation agreements, guaranteed admission agreements, transfer guides, and information about Virginias Two-Year College Transfer Grant.
Disability Services for Students

The College is committed to the goal of providing each qualified student an equal opportunity to pursue a college education regardless of disability. Efforts will be made toward meeting reasonable requests for services to students with disabilities eligible under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). In order to qualify for services, the student must provide clear and specific evidence that documents a formal diagnosis of a disability from a qualified professional. Except in certain cases, the documentation can be no older than 3 years. All information obtained in diagnostic and medical reports will be maintained and used in accordance with applicable confidentiality requirements. College policy reclassifies any student not enrolled for three full years as inactive. Records of inactive students will not be maintained. A request for services needs to be received with sufficient notice to consider the request and arrange for appropriate services. Students should make every effort to submit requests at least two weeks prior to the time they will need the service. The College will consider the merits of each request when it is received. Contact your campus Student Services Center for further information. Questions about compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, or ADA, should be addressed to the dean of students or the director of Affirmative Action/Minority and Legal Affairs. Grievance procedures for compliance complaints should follow those procedures outlined in this handbook.
Veterans Benefits and Services

Each campus has a veterans advisor who will answer questions regarding your educational benefits, assist you in applying for these benefits, and certify your enrollment to the Department of Veterans Affairs for payment. The Montgomery GI Bill (Chapter 30) provides 36 months of full-time educational assistance for those veterans who enlisted on or after July 1, 1985 for two or more years of active duty. A monthly pay deduction for twelve months and an honorable discharge are required. If you were eligible for the Vietnam Era GI Bill (Chapter 34) and served continuously on active duty sometime during the period October 19, 1984 through June 30, 1985, you may also be eligible for the Montgomery GI Bill if you continued to serve on active duty until June 30, 1988 or later. No contribution is required but you must have an honorable discharge. In addition, Public Law 101510 allows certain individuals who are involuntarily separated from active duty to participate in Chapter 30. Public Law 102484 also provides that certain individuals who voluntarily separated from active duty will be afforded the opportunity to participate in the Montgomery GI Bill. If you have a service-connected disability that entitles you to VA disability compensation and you need vocational rehabilitation, you should contact the nearest VA Regional Office to obtain detailed information about Vocational Rehabilitation Services. Dependents of a deceased or 100% disabled veteran may be eligible for educational assistance, which offers up to 45 months of education benefits. You must be between the ages of 18 and 26 to receive benefits for attending school or job training. Dependents of Virginia veterans may be eligible for a tuition waiver through the Virginia War Orphans Education Program. Applications may be obtained from the campus veterans advisor. Members of the Selected Reserve may also qualify for educational assistance under Chapter 1606 if they incur a six-year obligation in the reserves or National Guard, complete their initial active duty for training, and possess a high school diploma or GED. Twelve semester hours of college in a degree program may be substituted for the high school requirement. Chapter 1607 (REAP) is a new education program that provides up to 36 months of education benefits to members of the Selected Reserves,
Individual Ready Reserve (IRR), and National Guard, who are called or ordered to active service. Generally, a member of a Reserve component who serves on active duty on or after September 11, 2001 for at least 90 consecutive days under a contingency operation is eligible for Chapter 1607. There is no specific time frame under this program however; your eligibility generally ends when you leave the Selected Reserves. Your campus veterans advisor has more information on these programs. The current Catalog provides more details on admission to a curriculum, credit for prior training, satisfactory progress, and other areas of concern to all students.
Career Development Services

Each campus offers comprehensive career development services that include career planning and employment resources. If you are interested in the services described below, contact the Student Services Center on your campus. Career Planning Programs Counselors provide individual and group career counseling to help you explore, develop, and set goals related to your career and educational needs; to help you make effective career decisions, and obtain employment. Counselors may recommend a variety of nationally recognized instruments to help you assess your interests, skills, preferences, values, and strengths. You may investigate the world of work through research, internships, cooperative education, and volunteer opportunities; and learn job searching tools and strategies such as writing resumes and interviewing successfully. Career planning and guidance software provides a comprehensive planning tool that includes career inventories and occupational information databases. For instance, Virginia View is an interactive computer program of career and labor market information with emphasis on Virginia employment trends. Virginia View and other helpful tools are also available online at the Career Services Web site, www.nvcc.edu/current-students/career-services/students/ careerresearch.html. Workshops and classroom instruction offer further career development information. Employment Resources Employment resources refer to those tools that help students find jobs. Available in the Student Services Center on each campus, these resources include printed materials and electronic databases that provide students with community job listings and occupational information in both the public and private sectors, including salaries and employment outlook in each occupation. Area employers cooperate with the College to provide part-time
and full-time employment for students. Internet resources allow further access to local, state, and national job openings, job banks, and Web sites for posting resumes. Other Resources Published materials that provide helpful information for making career, educational, and personal decisions and plans are available in the Student Services Center at each campus. These include books listing colleges and professional schools, and a large collection of current catalogs from many of them. Other books and pamphlets describe the entrance requirements, working conditions, employment outlook, and compensations of thousands of career and job opportunities. Most materials are designed to help you learn how to go about planning your educational and career futures.
College Records Office

The College Records Office (CRO) provides all students of the college with precise service; such as graduation certification processing, transcript evaluation/production, and record maintenance. Students access to and benefits from the CRO can only occur through direct contact with the Student Services Centers on the campus.
Student Financial Aid

General It is the desire of the College that no qualified student should be denied the opportunity of enrollment because of financial need. The College Financial Aid Office and campus Financial Aid Specialists provide students with counseling, applications, and information about state, federal, and institutional sources of financial assistance including loans, grants, scholarships, and work-study. Assistance is available to qualified students who enroll in at least one course of an eligible academic plan. Application for state, federal, and most institutional programs requires completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the appropriate award year. The Student Financial Aid Committee is composed of representatives of the administration, student body, financial aid, and faculty as appointed by the president. The committee reviews and recommends policy on administering financial aid programs and selects recipients for scholarships that are endowed through the NVCC Educational Foundation or local organizations. Detailed information on scholarships, grants, loans, on- and off-campus and community service employment, and applications may be obtained from
the College Financial Aid Office and any campus Student Services Center. Information may also be found in the current NOVA Catalog, the College Financial Aid Office, the Financial Aid Services brochure, and at the College Financial Aid Web site at www.nvcc.edu/future-students/paying-for-college/ financial-assistance/index.html. Satisfactory Progress for Financial Aid Federal regulations require that all student financial aid recipients progress at a reasonable rate or make satisfactory progress toward achieving a certificate or degree. The standard applies to all terms regardless of whether or not the student received financial aid. Progress is measured by the students cumulative grade point average and credits earned in relation to those attempted and the length of the academic program. Satisfactory progress will be evaluated by the College Financial Aid Office after each term. Note: Some Career Studies Certificate programs are ineligible for financial aid support. I. Progress Standards Completion Rate (67% Rule): Students must receive a satisfactory grade (defined as a grade of A, B, C, D, R, S, or P) in 67% of the credits for which they enrolled. This calculation is performed by dividing the number of credits earned by the number of credits attempted. For example, for 32 credits attempted, 22 credits must be successfully completed (2232=68.75%). All credits attempted at NOVA are included. This evaluation will be made when a student has attempted credits that total 50% or more of the program requirements. Note: Federal Stafford Loan borrowers will have satisfactory academic progress reviewed prior to the disbursement of any loan proceeds. Maximum hours (150% Rule): Students may only receive financial aid for 150% of the length of an associate degree program or an eligible certificate program. All enrollment periods at NOVA and all applicable transfer credits are counted; even semesters when financial aid was not received. Developmental/ESL course work is excluded in this calculation. Transfer students: Credits officially accepted in transfer and specifically applied toward a students certificate or degree program may be counted in determining the maximum number of allowable semester credit hours for financial aid eligibility. The student must submit a written evaluation by his academic advisor or campus financial aid specialist of transfer courses
applicable to his program with the satisfactory academic progress appeal form to the College Financial Aid Office. If it is approved, the student may continue to receive financial aid. Students earning a second degree: If a student who already has earned a degree chooses to earn a subsequent degree that requires the same number or fewer credits, any credits already earned will automatically apply toward the maximum number of allowable semester credits for financial aid eligibility. ESL/Developmental Studies. Students may receive financial aid for a maximum of 30 semester hours of Developmental Studies courses, if required as a result of placement testing. There is no specific limit on the number of credits of ESL classes eligible for financial aid. Cumulative GPA Minimum Requirements (GPA Rule):Students must earn at least the minimum cumulative grade point average, as shown below, once they have attempted a specified number of credit hours. Only courses with grades of A, B, C, D and F are included in this calculation. In order to graduate a minimum of a 2.0 curriculum grade point average is required. Total Number of Regular Credits Attempted GPA Requirement 012 1323 2447 48+ Not applicable 1.5 1.75 2.0
Withdrawals (W grades) which are recorded on the students permanent academic transcript will be included as credits attempted and will have an adverse effect on the students ability to meet the requirements of the completion rate for financial aid. Incomplete Grades. Courses that are assigned an incomplete grade are included in the cumulative credits attempted. These cannot be used as credits earned in the progress standard until a successful grade is assigned. Repeated courses enable the student to achieve a higher cumulative grade point average. However, repeating courses adversely affects the students ability to meet the requirements of the completion rate requirement.
II. Disqualification of Financial Aid Students who are identified as having met the colleges definition of Academic Suspension are immediately disqualified for financial aid eligibility. Students who do not meet the credit progression schedule and cumulative grade point average standard will be disqualified from receiving student financial aid. A student who is removed from financial aid eligibility more than one time for failure to meet these standards and who requests financial aid will be required to meet with the Financial Aid Counselor to discuss plans for re-establishing financial aid eligibility.Unless there were extenuating circumstances, a student in this category should expect to enroll for at least 12 semester credits without financial aid and successfully pass all courses attempted with a minimum of a 2.00 GPA to be reconsidered for financial aid. Removal from financial aid eligibility does not prevent students from enrolling without financial aid if they are otherwise eligible to continue their enrollment. III. Appeals Students who fail to meet these standards and lose eligibility for financial aid can appeal the decision. The appeal must be prepared in writing and must be accompanied by appropriate supporting documents. Appeals should be mailed to the College Financial Aid Office, Northern Virginia Community College, Annandale, VA 220033796. The appeals will be evaluated by the Financial Aid Appeals Committee for mitigating circumstances. Reasons that may be acceptable for the appeal are: (1) serious illness or accident on the part of the student; (2) death, accident or serious illness in the immediate family; (3) change in academic program; and, (4) other extenuating circumstances. The reasonableness of the students ability to improve to meet the appropriate standard for the certificate or degree program in which the student is enrolled will be taken into consideration. Appeals will be approved, denied or approved for a probationary period not to exceed one academic year. IV. Regaining Eligibility Students who failed to meet Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards and who choose to enroll without benefit of student financial aid may request a review of their academic record after any term in which they are enrolled without the receipt of financial aid to determine whether they have met the satisfactory academic progress standards. If the standards are met, eligibility is regained for subsequent terms of enrollment in the academic year.
Students should consult with their campus financial aid advisor to determine how to appeal any element of this policy or to determine how to regain eligibility for financial aid. If resolution cannot be achieved with the College Financial Aid Office, the NOVA student grievance procedures described in the NOVA Student Handbook may be followed. Recalculation of Awards/Repayment for Non-Attendance If you fail to begin attending any class, financial aid awards will be recalculated. This may occur at any point during the semester/term that the College Financial Aid Office is made aware of the situation and it affects your enrollment status. In most cases, however, calculation of the award will be based on your enrollment status on the last day to drop with a tuition refund. Work-Study Opportunities The College offers both on and off-campus, part-time employment opportunities for students who qualify for the Federal or NOVA work-study programs. Check out the College Financial Aid Office Web site at www.nvcc. edu/future-students/paying-for-college/financial-assistance/index.html for listings of available positions, job descriptions, and placement information.
Student Activities
NOVA Student Activities welcomes you! This department is responsible for extra- and co-curricular activities at the campus and college level. We offer you a wide variety of culturally diverse programs and services designed to promote the success of your educational goals. We schedule programs that complement and enhance your classroom learning process. In addition, we provide many unique educational experiences that go beyond the traditional classroom instruction. The Student Activities Office assists the Student Government Association (where applicable), student publications and student clubs, and supports individual students, faculty and staff in developing new activities and services to meet the needs of the campus community. Campus events include voter registration, leadership training, National Hispanic Heritage Month, Black History Month, Womens History Month, Celebration of Diversity, NOVA Day, and recognition programs for outstanding leadership and service. Student activities include student government, student publications, intercollegiate and intramural sports, performing arts, political organizations, professional and community service organizations, cultural and religious organizations, and many other interest groups. Students interested in getting involved should contact the Office of Student Activities. Suggestions and requests for social, cultural, recreational and co-curricular activities are welcome. All events sponsored by student groups must be scheduled through the Student Activities Office. Events and activities will be listed in a Student Activities Calendar of Events.
Student Leadership
Becoming actively involved in an on-campus organization is the easiest way to start developing your leadership abilities. The Office of Student Activities encourages student leadership by supporting campus and college-wide endeavors through the Student Government Association (SGA). The SGA represents the interests of the student-body of each campus through committee-work and programming with college faculty, staff and
administrators. For more information on student leadership opportunities and SGA, visit the Student Activities office on your campus.
How to Get Involved:

Clubs & Organizations The Office of Student Activities coordinates a wide-variety of social, curricular and special-interest clubs and organizations that students can join. For a list of clubs and interest groups at each campus, go to www.nvcc.edu/currentstudents/student-life/index.html and select Activities and Organizations. For information on active groups on your campus, or to find out how to start a new group, see Student Organizations in the reference section of this Handbook, or visit your Student Activities Office. College-Wide Student Publications Students can find personal and professional enrichment by participating in the reporting/production of the student newspaper, or submitting material for a College literary magazine. Student newspaper staff, writers, reporters, and photographers are recruited from all six campuses to contribute to the College newspaper.Editorial freedom of the student press includes an obligation under the canons of responsible journalism. For more information please contact your campus Student Activities Coordinator or the Collegewide Student Activities Coordinator on the various ways students can become involved in any student publication. Intercollegiate Athletics The athletic program at Northern Virginia Community College is designed to be a vital and integrated part of the students educational experience.By participating in intercollegiate athletics, the students can develop a sense of fair play, cooperation, responsibility, self-discipline, and leadership. College sponsored athletic programs also help to establish NOVAs identity in the community and to bring regional and national recognition to the College. The emphasis of the program is clearly on success as a student first and success as an athlete second. Competitive sports include: Mens Basketball Womens Basketball Coed Ice Hockey Mens Soccer Womens Volleyball
Intramurals
The intramural program provides an opportunity for students to participate in a variety of activities on a self-directed, self-selected basis. Intramural
activities may vary by year or by semester. For more information please visit www.nvcc.edu/current-students/student-life/index.html or contact your campus Student Activities Coordinator or the College-wide Student Activities Coordinator on the various ways students can become involved with intramural activities.
Solicitation and Distribution of Materials on College Property

A student, group, or organization of the College may only distribute written material on campus with prior approval of the dean of students or his/ her designee. Approval is normally granted unless, the dean considers the material to be libelous, obscene, or disruptive to normal College activities. All student communications must include a disclaimer on the editorial page that the opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the College or its student body. See page 78 for specific procedures.
Publicity
Student organizations are responsible for their own on-campus publicity for activities. On-campus publicity must be approved by the dean of students or his/her designee. Check with the dean or the Student Activities Office for details concerning other publicity policies.
Contact Information
If you are interested in learning more about ways you can get involved at NOVA, please contact the following Student Activities Offices: Alexandria Campus, Room 148, Bisdorf Building, 7038456218 Annandale Campus, Upper CF Building, 7033233147 Loudoun Campus, Room 253, Reynolds Building, 7034502616 Manassas Campus, Room 110, Howsmon Hall, 7032576614 Medical Education Campus, Room 206, 7038226598 Woodbridge Campus, Room 158, Classroom Building, 7038785729 College-Wide Activities, Alexandria Campus AE Building, Room 216, 7038456206
Student Records
Privacy of Student Records
The College is obligated to annually notify you of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, Sec. 438, Publ. L. 90247, as amended, which sets forth requirements governing protection of your right to privacy in your educational records, and affords you the right to inspect such records. If you believe that the College has failed to comply with the above Act and/or regulations, you may file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education; or alternatively, you may follow College procedure by contacting the dean of students on your campus. The College has adopted a policy that summarizes in greater detail your rights under the Act and regulations, and describes a procedure for handling alleged violations of the above Act and/or regulations. Upon written request, you may obtain a copy of the policy (or any page of your records, except transcripts from other institutions). Such requests shall be filed with the campus Student Services Center. Every effort is made to protect the privacy and confidentiality of your records. Your official academic records, supporting documents, and other records are maintained by appropriate members of the College administration. Separate files are maintained for academic and general education records, records of disciplinary procedures, medical records, job placement records, financial aid records, and student activities records. The College administrator or faculty member responsible for the maintenance of these records is noted in the College Catalog campus directories.
Student Record Disclosure to Faculty and Administration

Disclosure of your records to faculty and administrative officers shall be only for (1) internal educational purposes, (2) routine administrative and statistical purposes, or (3) legitimate inquiries made by faculty instructors pertinent to the specific instructors need to review your background information in order to adequately instruct and guide you in a specific academic area.
Student Record Disclosure to Persons Outside the College

The following is considered directory information and may, in accord with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), be disclosed at the discretion of the College unless you specifically make a request to withhold such information by completing form 12523, Student Record Disclosure: Students Name Participation in officially recognized activities and sports Address Telephone Listing Weight and height of members of athletic teams Electronic mail address Degrees, honors, and awards received Major field of study Dates of attendance Grade level Most recent educational agency or institution attended Number of credit hours enrolled Other information that is part of your records will not be released to anyone outside the College without your prior written consent except as noted here: 1. Information requested under a court order or subpoena (unless directed otherwise, an effort will be made to contact you prior to the release of such information). 2. Certain federal and state authorities as noted in the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (including the secretary of the Department of Education, the comptroller general of the United States, and certain state educational authorities). 3. In connection with your application for or receipt of financial aid. 4. As required by state law (SB559/HB984, 232.2:1), the VCCS provides the Virginia State Police with the following information about all students within seven days of their acceptance to the College: the students full name, Social Security number, date of birth, and gender. The State Police compare this information to the Virginia Criminal Information Network, as well as the National Crime Information Center Convicted Sexual Offender Registry File. Requests from research agencies or individuals making institutionally approved statistical studies may be approved without your prior approval, provided no information revealing your name or social security number is to be published.
Student Review of Records

You can keep track of entries made to official educational records by viewing your academic records online through NOVAConnect. You are guaranteed access to your permanent educational record, subject only to reasonable regulation as to time, place, and supervision. You should direct requests to review educational records to the Student Services Center on each campus. Please note that copies of transcripts from other institutions may not be given to you, but that review of such transcripts is possible. Contact the Student Services Center to question the content of your educational records. Further appeal should be directed in writing to the dean of students and finally to the Campus Disciplinary Panel as a panel of final appeal. Student access to the financial records of parents through the student financial aid file is not permitted. In addition, any confidential letters and statements of recommendation that were placed in the educational records prior to January 1, 1975, are not available for review.
Student Records Retention

Official student academic records, financial aid data and applicant materials and documents are maintained by the College during your enrollment and for a specified period after your enrollment. Some records such as courses attempted, grades, etc., are maintained permanently (electronically) in the Colleges computer systems. Documents related to your admission and enrollment, such as the Application for Admission, are maintained by the College. The retention period varies by document, with the longest retention period being five years subject to audit. Contact the Student Services Center at your campus for details on this policy.
Use of Student Photographs

Photographs taken of you or groups of students, for example, in classrooms, student lounge areas, and outdoors on campus, may be used by the College for release to newspapers or other media and for reproduction in NOVA publications. If you are included in such photographs, you will not be identified by name or position and will not have your name released to outside individuals or organizations without your prior written permission. Student photographs taken for the NOVACard are not intended for marketing and reproduction in NOVA publications without your consent.
NOVAConnect Student ID Number

Your NOVAConnect ID will be used throughout your college career to identify you in the Student Information System (SIS) and your college records. The SIS assigns a 7-digit Student ID number at the time you apply for admission. Applicants for financial aid are required to provide social security numbers. Pell Grant Program applicants are advised that social security numbers are required by the U.S. Department of Education when processing applications. Also, students requesting deferments for previous loans are advised that the social security number is required.
Academic Information
Academic Honors
Deans List Your name will be placed on the Deans list for any semester that your grade point average is 3.50 or higher. You must have completed at least six (6) semester hours in the current semester (excluding developmental courses) with no grade lower than C. Presidential Scholars Your name will be placed on the Presidential Scholars list for any semester that your grade point average is 3.75 or higher. You must have completed at least nine (9) semester hours in the current semester (excluding developmental courses) and have earned a minimum of twenty (20) semester hours of credit at NOVA. Academic Standing You are considered in good academic standing if you maintain a semester minimum GPA of 2.00, are eligible to re-enroll at the College, and are not on academic suspension or dismissal status. The College will send you official notification on your student grade report when you are having academic difficulty. You will be given an appropriate period of time to show improvement. The College may determine that you are best served by being prevented from further enrollment for a period of time if you show no academic improvement. The College provides the following official indications of academic difficulty: 1. Academic Warning If you fail to maintain a minimum grade point average of 2.00 for any semester you will receive an academic warning. 2. Academic Probation If you fail to maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 1.50, you will be placed on academic probation until your grade point average reaches 1.50 or better. The statement Placed on Academic Probation
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will be included on your permanent record. You will be ineligible for appointive or elective office in student organizations and usually will be required to carry less than a normal course load the following semester. While on academic probation you are required to consult a counselor. An average between 1.50 and 1.99 may not result in formal academic probation; nevertheless, a minimum of 2.00 in your curriculum is a prerequisite to the receipt of an associate degree. Part-time students will not be placed on academic probation until they have attempted 12 semester credit hours. Academic Suspension If you are on academic probation and fail to attain a minimum grade point average of 1.50 for the next semester, you will be placed on academic suspension. Academic suspension normally will be for one semester unless you reapply and are accepted for readmission to another curriculum of the College. The statement Placed on Academic Suspension will be included on your permanent record. If informed that you are on academic suspension, you may submit an appeal in writing to the chair of the Admissions Committee for reconsideration of your case. After termination of the suspension period, you must meet with a counselor or dean of students to be reinstated. Students will not be placed on suspension until 24 semester credit hours have been attempted. Following your reinstatement after academic suspension, you must achieve a minimum 2.00 grade point average for the semester; you must enroll in a special section of an SDV 100 course or take part in a specially developed program. You must maintain at least a 1.50 grade point average in each subsequent semester of attendance. You remain on probation until your overall grade point average is raised to a minimum of 1.50. Academic Dismissal If you do not maintain at least a 2.00 grade point average for the semester of reinstatement to the College when on academic suspension, you will be academically dismissed. If you have been placed on academic suspension and achieve a 2.00 grade point average for the semester of your reinstatement, you must maintain at least a cumulative 1.50 grade point average in each subsequent semester of attendance. You will remain on probation until your cumulative grade point average is raised to a minimum of 1.50. Failure to attain a cumulative 1.50 grade point average in each subsequent semester until cumulative GPA reaches 1.50 will result in academic dismissal. Academic dismissal normally is permanent unless, with good cause, you reapply and are accepted under special consideration for
readmission by the campus Admissions Committee. The statement Academic Dismissal will be placed on your permanent record. 5. College Procedures for Students Academically Suspended or Dismissed The procedures listed below apply to students who have been academically suspended or dismissed: a. You are notified of your academic suspension/dismissal through both your grade report and a letter sent from the College that describes the suspension/dismissal policy and the steps available to you for appealing. b. A hold will be placed on your record so that you cannot enroll. The hold will indicate academic suspension or academic dismissal and is a part of your academic record. c. If you choose to appeal, you are required to write a letter to the chair of the campus Admissions Committee requesting an exception to the policy. The letter should detail the causes for your academic difficulties and describe remedies you propose to improve your academic performance. d. If you are requesting reinstatement to the College, you must meet with a counselor and/or dean of students. e. The campus dean of students will make the reinstatement decision. f. The dean of students reinstatement decision may be appealed to the campus provost.
Campus of Record
While your admittance to the college asks you to designate a specific campus of record, you may elect to take courses at any campus, center or institute of the college. However, there are some programs and courses, such as allied health, nursing, and veterinary technology, that are only available at particular campuses. While students may often identify with the campus where they obtain services, such as counseling, faculty advising, testing, and participating in activities, etc., they are not limited to this one campus or their campus of record to do so, unless they are bound by restricted requirements of their program. Students are not prohibited from changing their campus of record. If you have questions about where and how to use the services of the college, contact the Student Services Center at any campus.
Bookstores
Each campus has a bookstore where you may purchase books and other supplies during their regular posted hours. Additional operating hours are provided during the beginning weeks of each semester allowing more flexible hours to purchase books. The bookstores are operated by a private company under an agreement with the College. Sometime during the last
week of each semester, the bookstores may buy back used books at its discretion. Exact dates of buy back will be posted in advance at each campus. Questions concerning bookstore services should be directed to the campus bookstore manager. Please Note: 1. Basic textbooks are selected and ordered by the academic divisions on each campus of the College. The textbook for any given course may differ according to the campus. For example, if you change campuses in the middle of PSY 201202, you may have to buy a different book. 2. Supplementary materials may be used to accompany a basic textbook. Such materials may be selected and ordered for an individual instructor. These types of materials may or may not be required for a subsequent term. 3. Please save cash register receipts on book purchases. They are required for refunds when returning books due to add/drop/swap or class cancellation. Do not write your name in a book until you are sure you will need the book.
College Catalog
The College Catalog is available online at www.nvcc.edu/curcatalog. Students may request a copy of the printed Catalog from the Student Services Center.
Cooperative Education
Cooperative Education courses extend your educational experience into the world of work to provide a total curriculum combining both theory and practice. It is a means of acquiring practical, valuable, on the job training in an off-campus learning situation for the purpose of career exploration. Throughout this learning experience, you receive a salary from the employer as well as academic credit from the College. Courses that offer Cooperative Education are listed in the College Catalog with a 197 or 297 course number. In order to enroll in a cooperative education course, you must first visit the College Co-op Education Office, located at the Annandale Campus, to obtain the co-op guidelines and the list of materials you will need to submit to be considered for the co-op program. The Cooperative Education Office will enroll you directly for the course. In addition, you must submit a co-op contract signed by the employer and have faculty approval before the Co-op Office can enroll you for the program. Questions may be directed to the College Cooperative Education Office at 7033233164 or e-mail [email protected]. For more information, see Cooperative Education in the College Catalog.
Extended Learning Institute

For students who prefer to study independently, the Extended Learning Institute offers a variety of courses through distance learning. You interact with faculty by telephone, mail, computer, or personal conference and you are usually required to come to campus for testing purposes only. Because of limited on-campus requirements, ELI is especially helpful for you who have a full-time job, family responsibilities, transportation difficulties, or are homebound because of illness or disability. If you are enrolling in ELI courses, you should be aware that courses are demanding and time-consuming, even without in-class time. Schedule at least six hours of work per week per course. Although courses have maximum time limits, generally 16 weeks, there are no minimum time restrictions. You can work as quickly as you are able to complete a course in the time allotted. Some assignments have specific due dates, and you must take responsibility for completing work on a regular basis. Textbooks and study guides may be different from those used on campus. Credits from ELI are applicable toward graduation if required in the curriculum (except Developmental Math and English). Most Extended Learning Institute/Distance Learning courses offer sections that start once a month for the first three months, and enrollment is continuous until course capacity limits are reached and sections are closed. For information about ELI, call 7033233368.
Faculty Advisors
For the first semester at the College, you should work with a counselor to plan a program for meeting your educational objectives. You will then be referred to a faculty advisor or counselor for all subsequent terms. Your faculty advisor/ counselor will assist you in planning the rest of your program. Near the mid-point (30 credit hours) of your program, it is recommended that you meet with your advisor to discuss your progress toward graduation. You can use the online Degree Progress Report at www.nvcc.edu/current-students/ graduation/index.html to monitor your progress. You can apply for graduation at the same link by clicking on Application for Graduation. All students are encouraged to seek information and assistance from faculty advisors in career and occupational planning in addition to curriculum planning. Even if you are not enrolled in a specific curriculum major, you may seek assistance from student services center specialists and/or counselors.
Graduation
The College awards degrees and certificates at the end of each semester to those who have applied and met graduation requirements. A commencement ceremony is held each year at the end of the spring semester. Applicants for graduation are advised to check with the Student Services Center for information.
Educational Support Services

Educational Support Services (ESS) are provided at each campus and consist of library services, information technology support services, audiovisual services, placement testing, and learning laboratory facilities. The materials, systems, and services are designed to support the programs of the College and to create an environment conducive to learning. You will find the ESS to be a most valuable asset in your studies, research, and skills improvement. The libraries are designed to serve your academic requirements, learning needs, and general information purposes. They provide you with access to print, web-based, and multi-media resources. Staff offers assistance in locating and using the resources through group orientation and various self-paced activities. Access to electronic resources and campus library information is available at www.nvcc.edu/library. Books and other materials owned by all six campuses are listed in the public access library catalog. Materials located at any campus may be requested through the College interlibrary delivery service. The libraries hours for services closely parallel the hours when classes are in session. Each library publishes printed and online guides that describe the services and guidelines for borrowing materials and using the resources. Through a reciprocal agreement, NOVA students, faculty, and staff have access to the library collections at George Mason University.
Accommodations for Religious Observances

Northern Virginia Community College recognizes the rich and diverse religious backgrounds of its students and is committed to providing them access to education without undue hardship. Since religious observances do not always conform to academic holidays, fair, reasonable, and appropriate accommodations to students wishing to observe religious holidays are encouraged, provided that students notify their instructors well in advance of schedule conflicts. A list of commonly observed religious holidays may be found at the following link: www.nvcc.edu/calendars/holidays.htm. When tests or exams fall on religious holidays, students should contact their instructors as soon as possible. Students, of course, are responsible for
all work missed. Faculty, on the other hand, are encouraged to be sensitive to the religious practices of their students and to provide appropriate alternatives to those students whenever it is academically feasible to do so.
Unexpected Delay of an Instructor in Meeting a Class

When possible, a faculty member who is delayed should notify the appropriate administrative office. The appropriate administrator shall post a notice in the classroom giving instructions to the students as to the time of any notification; students must wait for their instructor for 15 minutes for a 50-minute class. For a longer class, students should wait 30 minutes. If no instructor or other instructions arrive in that time, the students may leave.
General Information
Alcoholic Beverage Policy
The serving, possessing, and consuming of alcoholic beverages is prohibited at all College-sponsored student events or activities.
Alumni Federation
Graduates of the College and certain other former students are eligible to be members of the Colleges Alumni Federation. The Federation seeks to advance the growth and development of the College; to promote the personal, educational, and professional development of alumni; and to establish, encourage, and maintain a mutually beneficial relationship between the College and its alumni. Leadership for the Federation is provided by a Board of Governors elected by alumni. If you have interest in the Alumni Federation, contact the Alumni Office, Brault Building, on the Annandale Campus, telephone 7033232364.
Children on Campus
College facilities, including the library, cannot accommodate the care of children while parents are working or attending class. Since the College and its staff cannot be responsible for the safety and welfare of your children, you must make arrangements for them off-campus. Children may not be brought into classrooms or laboratories.
Copyright
You are expected to comply with federal copyright law. The United States Copyright Law protects all copyrighted materials: printed materials such as books and journals, music, sound recordings, films, videocassettes, art works, and computer software. Most Internet sites and all their contents are protected by copyright. The Copyright Act of 1976 grants copyright owners exclusive rights to publish, reproduce, perform, and display their works. Anyone publishing, reproducing, performing, or displaying all or part of a copyrighted work is guilty of infringing
the copyright unless the act falls within one of the fair use exceptions, or unless she or he has acquired permission to use the work from the copyright owner. Read the law at http://lcweb.loc.gov/copyright/.
Electronic Mail (E-Mail)

The Colleges e-mail system is provided by the Virginia Community College System to all students within the NOVA community. To protect student privacy, instructors may only use a students official NOVA e-mail address. Students may forward their e-mail to another account if they choose. Instructors are able to issue assignments by e-mail and students are allowed to mail in their work. The College also provides faculty and students with access to Blackboard, a Web-based learning management system. This system allows instructors to post assignments and announcements, have students participate in asynchronous discussions, share written materials, etc.
Emergencies
The College makes every effort to prevent accidents and reduce risks, but emergencies or crisis situations can happen anywhere. College personnel will call the appropriate emergency service in the event of fire, accidents, or severe illnesses on campus. The appropriate emergency services will be called if anyone here exhibits symptoms of extreme illness, violent or potentially violent behavior, or other extreme or unexplainable behavior. The responsibility to investigate crime on campus resides with the College Police who may solicit assistance from other law enforcement agencies in cases where a cooperative investigative effort would best serve the needs of the College community. Campus instructors will describe to the students the primary and alternate routes out of the building at the beginning of the first class each semester. Instructors will encourage the students to physically review the different routes in order to gain familiarity. Instructors will also review procedures for sheltering in place in the event of weather or other emergency requiring people to remain inside. In the case of external emergencies, efforts will be made to contact you on campus. However, information other than directory information or that permitted by law will not be divulged. The College will follow the lead of Homeland Security through the Virginia Department of Emergency Management in concert with the local community. Students will follow the lead of campus personnel. Students should refer to the Campus plans for details on Shelter-in-Place.
Anyone observing an emergency situation should contact the Campus Police Office or the dean of students.
Campus Telephone Extensions Alexandria Campus Police
7038456270 7033233111 7034502540 7032576650 7038226677 7038785744
Annandale
Loudoun
Manassas
Medical Education
Woodbridge
Dean of Students
7038456219 7033233382 7034502512 7032576660 7038226538 7038785758
Environmental Awareness
The goal of the Colleges stormwater management program is to ensure that stormwater generated on Colleges six campuses does not adversely impact the surface or groundwaters on campus, in the community and in the state of Virginia. Failure to comply with Virginias stormwater regulations also could result in the College being charged hefty fines or even being closed until problems are corrected. As students, faculty and staff, our most common daily activities can have an unhealthy impact on Virginias waterways. Every time that it rains, everything we leave on the streets, parking lots and lawns washes through our ditches and storm drains into our streams, rivers, lakes and other waterways. What the rain washes away (known as stormwater runoff) picks up chemicals, dirt, debris and other pollutants that flow in the Colleges storm sewer system. For developed areas, like NOVAs campuses, natural conditions are changed by creating large areas of impermeable surfaces, such as roads, buildings, and parking lots. The water that normally would infiltrate into the ground from the impervious areas runs off and enters storm sewers, streams or other surface waterbodies. If we are not mindful of what we leave behind on pervious (i.e. lawns, meadows and woodlands) and impervious surfaces, pollutants such as automobile oil, grease, sediment from construction sites, bacteria from animal waste, excess lawn care fertilizers and pesticides will be discharged into our storm sewer system and the waterbodies we use for drinking water, swimming and fishing. To learn more about what you can do to help keep our water clean, go to www.nvcc.edu/swim/index.htm.
Recycling
NOVA participates in many recycling activities at the campus level. Each campus has a weekly pickup of recyclable cardboard, junk mail, etc., and white paper is picked up by a local recycle carrier as needed.In addition to paper products, each campus facilities staff recycles metals(aluminum, copper, steel, tin, scrap), used oil and repair parts cleaner, scrap vehicles for salvage, old office furniture, and printer/toner cartridges. Please use the recycling containers placed throughout the buildings for your convenience, and use the correct receptacle for each type of material.
Fire Alarms
When you hear a fire alarm, gather your belongings and quickly exit the building through the nearest emergency exit. Emergency evacuation plans are posted in all rooms on campus. You should become familiar with the exits for each room you use. Follow the directions of College faculty and staff members and move away from the building and out of the path of responding emergency equipment. Do not return to the building until you are directed to do so by faculty or staff members. Do not ever assume that an alarm is a drill. Treat every alarm as real.
Firearms, Dangerous Weapons and Materials

Bringing firearms and other dangerous weapons onto campus is prohibited. It is a violation of the rules to carry weapons or to leave them in a car parked on the campus. The only exception applies to law enforcement officers. While civilian-attired law enforcement officers have the authority to carry firearms, they must do so by keeping them concealed so as not to alarm others. Bringing explosives and other dangerous chemicals onto campus is also prohibited.
Food Services
Vending machines and/or cafeteria services are available on all campuses. Cafeteria hours and offerings may vary. Please inquire on each campus for details. Alexandria Campus: Hot and cold food is served in the cafeteria located on the ground level of the Bisdorf Building. Vending machines are located in the Tyler Building, the Bisdorf Building, and the Engineering Building. Annandale Campus: The cafeteria is located on the lower level of the Food Service Building (CF). Vending machines are located on the lower level of the cafeteria.
Loudoun Campus: The caf and vending machines are located in the Student Lounge, room LC 129. Manassas Campus: The caf and vending machines are located in the Student Center/Lounge. Vending machines in the Classroom Building are available around the clock. Medical Education Campus: Vending machines are located on the first and second floors. Microwaveable meals and snacks are available in the MEC Bookstore Caf, room 106. Woodbridge Campus: Vending machines are located in the cafeteria. Hot and cold food is also served in the Woodbridge cafeteria. The hours of operation of the cafeterias and coffee shops are posted at each location.
Inclement Weather Policy

On snowy or icy mornings, if the College is closed, a notice will be posted on the Colleges home page on its Web site and will appear on our cable television station (channel 19, 25, 37, or 59 check your local listing). Individuals may also call the College Call Center at 7033233000, NOVAConnect Phone at 7033233770, or in Prince William County 7033303770. Do not call individual offices. The decision to close is based on the condition of the campuses roads and parking lots, the roads immediately surrounding the campuses and the major highways in the region. The College is likely to be open when these facilities are in reasonably good condition, regardless of the condition of secondary roads around the region. If inclement weather forces the cancellation of classes or requires a delay in the opening of the College, announcements will be made on the following local TV and radio stations. AM Radio Stations WAGE 1200 WDCT 1310 WFLS 1350 WMAL 630 WPGC 1580 WTOP 820 FM Radio Stations WAMU 88.5 WETA 90.9 WETH 89.1 WFLS 93.3 WHUR 96.3 WINC 92.5 WMMJ 102.3 WPGC 95.5 WRQX 107.3 WTOP 103.5 Television Stations WRC Channel 4 WTTG Channel 5 WJLA Channel 7 Cable News Channel 8 WUSA Channel 9 NVCC-TV Channel 19, 25,37, or 59 (Check local cable listing for your area.)
If weather conditions cause the College to close, all NOVA campuses and offcampus locations are closed. Classes held at area schools are cancelled if the school is closed, even if other NOVA locations remain open. However, NOVA makes its closing decisions independently of the public schools and other colleges and universities. This is how to interpret closing announcements you hear on the media: Northern Virginia Community College is closed: The College will be closed until classes begin on the following morning. When this simple announcement is made, it means that no day or evening classes will be held.
Northern Virginia Community College will open at XX:XX AM/PM: All classes that begin at or after the designated time will be held as usual. Any class with at least 45 minutes of class time remaining after the college opens will also be held. College employees should arrive at the designated opening time. Northern Virginia Community College will close at XX:XX AM/PM: Classes that begin at or after the specified time are cancelled. College offices will close at the specified time. NOVA makes every effort to get information about closing to the media as soon as possible. If the College will be late opening or closed all day, the announcement will be made before 6:00 a.m. Frequently Asked Questions: 1. When will a decision be made to close the College? If snow or ice develops overnight, a decision to close the College will be announced before 6:00 a.m. If no announcement has been made by then, you can expect the College to open on time. During the school day, an announcement will be made when decision makers determine that campus roads and parking lots or major highways are or will soon be too dangerous for students and employees to drive on. Decision makers expect drivers to be able to negotiate snowy conditions, but decide to close because accumulations are building or serious icing is taking place on and around the campuses. A decision to close will be announced immediately once it has been made, and will be communicated with as much notice as changing conditions permit. 2. Why doesnt the College close when snow is forecast? NOVAs service region sits at a weather transition point at which forecasting is very difficult. Forecasters frequently hedge their bets about the likelihood of bad weather, and when they dont, they are often wrong. NOVA closes when the weather emergency is at hand, and not before. We believe class time is precious and we should cancel classes only when it is necessary. 3. How do I find out that the College is closed? Check out our Web site at www.nvcc.edu/depts/homepage/closing.htm for a list of media and other sources of closing information to look to in case of bad weather. The closing announcement will also be reported right on the home page.
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How do I know class will be held? Will my instructor be there? If an instructor cannot get to campus because of bad weather, he or she must notify the responsible division. The faculty member or the division will try to contact students using their NOVA e-mail, so keep an eye on that. If the local schools are closed, why isnt the College? Unlike public schools, NOVA does not operate a school bus system and uses different criteria to decide that it is appropriate to close. NOVA closes only when its own roads, parking lots, the main highways, or the roads immediately around the campuses are too dangerous to negotiate safely. Thus, NOVA will often be open when other local schools are closed. I take an NOVA class at a local school. How do I know when my class is cancelled? If the College closes, classes at off-campus locations, such as local schools, are also cancelled. If the College remains open but the school is closed, the NOVA class is cancelled for that day. So, students should pay attention to local school closing information if they are taking classes at a local school. Why were my classes cancelled when there was practically no snow at all? When the weather makes one campus too dangerous to keep open, NOVA closes all six of its campuses, regardless of what the conditions are at the other campuses. We serve a large geographic area, and it can be quite safe to drive in one place, but not in another. Media announcements must be clear and precise. Making individual campus announcements is likely to be confusing. In addition, students and staff often must travel from one side of our service area to another to come to campus, so bad roads in one region can keep people from getting to other campuses safely. What will happen if I do not attend class because I decide it is too dangerous for me to come? We realize that a general decision for the college cannot account for the individual circumstances of all students. Use your good judgment and be prompt in communicating your situation to your instructor. If my class starts before the late opening time, but continues afterward, should I come to campus? When the college announces a delayed opening, all classes with at least 45 minutes of class time remaining at the end of the opening will be held. For example, in the event of a 10:00 a.m. opening, a 9:3010:45 a.m. class will begin at 10:00 a.m. This procedure applies to all credit classes.
10. I came to class and right after it started, the College closed. Can you explain this? The safety of students and employees is the most important consideration. Sometimes decision makers get information indicating that the College should close at times that do not exactly coincide with the beginning and ending of every class. It is better to cancel the class in this case than to keep the students when conditions are getting dangerous. NOVAs classes do not all start and stop on a uniform schedule. Any early closing time is likely to interrupt some classes. 11. Whom should I call to find out if the College is open? Listen to the radio or tune in the TV. The media sources are listed on our Web site under weather and closings. Look at the scroll bar on the NOVA homepage. If you must call, call the Call Center at 7033233000 or call NOVAConnect at 7033233770 or 7033303770 (Prince William County). Messages will be posted there as soon as a decision to close is made. Do not call College offices to ask about closing. 12. May I bring my child with me to campus when the schools are closed? No. The College has no facilities to care for children, and children are often disruptive in the classroom or in the work place. 13. Who is a designated employee? In snow emergencies, designated employees are police personnel and members of campus facilities staffs. The fact that they are designated as essential is set forth in their position descriptions and what this means to them is defined by their supervisors. In other kinds of emergencies, any College employee can be declared designated by the College president or any of the vice presidents if the nature of the emergency requires that employees expertise. 14. What is liberal leave? Liberal leave is a policy that goes into effect at NOVA when bad weather forces the closing of local public school districts in the Colleges service region. It means that non-designated employees who determine that it is too dangerous to come to work when the College is open may call their supervisors and take a day of annual leave without advanced permission. It also means that when any employee is late to work because of weather-related road conditions, the tardiness will not be charged to the employees leave and there will be no discipline for being late that day. In addition, it means that non-designated employees may take annual leave leaving work early if they face a particularly difficult homeward commute, so long as their absence will not prevent critical functions from being performed.
15. What if I work a special shift at the College? Supervisors of employees who work special shifts should make clear how closings or delayed openings affect attendance expectations.
Insurance Information
You may obtain information on student health insurance from the Student Services Centers or deans office. Such insurance is voluntary and not a prerequisite to enrollment; however, certain international applicants must give evidence of comparable coverage. The College reserves the right to require insurance in some programs such as the allied health and nursing programs. The College makes this information available, but an insurance company sells the policy directly to you. The College is not affiliated with the insurance company in coverage of the student body with accident and health insurance. Payment of premiums and filing of claims are matters between you and the insurance company.
Lockers
A limited number of lockers are available on a first-come, first-served basis and are provided for student convenience. Students wishing to store personal belongings in a locker must provide their own locks. Students may not use the lockers to store food. Students at the Woodbridge Campus may register for locker assignments in the dean of students Office. At the Annandale Campus all lockers are reserved for program use except those on the second floor of campus buildings. All lockers are the property of the College and the College reserves the right to open any locker for any reason. Lockers will be opened and cleaned between semesters, so students should not leave belongings in the lockers and should remove locks on the lockers.
Lost and Found

Lost personal articles are stored in the Campus Police Offices. They may be claimed upon appropriate demonstration of ownership.
Meeting Rooms
All requests for student meeting rooms should be made through your campus Student Activities Office. An application for scheduling and registering an event should be completed at least two weeks prior to the event.
Parking and Traffic Violations

The operation of a motor vehicle on any campus of Northern Virginia Community College is a privilege. Courtesy, caution, and good judgment should characterize all driving on campus. Compliance with all state and College regulations is expected from the entire Northern Virginia Community College community. Parking lots are designated as follows: A or C lots are reserved for faculty and staff use; B lots are reserved for student use. In addition, there are areas that are reserved for state-owned vehicles, motorcycles, and vehicles driven by handicapped persons. There may be designated pay or metered parking spaces for visitors. Permits are required for all vehicles parked in all lots except at parking meters and hourly pay lots. Student permits are valid only in B lots. Parking enforcement on B lots will begin at 6 a.m. following the end of the schedule adjustment period. See the Schedule of Classes for specific dates. NOVA traffic rules and regulations are administered by the Campus Parking/ Campus Police Offices under the supervision of the campus business managers. Regulations pursuant to authority granted by the statutes of the Commonwealth of Virginia to the State Board for Community Colleges, the statutes in respect to traffic regulations of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and ordinances of the local political jurisdiction in which a campus is located are enforceable as laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia and the appropriate local political jurisdiction respectively. NOVA reserves the right to change any or all parts of the regulations as necessary. All changes will be published in the appropriate official publication of the College, exclusive of those that might appear as a new edition of the Parking and Traffic Regulations. Additional information on parking is printed in the College Fees and Fines section of this Handbook. Parking brochures with complete parking rules and regulations are available at the Campus Parking/Campus Police Offices. A permit may be purchased by going in person to any one of the offices or by logging onto the Parking Services Web site at https://parking.nvcc.edu.
Police
The Campus Police Offices are responsible for the security of College and campus buildings and grounds, and for enforcement of traffic and parking regulations, including state traffic laws. Under the Virginia Code, campus
police officers exercise the powers and duties conferred by law upon police officers of cities, towns, or counties on property owned and controlled by the College under guidelines established by the College. They have authority to make arrests, quell disturbances, direct persons off College property, and otherwise exercise their assigned responsibilities.
Safety Information
The annual College Safety Report is available on the College Web site at www.nvcc.edu/depts/CollegeSafety/. It is also available in printed form at campus Police and Public Safety offices. The report includes statistics concerning crimes that occurred on College property, institutional policies on campus security, alcohol and drug use, crime prevention, the reporting of crimes, sexual assault, and other matters.
Scheduling of Events
Advance scheduling of events is important to allow for adequate publicity and for special arrangements such as room assignment, speakers platform and audiovisual equipment. Events that have been scheduled and registered are placed on the official activities calendar in the campus Student Activities Office.
Smoking Policy
Smoking is prohibited in all College facilities.
Whos Who Among Students in American Junior Colleges

Each year students graduating from the College are nominated by a studentfaculty-staff committee on each campus for inclusion in the publication, Whos Who Among Students in American Junior Colleges. Students are selected on the basis of scholarship ability, participation and leadership in academic and extracurricular activities, citizenship, service to the College, and potential for future achievement. These students are also selected on the basis of other specific criteria that they must meet. They must have achieved sophomore level standing, i.e., 30 or more semester credits earned with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.50. Also, the students must have been admitted to an A.A., A.S., A.A.A., or A.A.S. curriculum by the time of selection. Nominations with supporting documents are accepted from any member of the College community.
NOVA Fees and Fines

Tuition Payment
Tuition is payable by cash, check, money order, contract, approved financial aid (except work study), VISA, MasterCard, or American Express. Checks and money orders (payable to NVCC or NOVA) can only be accepted for the exact amount due. Credit cards are accepted for tuition, Continuing Education enrollments and parking. A service charge will be assessed for any check or credit card payment that is dishonored, except when the bank is at fault. A dishonored payment is considered a debt to the College. Refer to the Section of Nonpayment of Debts and Holds on Student Records for additional information. A dishonored payment that is not an error of the bank must be redeemed with cash, certified check, or money order before you can enroll for additional or future courses. If you issue a dishonored check that is not a bank error, you will be required to pay by cash, certified check, or money order for one year from the date of payment to the College for the dishonored payment before personal checks will be accepted again. By using an agency or employer contract/authorization, you agree to accept responsibility for the full amount of tuition if the agency/employer does not pay within 30 days after invoice. In order to avoid financial responsibility, you must drop a class before the Census Date (last day for a tuition refund) if you decide not to attend. For students who have paid tuition by VISA, MasterCard, or American Express, authorized refunds can be issued as credits to charge card accounts. Only credit card payments made through the NOVAConnect web will receive an automatic refund to the credit card. Credit card refunds will not be processed at the campus Business Office. Refunds will be processed for a check to be mailed to you at your address of record with the College. Refer to the Schedule of Classes for payment deadlines each session/semester.
Deferred Tuition Payment Plan

NOVAs Deferred Tuition Payment Plan For a non-refundable fee, students may sign up to pay their tuition in monthly (24 months), interestfree payments. The earlier that students enroll in the program the more likely the lowest monthly payment option is available. For more information, or to enroll on line go to www.nvcc.edu/tuitionandfees/facts.htm.
Tuition Refund
Tuition refunds are not automatic except for courses canceled by the College. The College will issue a refund for courses or sections canceled by the College unless you add another course or section carrying the same number of credits. In order to avoid financial responsibility, you must drop a class if you decide not to attend. Never assume you will be dropped automatically. If you want a tuition refund you must make sure that you have officially dropped your course(s). You are eligible for a refund if you drop one or more of your courses by the Census Date or Last day for Tuition Refund as published in the Schedule of Classes and as indicated on your official receipt form. For special session classes the refund period is proportionate to the length of the class. There is no refund of tuition after the refund period has passed except in very special circumstances such as an administrative error by either VCCS or the College, a debilitating illness that prevents a student from continuing his or her studies, the death of the student or an immediate family member, or a national emergency declared by the President. Such instances must have occurred after the add/drop period, but prior to the halfway point of a course. If your situation meets the special criteria above, your refund request must be submitted to the business manager of the campus where the class was offered, along with supporting documentation. To receive a refund for an ELI course, you must drop the course through NOVAConnect on or before the last refund date. Refund dates will be included in the Quick Start Syllabus mailed to you by ELI when you enroll. The College will consider requests for refunds for ELI courses under special circumstances as described in the paragraph above. To request a refund for one of the above circumstances, you must do the following: 1. Withdraw from the class or classes you want to be considered for an exception to the refund policy for the semester in question. 2. Write a letter to the campus business manager requesting a refund and stating the reason for a refund.
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Attach any justifying documents including doctors statements, documentation of errors, copies of death certificates, and the like.
If a refund is approved, it will be sent to your mailing address. It is your responsibility to make sure your current and correct address is listed on NOVAConnect. If a refund is granted for College error, the course will be dropped from your transcript. If a refund is denied, you will receive a letter to that effect, explaining why. If a refund is approved, it may be prorated. For a problem that occurs in the first quarter of the course, a full tuition refund will be approved. For a problem that occurs in the second quarter of the course, a refund of 50% or half will be approved. No refunds are granted for problems occurring in the second half of a course.
Domicile/Tuition Appeal Process

Entitlement to in-state tuition charges is based on your domicile status (not your residency). See the current College Catalog for a description of domicile requirements for in-state tuition rates. In cases where the State Council on Higher Education in Virginia (SCHEV) Guidelines explicitly deny a student eligibility for in-state tuition rates, the student cannot appeal the decision to the College Domicile Appeal Committee. The procedure described below is applicable to student appeals of denied in-state status for tuition determination on the basis of Section 237.4 of the Code of Virginia. Level I: Since tuition appeals should be settled promptly, a verbal appeal should be made with the Student Services Center supervisor/campus registrar within ten (10) calendar days following the time you reasonably should have gained knowledge of your tuition status. Level II: If you are not satisfied with the disposition of the appeal of Level I, you may appeal the Level I decision through a campus dean of students within five (5) calendar days following the Level I decision by filing a completed Procedures to Appeal a Decision on Granting In-State Tuition Rates (form 12536). The appeal will be reviewed within fifteen (15) calendar days and you will be advised of a decision. Level III: If you are not satisfied with the disposition of the appeal at Level II, you may file an appeal in writing to the College Domicile Appeal Committee within five (5) calendar days following the Level II decision.
A written decision will be given to you within thirty (30) calendar days following receipt of the appeal. Level IV: If you are not satisfied with the disposition of the appeal at Level III, you may file an appeal in writing to the president of NOVA within five (5) calendar days following receipt of the Level III decision. The president will consider the appeal and inform you of his/her decision within fifteen (15) calendar days. This is the final step in the administrative appeals process. If you are not satisfied with the final administrative decision, you have the right to review in the appropriate circuit court. A petition for review of the final administrative decision shall be filed within thirty (30) days of receiving the written decision.
General Expenses
You may be required to pay various academic or co-curricular expenses during the year. Books may be a significant expense, but costs can be lessened by buying used books from the Bookstore or from fellow students. Costs of special activities such as theatrical performances and dances are minimal. Consult the current NOVA Catalog or contact the campus business manager and Student Activities Office for information on other expenses.
Library Charges
Library patrons are responsible for the replacement cost of any item they lose. Payments for lost materials are not refundable. This non-refundable rule also applies to fines and replacement costs charged for materials borrowed from other libraries with an NOVACard student ID card. Because access to high-demand reserve materials is critical, the College libraries charge fines for overdue reserve materials. Patrons returning regular reserve materials late will be charged a fine of $2.00 per day. Patrons returning timed reserve materials late will be charged a fine of $2.00 per hour. Timed reserve materials are those with specific time limits on their use in the Library. The maximum fine for keeping reserve materials late is $80.00. Patrons with overdue circulating or reserve items will not be able to check out additional materials until all overdue items are returned and fines paid. Continued enrollment and the release of transcripts will be prevented if overdue items are not returned.
Nonpayment of Debts and Holds on Student Records

Your continued attendance at the College is dependent upon proper settlement of all debts owed the institution. Should you fail to satisfy all due and payable amounts for tuition and fees, bookstore purchases charged to financial aid, college loans, college fines, library charges, or other debts owed the College, your enrollment may be canceled. In this case, you will not be reinstated until all of your financial obligations to the College have been satisfied. If you owe money to the College, you will have a hold placed on your records (go to NOVAConnect at www.nvcc.edu/novaconnect for details). During this time, you will not be permitted to enroll, no academic transcripts will be issued, no recommendations will be written, and no other services will be provided. The College will use the services of a collection agency to recover debts owed to it. Debtors are subject to late fees and collection costs.
NOVACard IDs
Student photo identification cards, NOVACard IDs, are provided to credit students through the student activities fee. ID cards may be needed for library material use, campus copying and printing, caf and vending locations, admissions to special student activities, parking, and so forth. Lost cards will be replaced at a fee of $10.00. Contact the campus NOVACard Office for more information.
Parking Permits
Vehicles should be registered during enrollment or, if necessary, during the add/drop periods. Any student, full or part-time, who wishes to park a vehicle in the student parking lots (B lots) on any campus during any semester must pay a fee for a parking permit. The summer session is considered to be a full semester for this purpose. The permit must be correctly displayed by placing it as directed on the vehicle. These instructions are provided with the permit and described in the current NOVA Parking Services booklet. Permits may be purchased online beginning the first day of registration each semester, at https://parking.nvcc.edu. Your permit will be mailed to you. You can print a temporary seven-day pass from the Web site to use immediately. Parking Offices accept only cash or checks for permits until the first day of classes. Once classes begin, Parking Offices will also accept credit cards. The cost of a parking permit is specified in the Schedule of Classes and on the Parking Web site at https://parking.nvcc.edu. A current semester parking
permit is required for all semesters/sessions of enrollment. To use the parking garages at the Annandale and Medical Education campuses without any additional charge, you must have a NOVACard ID as well as a valid parking permit. Hourly pay parking is also available in the garages if you do not have a current permit and ID card.
Physical Education Charges

Some of the physical education courses, such as ice skating and bowling, have additional charges that must be paid at the first class meeting of the semester. The Schedule of Classes should indicate if there are additional costs.
Traffic Fines
The College Police have the authority to issue citations for violations of NOVA parking regulations and Virginia Uniform Traffic Summons for violation of state traffic regulations. Campus Parking employees also have the authority to issue citations for violations of College parking regulations. Fines for NOVA parking violations may be paid in person at any campus Parking Services Office or online at https://parking.nvcc.edu. Fines for violations of state traffic laws are imposed and collected by the traffic court in the local political jurisdiction. See the College Parking Services booklet at the above link for further information.
Reference Section
College Policies and Procedures
Advisory and Governing Bodies Student Membership on Committees Student Organizations Policies and Procedures for Recognition of Student Groups Student Rights and Responsibilities: Section I: Rights and Responsibilities Section II: Student Conduct, Academic Dishonesty Section III: Student Disciplinary Policies and Procedures Section IV: Administrative Responsibility for the College Section V: Illegal Substance Policy Section VI: Academic Dishonesty Section VII: Information Technology Ethics Agreement and NVCC Computer User Agreement Section VIII: Sexual Harassment Section IX: Procedure for Registration of College Demonstrations Section X: Solicitation and Distribution of Materials on College Property Student Complaints and Grievances Course Grade Appeals Faculty Responsibilities and Obligations Transportation/Campus Locations Index Who Can Answer My Question? Administrative Offices 57 57 60 61 65 65 66 67 72 72 73 73 77 78 79 80 83 85 88 90 94 95
Advisory and Governing Bodies

For the information and benefit of all members of the College community, the minutes or notes of meetings of the State Board for Community Colleges, the Northern Virginia Community College Board, Administrative Council, and campus provosts staff are available in the library at each campus. Important groups that recommend, formulate, and/or implement policies and procedures are: Administrative Council An administrative staff advisory group, the Administrative Council reviews matters concerning College policy and administrative procedure and makes recommendations to the president. Chaired by the president, the council is composed of key members of the College staff and the campus provosts. College Forum The purpose of the College Forum is to promote the philosophy and objectives of NOVA and to apprise the president as to the thinking of the faculty, staff, and student body on any College matter. The College Forum consists of the College Senate, a Campus Council on each campus, and the standing committees of the College Forum: the Instructional and Student Services Committee, and the Personnel Services Committee. Student representation is provided for on the College Senate, Campus Councils, and the Instructional and Student Services Committee. The College Forum Constitution describes the purposes and functions of these groups.
Student Membership on Committees

Students have an opportunity to participate in the Colleges governance processes through membership on several campus and College committees and in the College Forum organization. You are encouraged to seek appointment to committees with designated student representation, since your participation is important in the examination of issues and development of proposals of importance to the College. The following are committees and representative groups with student membership. Those committees that have student representatives on multiple campuses are identified as college-wide. The committees that exist at each of the six campuses and act on issues germane to that campus are identified as campus. The Affirmative Action Committee (college-wide) acts as an advisory committee to the president on equal employment opportunity, as well as other personnel matters. This committee consults with the president, makes
recommendations, and reviews the Colleges Affirmative Action Plan. (Membership includes two students nominated by the College Senate.) The Awards Committee (college-wide) coordinates the selection of College nominees for teaching awards made available by groups outside the College. This committee also administers similar College award programs as assigned by the College president or chair of the College Senate. (Membership includes two students nominated by the College Senate.) The Campus Councils (college-wide) serve as forums for formulating and expressing faculty, student and staff points of view on each campus, generally reserving their deliberations for questions of campus-level responsibility that are relevant to a particular campus or its constituencies. (Membership is determined on an annual basis, but includes at least four students.) The College Senate (college-wide) serves as an instrument for the formulation and expression of faculty, student and staff points of view, generally reserving its deliberation for major questions that are important to the faculty, the student body, the staff, and the institution as a whole. (Membership includes 12 students two from each campus.) The Community Services Committees (campus) review all community service offerings and activities and consider the communitys needs in terms of community services such as seminars, non-credit courses, workshops, lectures, and conferences. These are campus committees that make recommendations to the provosts. (Membership includes one student nominated by the Campus Council.) The Disciplinary Panels (campus) are student administrative hearing bodies, appointed by the campus provost annually. Appropriate recommendations are made to the campus provost. (Membership includes one member of the provosts staff, who will serve as chair of the panel; one faculty member, to be selected from a pool of faculty designated at the beginning of each academic year by the Campus Council; and one student, to be selected from a pool of students designated at the beginning of each academic year by the Campus Council.) The Health, Safety, and ADA Compliance Committees (campus) review campus safety policies and procedures consistent with the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970. In addition, the committees seek to promote an interest on the part of all campus personnel in the practice of
safer working environments. Recommendations are made to the provosts. (Membership includes one student nominated by the Campus Council.) The Instructional and Student Services Committee (college-wide) receives proposals from the College community and makes recommendations concerning matters pertaining to the quality of education, student life, and the welfare of the student body of the College. This committee studies, gathers information, conducts discussions, and otherwise surveys the intellectual and/or student environment, academic standards, and teachinglearning conditions in the College. Recommendations are made to the College Forum. (Membership includes six students, one from each campus.) The Learning Resources Committees (campus) serve in a liaison capacity, relaying information regarding the policies and services of Learning Resource Services to the faculty and faculty opinion back to the LRS. This committee acts as an advisory body to develop a sound program of learning resource services for the campus. (Membership includes two students nominated by the Campus Council.) The Environmental Concerns Committee (college-wide) makes recommendations to the President, the College Senate, and other administrative officers, as appropriate, concerning environmental policies and practices. The committee assists in developing and publicizing programs and events intended to increase awareness of green, environmentally-friendly principles and to enhance the public perception of NOVA as a progressive and valuable member of the higher education community. The committee serves as a clearinghouse for information on sustainable operations among the campuses and maintains contacts with similar committees and sustainability offices at other colleges and other public and private institutions in the region. In addition, the committee discharges other duties as may be assigned by the College. (Membership includes one student, appointed by the president annually.) The Student Financial Aid Committee (college-wide) is responsible for collecting and disseminating information pertaining to available scholarships and other financial aid. This committee will also select recipients for scholarships as designated by donors and will nominate students for consideration by donors if requested. The committee will proportion available scholarships and aid to each of the campuses in a fair and equitable distribution. Appropriate recommendations are made to the executive vice president. (Membership includes one student from each campus nominated by the College Senate.)
The Student Publications Committees (campus) have the authority to approve campus publications, appoint and dismiss editors and faculty advisors of each recognized campus student publication, recommend budgets for each of the publications to the dean of students, and monitor all campus student publications to insure that the publications meet their stated objectives and adhere to the canons of journalism. Appropriate recommendations are made through the campus dean of students to the provost. (Membership includes the editor of each approved campus student publication, the president of the campus Student Government, and two students-at-large not affiliated with either the Student Government or any student publication, appointed by the campus Student Government president subject to Student Senate confirmation.) The Traffic Committees (campus) hear appeals on College citations from students, faculty, and staff. Towing appeals may also be considered by the committee, at its discretion. (Membership includes three students nominated by the campus student governing body or its equivalent.) If you are interested in serving on any of these committees or student interest groups, contact the Student Activities Office or the Office of the dean of students on any campus.
Student Organizations
Each campus has a number of student clubs and organizations already in existence. If you wish to establish a new organization, please see page 61 for guidelines and requirements. Organizations may be established, as hereinafter provided, within the College for any legal purpose. Affiliation with an extramural organization such as a national society shall not, in itself, disqualify the College branch or chapter from institutional privileges. Specific policies related to establishment of student organizations are as follows and as stated in the following section, Policies and Procedures for Recognition of Student Groups. 1. Full membership lists including a list of officers of each student organization and copies of the organizations constitution and bylaws will be filed and maintained with the campus student activities coordinator/counselor. All amendments to the constitution and/or by-laws shall be submitted for approval to the executive vice president before becoming effective. Private clubs, private associations, social fraternities, and social sororities will not be recognized by the College. Where there is an
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affiliation with an extramural organization such as a national society, that organizations constitution and by-laws shall be filed with the student and College governing bodies. All amendments shall be submitted within a reasonable time (at least two weeks) before they are effective. All organization funds will be deposited with and expended through the Colleges Office of the Controller and are subject to policies, procedures, and regulations pertaining to such funds as established by the State Board for Community Colleges. Recognition of an organization implies neither College approval nor disapproval of the aims, objectives, and policies of the organization. Recognition means only that the organization may use College facilities and receive other support as provided by College policies. Any organization that engages in illegal activities on or off campus may have sanctions imposed against it including admonition, probation, or withdrawal of College recognition. There must be a full-time faculty or staff advisor for each student organization. College facilities may be assigned to student organizations and community civic groups for regular business meetings, for social programs, and for programs open to the public, unless in the opinion of the president, the group or the planned program poses a serious threat to the continued well-being and safety of the College. Reasonable conditions may be imposed to regulate the timeliness of requests, to determine the appropriateness of the space assigned, to regulate time and use, and to insure proper maintenance.
An individual, group, or organization may use the College name only with the expressed authority of the College. Student organizations, including their officers and members, have no authority to speak for the College or commit the College to any agreement or undertaking. However, the College reserves the right to supervise on-campus activity, but does not assume any obligation to do so.
Policies and Procedures for Recognition of Student Groups

The following policies and procedures regarding the development of student groups is established to provide an orderly and timely process of official recognition to those groups organized to provide a particular service in keeping with the Colleges mission and goals. It is recognized that small groups of students may wish to meet, often on a short-term basis, to support a particular curricular or service interest. Because of the informal nature or the temporary nature of the group, development of a constitution
and formal structure may not be necessary. Such an interest group may be formed as noted in Section A of the following procedures. Those student groups anticipating a more continuing function and seeking college funding will go through an additional process of official recognition as a college organization (B). A. Recognition of Interest Groups An interest group may be established observing the following guidelines: 1. Any group of students wishing to form an interest group should complete an Application for Approval as an Interest Group (12578) and obtain approval from the Student Activities coordinator/counselor who will keep the dean of students informed of all interest groups formed on the campus. Notice of approval or disapproval shall be made by the Student Activities coordinator/counselor within one month of receipt of the application. 2. The use of College facilities may be provided. 3. No revenue-producing activities will be permitted except through the sponsorship of an officially recognized organization that bears full fiscal responsibility and liability for the activity. 4. The group will not be allowed to use the College name in its title and no college funds or services will be provided to the group. However, the campus locations for meetings and activities may be designated. 5. The group shall be open to all students, faculty, and staff regardless of race, color, sex, age, political affiliation, religion, handicap, national origin, veteran status, marital status, or sexual orientation. B. Recognition as a College Organization 1. Initiating the Process a) Any group of students wishing to have their interest group or club recognized as a College organization should complete the Application for Recognition as a College Organization (125291) and obtain the necessary forms from the Student Activities coordinator/counselor. b) An application for full recognition and a constitution and by-laws shall be completed and approved by the Student Activities coordinator/ counselor and the dean of students. Notice of approval or disapproval of the application will be made by the dean of students within two months of receipt of the club application. c) Ten NOVA student signatures are needed to achieve recognition. An organization advisor designated from the full-time College teaching or administrative faculty will be required. d) Until recognition has been granted, the group will not be allowed to
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use the College name in its title and no college funds or services will be provided to the group. However, the campus locations for meetings and activities may be designated. e) The group may sponsor revenue-producing activities. f) Funds collected or disbursed must be accounted for according to college and state fiscal policies. Final Processing a) As soon as the constitution has been reviewed and all paperwork is in order, the dean of students will forward the Application for Recognition and the organizations constitution and by-laws to the executive vice president for review and action. b) A decision on recognition will be based on criteria established in Section II, Student Conduct in the Student Conduct, Rights and Responsibilities chapter. c) Once an organization has been officially recognized, funds may be requested from the Student Activities coordinator/counselor. Such funds shall be used only for purposes of campus-wide interest and benefit. The VCCS does not authorize or recognize private clubs, private associations, social fraternities, or social sororities; nor do VCCS colleges provide funding for student clubs or organizations with a political or religious affiliation. Inactive Status and Loss of Recognition Inactive Status Prior to being declared inactive, an organizations president will be so advised and given an opportunity to present relevant information on behalf of the organization. Such a hearing would be with the dean of students. a) An organization may be declared inactive by the dean of students if any one of the following conditions exists: (1) Failure to maintain the required number of members in the organization (10). (2) Failure to maintain a faculty advisor. The Student Activities coordinator/counselor may serve as a temporary advisor for one semester only. (3) Failure to provide lists of officers or constitution changes to the Student Activities coordinator/counselor when requested. (4) Failure to comply with audit requirements of club accounts when required. (5) Failure to provide representation at coordinating meetings. (6) Failure to provide or engage in campus service activities when assigned by the Student Government Association or other student coordinating group.
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(7) Failure to comply with College policies or any authorized directive by a College official. b) An organization may declare itself inactive for a given semester or semesters by submitting a written request to the Student Activities coordinator/counselor. c) Until the organization corrects all deficiencies that caused the declaration of inactive status, the following actions will be observed: (1) The organization will lose financial support from the Student Activities Fund. (2) The organizations name will not appear in campus publications such as newsletters, newspapers, and the Student Organizations Directory (where published). (3) The organization is ineligible for any awards or honors available to recognized organizations. Loss of Recognition a) Possible reasons for loss of recognition are: (1) Evidence of failure to comply with college/campus, local or state policies and regulation (e.g. financial policy, policy on scheduling of events, etc.). (2) Evidence of failure to abide by its own constitution and by-laws (e.g. discrimination in membership, misappropriation of local revenue funds, etc.). (3) Inactivity for a period of two years. b) Procedures following loss of recognition: (1) Students interested in establishing a similar organization at some later time would follow the guidelines for Recognition as a College Organization. (2) Funds accrued in the student club control account (520 account) of an organization for which recognition is revoked shall revert to the Student Activity Fund. Implementation a) An organization may be declared inactive by the dean of students upon recommendation of the Student Activities coordinator/ counselor. Appeal of this action may be submitted in writing to the provost. b) An organization may lose official College recognition by action of the executive vice president.
Student Rights and Responsibilities:

Northern Virginia Community College is a learning community with specific expectations concerning the conduct of its students. The Colleges approach to student learning and student conduct is to provide a safe and healthy learning environment that facilitates the mission of the College. When a students conduct adversely affects the Colleges pursuit of its educational objectives, actions will be taken to remedy the situation. Northern Virginia Community Colleges approach will be both to resolve the problem and to help students learn from their mistakes. In accord with this general philosophy, efforts will always be made to resolve discipline issues informally, if possible. This section of the Student Handbook discusses your rights, responsibilities, and conduct as you pursue your education. Section I: Rights and Responsibilities 1. The submission of an application for admission to Northern Virginia Community College represents a voluntary decision on your part to participate in the programs offered by the institution pursuant to its policies, rules, and regulations. College approval of your application, in turn, represents the extension of a privilege to join the college community and to remain a part of it so long as you meet its required academic and behavior standards. 2. You have the privilege of exercising your rights without fear or prejudice as long as you respect the laws of the state, the policies of the College, and the rights of others on campus. Such rights include the following: a) You are free to pursue your educational goals; appropriate opportunities for learning in the classroom and on the campus shall be provided by the College through its curricula. b) No disciplinary sanctions may be imposed upon you without due process, except as hereinafter provided. c) Free inquiry, expressions, and assembly are guaranteed to you provided your actions do not interfere with the rights of others or the effective operation of the institution. d) Academic evaluation of your performance shall be neither arbitrary nor capricious. e) The College and members of the College community have the right to expect safety, protection of property, and the continuity of the educational process. 3. You are asked to assist the College in fostering good community relations. In this regard, you should refrain from crossing private property to get to campus, parking in and traversing within unauthorized areas, and traveling faster than the speed limit. The surrounding community needs our support in the protection and safety of its residents and property.
Section II: Student Conduct College disciplinary action shall be limited to conduct which adversely affects the College communitys pursuit of its educational objectives. The following misconduct is subject to disciplinary action: 1. All forms of dishonesty including cheating, plagiarism, knowingly furnishing false information to the College, forgery, and alteration or use of College documents or instruments of identification with intent to defraud. (See Section VI, Academic Dishonesty.) 2. Disruption or obstruction of teaching, research, administration, disciplinary proceedings, or other College activities. The initial response to disruptive behavior, normally, will be to ask you to be orderly and to set up a time for discussion of the issue. If you refuse to do this, the instructor may require you to leave the classroom. The instructor may contact the dean of students to determine what disciplinary procedures are appropriate. Thus, while an instructor may not dismiss you from the course without following due process procedures outlined in the Student Handbook, the instructor may dismiss you from a class session when you are disrupting the continuity of the educational process. 3. Physical and/or psychological abuse or the threat of such abuse of any person on College premises or at College activities. This includes hazing of any sort. Hazing is defined as, To initiate or discipline (fellow students) by means of horseplay, practical jokes, and tricks, often in the nature of humiliating or painful ordeals. 4. Sexual harassment or assault. (See Section VIII, Sexual Harassment.) 5. Participating in or inciting a riot or an unauthorized or disorderly assembly. 6. Seizing, holding, commandeering, or damaging any property or facilities of the College, or threatening to do so, or refusing to depart from any property or facilities of the College upon direction by College officials or other person authorized by the president. 7. Use of alcoholic beverages including the purchase, serving, consumption, possession, or sale of such items on College property or at any Collegesponsored student event or activity. 8. Gambling or holding a raffle or lottery on the campus or at any College function without proper College and other necessary approval. 9. Possessing, using, selling, or distributing drugs for illegal purposes. 10. Possessing on College property or at any College activity any dangerous chemical or explosive elements or component parts thereof, rifle, shotgun, pistol, revolver, or other firearm or weapon not used for lawful College studies without an authorization of the president of the College. The only exception applies to law enforcement officers. While civilian attired law enforcement officers have the authority to carry firearms, they must keep them concealed so as not to alarm others.
11. Physically detaining or restraining any other person or removing such person from any place where he/she is authorized to remain, or in any way obstructing the free movement of persons or vehicles on College premises or at College activities. 12. Littering, defacing, destroying, or damaging property of the College or property under its jurisdiction or removing or using such property without authorization. 13. Willfully encouraging others to commit any of the acts that have been herein prohibited. 14. Violating any local, state, or federal laws. 15. Violating any rule or regulation not contained within the official College publications but announced as administrative edict by a College official or other person authorized by the president. 16. Violation of campus and College fire regulations, i.e., failure to comply with emergency evacuation procedures, tampering with fire protection apparatus, etc. 17. Theft or attempted theft of College or personal property on College premises. 18. Unauthorized entry into or presence in any College building or facility. 19. Violation of College policy on demonstrations. 20. Violation of College policy on solicitation and sales. 21. Violation of College policy by smoking in any College facility. Violation of College policy by unauthorized use of cellular phones, pagers, USB drives, PDAs, and other electronic devices in the academic setting. 22. Any form of misconduct described above or any behavior that constitutes a criminal action as defined by the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia may result in a physical arrest and prosecution by either College Police or other law enforcement authorities having jurisdiction upon our campuses. Section III: Student Disciplinary Policies and Procedures Disciplinary Procedures The campus dean of students is responsible for the administration of disciplinary procedures. Allegations of violations of College policy are accepted for consideration only when the apparent infractions are observed on College property or other locations where the College provides services. Infractions of federal, state or local laws occurring off campus shall be the sole concern of the civil authorities except when such actions: (1) directly affect the health, safety, or security of the College community, (2) affect the Colleges pursuit of its educational purposes, or (3) occur as a direct result of a College-connected disruption. Reports of alleged student violations may be submitted by any individual to the dean of students.
Whenever possible, the dean will attempt to resolve the problem informally. If an informal resolution to the matter cannot be found, or is not appropriate, the dean of students will interpret the alleged misconduct with regard to regulations and identify specific charges that will be brought against you. Disciplinary proceedings will be instituted only for charges of violating College regulations. After reviewing the allegations, specifying the charges, and obtaining any necessary information, the campus dean of students will discuss the case with you, including the nature and source of the charges and your rights and responsibilities. In cases involving similar charges at more than one campus, the executive vice president or designee will have the option of coordinating a hearing before a modified Disciplinary Panel, or deferring to the first campus dean of students who brings charges to continue with the proceedings. You may then choose either A or B below: A. With the deans concurrence, an administrative hearing by the dean of students. Following this hearing, the dean may impose a disciplinary action. B. A hearing before the Disciplinary Panel, which may impose a disciplinary action. The Disciplinary Panel The Disciplinary Panel is a student administrative hearing body, appointed by the campus provost, and consists of the following membership: One member of the provosts staff, who will serve as chair of the Panel. One faculty member, to be selected from a pool of faculty designated at the beginning of each academic year by the Campus Council. One student, to be selected from a pool of students designated at the beginning of each academic year by the Campus Council. In cases involving similar charges at more than one campus, when the executive vice president or designee has elected to coordinate the hearing, the Disciplinary Panel will include the usual members from the one campus plus one faculty member and one student from each of the additional campuses that have similar charges against the student. The Disciplinary Panel shall make its decision by simple majority vote. All members must be present. The chair of the Panel is a voting member. All decisions of the Disciplinary Panel must be supported by the weight of the evidence, taking into account the credibility of the witnesses.
Appeals 1. All appeals must be submitted in writing and must include the basis for the appeal. 2. All appeals must be filed within ten (10) calendar days of the postmark of formal written notification of any hearing body. 3. Disciplinary decisions may be appealed in order, first to the provost and then to the president. In cases where a hearing involved more than one campus, an appeal would initially go to the provost of the first campus that made the charges, and then if the appeal is continued, it would go to the president. 4. If you appeal the decision of any hearing body, a decision will be made within ten (10) calendar days of the postmark of your appeal. 5. Pending the outcome of the appeal hearing, the disciplinary actions stipulated in the original hearing shall, ordinarily, not be imposed. 6. The provost and president may only affirm, lessen, or reverse the decision of the original hearing body. The provost and president may not impose a more severe disciplinary action. 7. The presidents decision of an appeal will be final. Procedural Safeguards for Students and Clarifications In order to provide an orderly procedure for handling disciplinary cases, which gives you due process and justice, the following safeguards will be available: 1. You will receive written notification of the time, place, and date of any hearing at least seven (7) calendar days before the hearing to allow you a reasonable amount of time to prepare a defense. You will receive a written statement of the charges brought against you. Upon request, you will be allowed access to any and all known materials to be introduced by the College as evidence at the hearing against you. 2. When an alleged infraction takes place on your campus of record or during off-campus activities sponsored by that campus, all records of the alleged infraction and materials pertaining to and resulting from the hearing of the case will be retained by the office of the dean of students on your campus of record. In cases where the alleged infraction takes place at a campus other than your campus of record, records will be retained by the office of the dean of students for that campus until after the conclusion of the disciplinary process 3. An appeal action can only be initiated at the campus where the incident took place. At the conclusion of the disciplinary process, material will be returned to the office of the dean of students on your campus of record. 4. You may elect not to appear at a hearing, but the hearing will still be held in your absence.
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You may submit a signed statement to the Disciplinary Panel, which includes any information or facts you wish to be considered in the review of your case, whether or not you choose to appear for the hearing. You may have an advisor present at any hearing, but must so inform the chair of the Disciplinary Panel in writing postmarked at least five (5) calendar days prior to the hearing. You may receive advice, but this person may not speak for you. You will be given the opportunity to speak for yourself and to present witnesses on your behalf. You may remain silent if you choose to do so. Hearings will be closed to the public and press. All decisions and proceedings will be confidential. All evidence against you will be presented in your presence, if you have chosen to appear, and you will be permitted to question any witnesses. The burden of proof will rest with those bringing the charges. All decisions will be based only on evidence presented before the hearing body. A determination of guilt will be based on a preponderance of evidence brought against the accused. Written notification of any hearing bodys decision will be postmarked within ten (10) calendar days of the conclusion of the hearing. An audiotape and the disciplinary records of the Disciplinary Panel hearing will be kept by the campus of record. A copy may be made available to you upon written request at your own expense. The audiotape will be maintained by the office of the dean of students at your campus of record. After five (5) years, all tapes will be destroyed. You may appeal any decision to the next higher administrative level, first to the provost and then to the president, and shall be advised in writing of the appeal procedures along with your formal notification of the decision. Calendar day periods for responses will not include official College holidays or when the College is closed for inclement weather or other emergencies. Postmark dates shall be the dates used as the official dates of notification. Deadlines may be extended by mutual agreement of both parties. Agreement shall be in writing. In the case of injury, illness, or other mitigating circumstance on either part, a deadline revision will be considered appropriate.
Disciplinary Actions Disciplinary actions that may be taken are the following: 1. Removal of the charges The charges against you are removed. 2. Admonition An oral or written statement to you that you are violating or have violated College rules and may be subject to more severe disciplinary action if further violations occur. 3. Disciplinary probation Removal of the privilege of participating in extracurricular activities of the College, including the holding of any student office, for a period of time not exceeding one academic year. 4. Restitution Theft of or damage to College property or other forms of misconduct may be dealt with through monetary reimbursement, appropriate campus service, or educational projects. 5. Grade penalty In the case of academic dishonesty, an instructor may impose a grade penalty. 6. Disciplinary suspension Exclusion from attending the College as a student for a definite period of time. 7. Dismissal from a curriculum Exclusion from attending a curricular program. The conditions for readmission, if any, will be stated in the order of dismissal. 8. Dismissal from the College Termination of student status for an indefinite period. The conditions of the readmission, if any, will be stated in the order of dismissal. The president is required to approve dismissal. 9. Letter of apology or other similar actions as deemed appropriate by the dean of students, provost or president Actions to help you make the situation better or to learn from your mistake. More than one disciplinary action may be taken. Special Steps Available to the President 1. Nothing in these procedures should be construed to prevent the president from taking such official steps as he/she may deem necessary. Final action shall be in accordance with the above procedure. 2. Pending a hearing, you may be suspended by the president of the College or his/her designee and barred from the College if your presence is deemed a danger to others or is likely to be disruptive to the normal educational activities of the College. 3. The president has delegated to campus provosts the authority to suspend students for just cause. Any suspension of a student at one campus results in his or her suspension from all campuses and venues in which the college operates.
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Before you may be suspended or dismissed, you will be informed of the reasons for the suspension or dismissal and you will be provided with an opportunity to respond except in exigent circumstances, in which case you will be given said opportunity as soon as is practicable.
Disciplinary Records All records of disciplinary action will remain confidential, will remain separate from your academic record, will be maintained by the dean of students, and will not be available to unauthorized persons. Exceptions will be made only under the conditions specified in the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, and under a court order or subpoena. All records of a case will be maintained by the office of the campus dean of students for a minimum of five (5) years after the final resolution of the case at which time they will be destroyed, unless mitigating circumstances exist as determined by the campus deans. Section IV: Administrative Responsibility for the College The president of Northern Virginia Community College is responsible for the entire administration of the College, subject to the control of the chancellor of the Virginia Community College System, and the State Board for Community Colleges. It is his/her duty to administer the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia which may be applicable on the campus(es) as well as the policies, rules, and regulations of the State Board for Community Colleges, the chancellor of the Virginia Community College System and the College Board. Any authority or responsibility or duty granted to or imposed upon the college president may be delegated to another person or persons on the faculty or staff of the college of which he/she is president. The president or his/ her delegate may take whatever legal or institutional action is necessary to effectuate this authority. Section V: Illegal Substance Policy No one on a Northern Virginia Community College campus may possess, sell, use, manufacture, give away, or otherwise distribute illegal substances including drugs or, where prohibited, alcohol. Similarly, the possession, use, or distribution of illegal substances at College-sponsored events or meetings off campus are also prohibited. Students and employees who violate this policy will be subject to College discipline imposed through established due process procedures. The College will notify its police and any other appropriate law enforcement agencies when its rules regarding illegal substances are broken, and cooperate fully in any investigation and prosecution.
Section VI: Academic Dishonesty When College officials award credit, degrees and certificates, they must assume the absolute integrity of the work done by you; therefore, it is important that you maintain the highest standard of honor in your scholastic work. Academic dishonesty cannot be condoned. When such misconduct is established as having occurred, it subjects you to possible disciplinary actions ranging from admonition to dismissal, along with any grade penalty the instructor might, in appropriate cases, impose. Procedural safeguards of due process and appeal are available to you in disciplinary matters. Academic dishonesty, as a general rule, involves one of the following acts: 1. Cheating on an examination or quiz, including the giving, receiving, or soliciting of information and the unauthorized use of notes or other materials during the examination or quiz. 2. Buying, selling, stealing, or soliciting any material purported to be the unreleased contents of a forthcoming examination, or the use of such material. 3. Substituting for another person during an examination or allowing such substitution for ones self. 4. Plagiarism. This is the act of appropriating passages from the work of another individual, either word for word or in substance, and representing them as ones own work. This includes any submission of written work other than ones own. 5. Collusion with another person in the preparation or editing of assignments submitted for credit, unless such collaboration has been approved in advance by the instructor. 6. Knowingly furnishing false information to the College; forgery and alteration or use of College documents or instruments of identification with the intent to defraud. Section VII: Information Technology Ethics Agreement and NOVA Computer User Agreement The VCCS (Virginia Community College System) has established an information security policy to protect the investments made in computer resources and related assets, and to guard against unauthorized or improper use of such resources. Included in this policy is the requirement that all currently enrolled students and patrons who use computer resources will acknowledge their acceptance of the following Information Technology Student/Patron Ethics Agreement.
Information Technology Student/Patron Ethics Agreement As a user of the Virginia Community College Systems local and wide area computer systems, I understand and agree to abide by the following ethics agreement terms. These terms govern my access to and use of the information technology applications, services and resources of the VCCS and the information they generate. The college granted access to me as a necessary privilege in order to perform authorized functions at the college where I am currently enrolled. I will not knowingly permit use of my entrusted access control mechanism for any purposes other than those required to perform authorized functions related to my status as a student. These include logon identification, password, workstation identification, user identification, file protection keys, or production read or write keys. I will not disclose information concerning any access control mechanism unless properly authorized to do so by my enrolling college. I will not use any access mechanism that the VCCS has not expressly assigned to me. I will treat all information maintained on the VCCS computer systems as strictly confidential and will not release information to any unauthorized person. I agree to abide by all applicable state, federal, VCCS, and college policies, procedures, and standards that relate to the Information Security Policy and the Computer Ethics Guideline. I will follow all the security procedures of the VCCS computer systems and protect the data contained therein. If I observe any incidents of non-compliance with the terms of this agreement, I am responsible for reporting them to the Information Security Officer and management of my college. I understand that VCCNet administration, or appropriate designated college officials, reserve the right without notice to limit or restrict any individuals access and to inspect, remove or otherwise alter any data, file, or system resource that may undermine the authorized use of any network computing facilities (see VCCS Information Security Policy for details). By acknowledging this agreement, I hereby certify that I understand the preceding terms and provisions and that I accept the responsibility of adhering to the same. I further acknowledge that should I violate this agreement, I will be subject to disciplinary action. 11/95
Computer Use Agreement Northern Virginia Community Colleges computing resources have been deployed to enhance the educational experience of its students and the operating efficiency of its faculty and staff. As with its other resources, these computing resources are the property of the College and are to be used for College purposes. Computers and other computer resources are College property and the rules and regulations that apply to College property apply to computing resources. Computer software, databases, and electronic documents are protected by copyright law, and users may not violate the copyright protection of any information, software, or data with which they come into contact through the Colleges computing resources. Students, faculty, and staff are responsible for understanding how copyright law applies to their electronic transactions. Users of Northern Virginia Community Colleges computing resources are required to respect the privacy of other users. They may use only their own user identification unless they have been authorized by a College official to use someone elses. They may not allow others to use their user identification. Users may take advantage only of the computing equipment and services they have express permission to use. They may use these resources only for the purposes for which they have been given permission. They may not use any system loopholes or special knowledge of computer systems to make any changes in the system, to make use of any extra resources, or to take resources from others. Users may not attempt to gain access to information owned by the College or by its authorized users without the permission of the owners of that information. They may not attempt to intercept or read messages not intended for them. Users must identify themselves in all messages sent from College computers. The Colleges computing resources may not be used to support any commercial venture or for personal financial gain, unless such use has been specifically approved in advance by the College president. The Colleges computing resources may not be used to send or seek out obscenities or obscene materials except to the extent that doing so is a component of a bona fide College activity. Users must follow any special rules that are posted or communicated to them by responsible staff members, whenever they use the Colleges computing
laboratories, classrooms, and computers in the Learning Resource Services. Users shall do nothing intentionally that degrades or disrupts the computer systems or interferes with systems and equipment that support the work of others. Users may neither transmit nor make accessible offensive or harassing material. Users must report problems with the Colleges resources to the staff in charge, or to the IT Help Desk. Violating College or VCCS policy regarding computer use is a serious offense that will result in disciplinary action as well as possible prosecution under federal and state law.
NOVA Security Policies and Procedures

On Storage of Sensitive Data and Portable Storage Devices
(Approved by Administrative Council 1/22/2008) Revised 2/10/2009
Storage of Sensitive Data and Information Sensitive information should only be stored within secure network applications such as PeopleSoft, BlackBoard, and the NOVA HR System or on an individuals network drive which is located on a college server. Sensitive information should not be stored on portable storage devices, individual desktop computers, personal web pages/sites, or home computers. Sensitive data/information is any data where the unauthorized access, loss, misuse, modification, or improper disclosure could negatively impact the ability of the college to provide benefits and services to its students or could compromise the privacy of an individuals records. This includes, but is not limited to, personally identifiable information outside the scope of the Colleges directory information policies; social security numbers; personal financial information; sensitive plans and procedures; personnel records; individual student records; and student grades. Any storage of sensitive data/information other than on a network application or network drive must be approved in advance by the Vice President for Instructional & Information Technology and should only be done on devices provided by the College. Any loss of sensitive information should be reported immediately to the Vice President of Instructional & Information Technology. Portable Storage Devices Sharing files, copying and moving files, and flexibility with respect to digital information is essential to the instructional process, as well as for disaster recovery and continuity of operations. The College is willing to assume the risk associated with the use of portable storage devices (such as USB drives, laptops, CD-R, DVD-R, floppy disks, etc.), and will rely on our antivirus software and other network safeguards to protect our network and digital information.
To provide further protection of the Colleges network and sensitive information without interfering with the instructional process and academic freedom, the use of portable storage devices USB drives, laptops, CD-R, DVD-R, and floppy disks must be limited to data that can be made public (in case they are lost or stolen). Private, sensitive data should never be stored on these devices especially identifiable personal data like social security numbers, emplids, student grades, etc. This applies to any of these devices even personally owned ones. Any of these devices that are owned by the college (especially laptops), connected to a college computer, or connected to the college network should use ITSS approved encryption software to protect all document/data files on these types of devices to prevent them from being compromised if the device is lost or stolen. In the limited cases where potentially sensitive data that should not be made public must be stored on a portable device (such as for disaster recovery or continuity of operations), ITSS approved encryption software must always be used. In the rare event where sensitive data must be stored outside a network application or network drive, the following information is required to process approval of an exception: business or technical justification, scope of data, duration (not to exceed one year), description of potential risks, steps to protect the data. Sections VIII: Sexual Harassment Northern Virginia Community College does not and will not tolerate sexual harassment of students, faculty, and/or staff. This policy is part of the Colleges efforts to maintain a learning and work environment free from sexual harassment, exploitation, or intimidation. Violation of this policy will subject individuals to disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal for employees and students. Sexual Harassment Definition Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination that is illegal under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 for employees and under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 for students. In keeping with the guidelines provided by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) on sexual harassment in employment, NOVA defines sexual harassment as unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature directed at an individual, or action taken in retaliation for reporting such behavior, regardless of where such conduct may occur, when:
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Submission to the conduct is either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an individuals employment or academic performance; or Submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for employment decisions including, but not limited to, promotion, transfer, selection for training or performance evaluation, or used as the basis for academic evaluation; or Such conduct has the purpose or effect of interfering with an employees work performance, or a students academic performance or participation in educational pursuits.
Sexual harassment is a serious offense. As a consequence, any faculty or staff member who engages in such conduct or encourages such behavior by others shall be subject to disciplinary action, which may include dismissal from state service. A student who engages or assists in such conduct shall be subject to disciplinary measures including reprimand, suspension, or dismissal when justified to remedy violations of this policy. Students accused of sexual harassment will have the right to a fair due process hearing. Complete Policy and Procedures You may obtain a complete copy of the policy and procedures from your campus dean of students or the College director of Affirmative Action/ Minority and Legal Affairs. Section IX: Procedure for Registration of College Demonstrations Any student or student organization desiring to hold a demonstration on College property must complete a College Registration of Demonstration form (125295) and submit same through the office of Student Activities to the dean of students for consideration. Three copies of this approved form must be filed with the Office of the President of the College ninety-six hours in advance for each organization. Section X: Solicitation and Distribution of Materials on College Property The College welcomes and respects the free expression of ideas. In order that these activities not be disruptive to the regular operations of the College, conditions of time, place, manner, and frequency will generally be established by the campus dean of students. See p. 79 for specific procedures. 1. When no special facilities, equipment or services (e.g., rooms, audiovisual equipment, duplicating equipment, maintenance or set-up services) are requested of the College:
Distribution of materials or solicitation may be conducted with prior approval in any appropriate campus area except for the following: classrooms, laboratories, restrooms, library, administrative and academic offices, doorways, and parking lots. b) Any material remaining after the distribution or solicitation must be properly discarded. Sponsors will be responsible for any littering. 2. When special facilities, equipment or services are requested of the College: a) A facilities use form (105112) must be completed in those cases where a specific room or rooms are required for distribution of materials. Appropriate forms should be submitted to the Provosts Office or his/her designee. See Section 31 of the Administrative Procedures Manual for procedures on use of College facilities. b) A request for audiovisual or maintenance services must be submitted in accordance with campus policy. c) Arrangements for facilities use payment and/or services must be made at the time that forms are submitted. 3. A decision by the dean of students on the request for approval to solicit or distribute will be made within five working days, unless good cause exists for additional time, in which case the decision will be made as soon as reasonably possible. The requestor may appeal the decision of the dean to the provost by presenting such an appeal within five working days of the deans decision. The provost or his/her designee will respond to the appeal within five working days, unless good cause exists for additional time, in which case the decision will be made as soon as reasonably possible. 4. No commercial distribution or solicitation is permitted except with the approval of the dean of students or designee. In addition, distribution and solicitation involving faculty and/or staff must have prior approval of the provost. All requests for commercial distribution or solicitation must be reviewed in light of existing contracts. Approval will be subject to regulation as to time, place, and manner to assure non-interference with operations of the College. 5. All distribution or solicitation must be conducted with regard to conduct regulations contained in the Student Handbook. 6. College jurisdiction extends to the property boundaries of each campus. Jurisdiction also includes all property owned, leased, controlled, used or occupied by the College except where the College may be bound by legal restrictions which may be contrary to these regulations. 7. Posting of printed materials by students and non-student groups will follow established campus procedures as to location, time limits, and responsibility for removing posted items. Approval for posting is granted
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only by the provost or his/her designee. Materials printed in a foreign language must be presented in the English translation prior to approval for posting. Failure to adhere to these regulations may lead to loss of distribution or solicitation privileges, conduct charges, fines for littering, and legal proceedings.
Student Complaints and Grievances

A complaint is an expression of concern about how a given situation affecting a student has been handled by a college unit or college employee. A grievance is a formal difference or dispute between a student and a college employee about the application of the policies and procedures of the campus, the college, or the Virginia Community College System as they affect the student. Every complaint is not a grievance. A complaint is subject to the grievance process only if a student is able to demonstrate that a policy or procedure was applied unfairly and/or in a different manner than it was applied to others, and that the student has experienced some damage or injury as a result. If the complaint involves harassment by a college employee, the student should go directly to the dean of students. Step One A student wishing to complain should contact the responsible person or office within fourteen calendar days of the event that gave rise to the concern. Every reasonable effort should be made to resolve the complaint informally at this level. In instances involving the Extended Learning Institute (ELI), the student may contact the director of ELI to seek resolution at this stage of the process. If the complaint is resolved satisfactorily, the process ends. Step Two If the student is not satisfied with the disposition of the complaint, he or she may appeal in writing to the supervisor. The student must do this within fourteen calendar days after talking with the person or office as provided in Step One. The following individuals will hear the appeal: Academic matters will be heard by the dean of the division involved in the complaint. In cases that involve ELI matters, the division dean should consult directly with the director of ELI in making a decision. The director of Workforce Development and Continuing Education will hear complaints regarding non-credit courses. (Note: There is a separate process for Grade Appeals.)
Complaints regarding admissions matters, such as enrollment and transfer of credits, financial aid matters, and other student services will be heard by the dean of students. Complaints in other areas should be submitted to the dean of students, who will forward the complaint to the appropriate person(s). Complaints about a dean should be made directly to the provost. It is the responsibility of the appropriate administrator to arrange to hear the complaint within fourteen calendar days of receiving the appeal. The administrator must notify the student in writing of the disposition of the matter within fourteen calendar days of hearing the appeal. Step Three If the student is not satisfied with the disposition of the matter at Step Two, he or she may file a grievance. The student will complete the Student Grievance Form (125021) available at www.nvcc.edu/forms and submit it to the dean of students within fourteen calendar days after receiving the administrators report. The dean of students will determine whether the matter involves a grievable action within fourteen calendar days after receiving the Student Grievance Form. If the student is not satisfied with the deans determination of grievability, the student may appeal in writing to the provost within fourteen calendar days of the deans determination. If the student is not satisfied with the provosts determination of grievability, the student may appeal to the president in writing within fourteen calendar days of the provosts decision. The presidents decision as to the grievability of the complaint shall be final. If it is determined that the matter is grievable, it will be heard by a Grievance Panel. Within fourteen calendar days of the determination of grievability, the provost will appoint a Grievance Panel consisting of one member of the provosts staff (who shall serve as chair), one or two teaching faculty members, one or two counselors and one student. The distribution among teaching faculty members and counselors shall be such that the total membership of the panel is five. Within fourteen calendar days after the Grievance Panel has been appointed by the provost, the chair of the Grievance Panel shall set a time and place for a hearing and notify the student in writing. The hearing shall be held within twenty-one calendar days after the Grievance Panel has been
designated. The Grievance Panel shall make its decision by simple majority vote and will make a written recommendation to the provost within fourteen calendar days after the hearing is completed. The provost may accept and implement the panels recommendation, or the provost may modify it. The provost will communicate his/her determination in writing to the student, the members of the Grievance Panel, the person who is the subject of the grievance, and other college officials as appropriate within fourteen calendar days after receiving the Panels recommendation. Step Four The student may appeal the provosts decision in writing to the president within fourteen calendar days of the postmark of the decision. The president will issue a decision within twenty-one calendar days of receiving the appeal. The decision of the president shall be final. General Provisions In no case may an individual involved in an earlier level of the grievance serve on the Grievance Panel. When filing a grievance, the student may have an advisor present at the hearing; however, the student must so inform the chair of the Grievance Panel five calendar days prior to the hearing. The student may receive counsel from the advisor, but the advisor may not speak for the student. In like manner, the person against whom the grievance is brought may have an advisor present at the hearing. If the person against whom the grievance is brought chooses not to attend the hearing, the panel will consider any written statements the person submits. All parties shall have the opportunity to present to the panel any written and/or oral information relevant to the grievance. The panel may also request information from other sources. Signed written statements may, when necessary, be submitted by individuals and witnesses who are unable to attend. All such statements shall be available for the students review at the hearing. The Grievance Panel will have the responsibility of interpreting the grievance in light of College policies and procedures. The Grievance Panel can neither change nor formulate College policies or procedures, nor can it commit state resources.
The student grievant may present new information pertaining to the grievance at any point in the process, but if an official of the College was the subject of the grievance, the person shall have the right to receive copies of all information presented. An audio recording of the meeting with the Grievance Panel will be made by the College. The student shall be entitled to a copy of the recording upon request. All hearings are closed to the public. Calendar day periods for responses will not include official College holidays or when the College is closed for inclement weather or other emergencies. During the procedure, if there are additional grievances directly related to the original grievance, they will be noted but usually will not be acted upon until the original disagreement has been resolved. Deadlines may be extended by mutual written agreement; however, the provost and president have the authority to extend deadlines at any level at their discretion. If the grievant does not respond within the specified deadlines, the grievance is ended. The dean of students is charged with maintaining a complete file of the record of any complaint or grievance that proceeds to Step Two and beyond. Course Grade Appeals Faculty members have the responsibility for assigning grades in accordance with the Colleges grading system and policies regarding academic freedom and responsibility, professional ethics, and conflicts of interest. Students are encouraged to consult their faculty advisors before pursuing a grade appeal. Final course grades issued by members of the College faculty can be appealed only if the grade is alleged to be arbitrary and capricious when compared to the grading protocol on the course syllabus. Arbitrary and capricious grading is defined as the following: The assignment of a course grade to a student on some basis other than performance in a course, or
The assignment of a course grade to a student by resorting to unreasonable standards different from those that were applied to other students in that same course, or The assignment of a course grade by a substantial, unreasonable, and unannounced departure from the faculty members previously published standards, or The assignment of a course grade not in accord with College policies for the grading system and faculty responsibilities. Step One A course grade may be appealed to the faculty member who issued the grade not later than thirty calendar days after the first day of classes for the next fall or spring semester. A written appeal is not required at this level; the student and faculty member should discuss the grade within fourteen calendar days of the students appeal. The faculty member may consult with the assistant dean or program head at this step in the process. In instances involving the Extended Learning Institute (ELI), the student may contact the director of ELI to seek resolution at this stage of the process. If the faculty member who issued the grade is no longer at the College or is otherwise unavailable, the appeal must be made to the division dean as described in Step Two. Step Two If the appeal cannot be resolved with the faculty member, the student should submit a written appeal to the dean of the division in which the course was offered. If the grade in question involves an ELI course, the appropriate division dean should consult directly with the ELI director in resolving the matter. The student must appeal to the dean not later than fourteen calendar days after discussing the grade with the faculty member. Within fourteen calendar days after receiving the appeal, the dean shall confer with the student and instructor to consider the grade appeal. Within fourteen calendar days after conferring with the student and instructor, the dean shall issue a written determination to the student and instructor and retain a copy in the division office. The grade will be changed only if the dean and the instructor agree that the change is warranted; if the dean and the instructor disagree, the matter automatically goes to Step Three.
Step Three The student may appeal the deans determination to the campus provost in writing within fourteen calendar days of receiving the deans report. The provost shall determine whether the appeal has merit according to the criteria specified above. If the provost determines that the appeal is without merit, the provost will inform the student in writing that the appeal will not receive further consideration. If the provost determines that the appeal has merit, the provost will appoint a Grade Appeal Committee consisting of four teaching faculty members and one counselor and chaired by one of the four faculty members. The Grade Appeal Committee shall confer with the student and instructor and make a recommendation to the provost within thirty calendar days of receiving the students appeal. If warranted, the provost will authorize a grade change. The student, the instructor, the dean, and all members of the Grade Appeal Committee shall receive a copy of the determination and a copy shall be retained in the provosts office. The decision of the provost shall be final.
Faculty Responsibilities and Obligations

This section is designed to clarify the responsibilities and obligations which faculty members are expected to fulfill as employees of the College. Functions and Duties of Faculty The primary responsibility of a faculty member in the Virginia Community College System shall be to provide quality instruction for you. The major emphasis shall be on good teaching by working with you in classrooms, laboratories, individual conferences, and related activities to help you develop your interests and abilities to your fullest capacity in order to become a better person, a better worker, and a better citizen. As a part of this primary responsibility, the College expects each faculty member to perform the following duties: 1. Meet assigned classes regularly. 2. Submit required records and reports routinely. 3. Teach the prescribed courses of study with the established texts. 4. Conduct requisite student conferences. 5. Hold required office hours. 6. Attend to assigned division and College duties. 7. Contribute to the development of the program of instruction. 8. Adhere to the statement on professional ethics in accordance with College policies, procedures, and regulations. 9. Maintain current competence in the particular discipline or field of specialization. 10. Advise students.
Statement of Professional Ethics As teachers, faculty members encourage the free pursuit of learning. They hold before you the best scholarly standards of their discipline. They demonstrate respect for you as an individual and adhere to their proper role as intellectual guides and counselors. Every effort is made to foster honest academic conduct and to assure that faculty evaluation of you reflects your true merit. Faculty members respect the confidential nature of their relationship with students. They protect your academic freedom. Meeting with Classes If a teaching faculty member must miss a class, he/she must notify his/her division dean as far in advance as possible so that adequate provision can be made for the class. When possible, a faculty member who is delayed should notify the appropriate administrative office. The appropriate administrator shall post a notice in the classroom giving instructions to the students as to the time of any notification; students must wait for their instructor for fifteen minutes for a 50-minute class. For a longer class, students should wait 30 minutes. If no instructor or other instructions arrive in that time, the students may leave. Any deviation from the final examination schedule must be approved by the provost or his/her designee. Office Hours Faculty members are expected to arrange their schedules so as to be available on campus to work with individual students and to participate in student advisement and enrollment. Full-time faculty members are required to post at their office door, in syllabi, and on faculty Web sites a minimum of ten office hours per week to be available to students for individual academic and career issues. Five of these hours will be on a fixed schedule when the faculty member will be available. The remaining five hours will be for scheduled appointments made through either the faculty member or the division secretary. The five hours for appointments may vary from week to week. Exceptions due to distancelearning, off-campus assignments, or use of technology to serve students may be approved. All adjunct faculty members are required also to post hours, via faculty Web sites or class syllabi, when they are available to students. Each faculty
member shall ensure that all students have been informed of the contact details including location and time. Student Advising Each faculty advisor is expected to maintain a schedule of office hours throughout the year so that he/she may be accessible to students he/she is advising. If you are admitted to a curriculum, you will be assigned a faculty advisor. The faculty advisor will be a member of the division that is responsible for the curriculum in which you have been accepted and, because of his/her knowledge of the technical and academic requirements of the curriculum, will become your academic point of reference within the College. If you are not enrolled in a specific curricular major and not pursuing a degree or certificate award (non-curricular students), you may seek assistance from faculty advisors and counselors to select courses during enrollment periods. When assistance is needed prior to enrollment, you may seek the help of counselors. Course Content College-wide coordination of the objectives and the content for courses offered on more than one campus and for sequence courses is provided so you will be able to continue parts of a sequence on a different campus, and so faculty will know what concepts you should have covered. Grading Teaching faculty are required to keep your final examination papers and evaluative instruments on file for one semester, in case any question arises concerning grades. You have the right to review your final exam for one semester after the end of the term in which the final exam was taken. When the grade of incomplete (I) is awarded, requirements for satisfactory completion will be established through student/faculty consultation. If course work has not been completed by the end of the subsequent semester (excluding summer), another grade (A, B, C, D, F, P R, S, U, or , W) must be awarded by the instructor, based upon the course work that has been completed. In exceptional cases, extensions of time needed to complete course work for I grades may be granted beyond the subsequent semester, with written approval of the provost or designee. See the College Catalog for further grade policies.
Evaluation of Faculty At least once each year, each full-time faculty member is evaluated by his/ her supervisor. Additionally, an annual student evaluation of faculty is required as a component of the evaluation of full-time faculty. A student will administer the evaluation instrument while the faculty member being evaluated is out of the classroom. A student will collect the completed evaluations and deliver them to the respective division office. The student evaluations will be sent to the respective faculty member after grades are submitted. All faculty are encouraged to elicit student comments from all courses each semester. All adjunct faculty in their first academic semester of employment at the College will use the Student Evaluation of Adjunct Faculty (10596) or an approved substitute form to collect student evaluations of their teaching. These forms should be presented and collected by someone other than the adjunct faculty member being evaluated and returned to the adjunct faculty members supervisor prior to review by the adjunct faculty member. After their initial semester of teaching, adjunct faculty are encouraged to use the student evaluation form each semester.
Campus Locations/Transportation
If you do not have access to a car, getting to the College may present a challenge. Information on public transportation is available in the Student Activities Office, in the Schedule of Classes, or posted on each Campus Web page. If you plan to drive your own vehicle: The Alexandria Campus is on North Beauregard Street between Leesburg Pike/ King Street (Route 7) and Seminary Road, and adjacent to Skyline Center. Entrances and exits to the campus are from North Beauregard onto Fillmore Avenue or West Braddock Road, from Seminary Road onto Fillmore Avenue or Dawes Avenue, and from Route 7 onto Dawes Avenue. The Annandale Campus is located at the intersection of Little River Turnpike (Route 236) and Wakefield Chapel Road, Annandale. It is accessible from the Capitol Beltway (Route 495) at Exit 52. From Exit 54, use Braddock Road west to Wakefield Chapel Road to the campus parking areas; from Exit 52, use Route 236 west to Wakefield Chapel Road.
The Arlington Center is located at 4600 North Fairfax Drive in Arlington, near the Glebe Road exit of Rt. 66. There is no parking at the Arlington Center until 5:30 p.m., but there is a parking garage available at the nearby Ballston Mall. It is recommended that you use the Metro, exiting at the Ballston Commons Metro stop. The Loudoun Campus is located at the intersection of Route 7 and State Route 637 near the communities of Sterling Park and Sugarland Run. The campus is mid-way between Tysons Corner and Leesburg and eight miles west of Reston. The Manassas Campus adjoins the Manassas National Battlefield Park near the intersection of State Route 234 and I-66. Driving from Manassas, proceed north on Route 234 to reach the campus. From I-66 take the Manassas exit for the Park and the Manassas Campus. The Medical Education Campus is located at 6699 Springfield Center Drive in Springfield south of Springfield Mall and east of Interstate 95. It is located near the Springfield-Franconia Metro stop; a shuttle bus is available for transportation between the campus and the Metro station. The Reston Center is associated with the Loudoun Campus, and is located in two buildings at 11260 Roger Bacon Drive (RES1) and at 1831 Wiehle Avenue, (RES2). The Woodbridge Campus is located at 15200 Neabsco Mills Road in Woodbridge. The campus is adjacent to Interstate Route 95 and on State Route 642 in Prince William County. The Extended Learning Institute is located at 8000 Forbes Place, Springfield, Virginia, near the intersection of the Capitol Beltway (Route 495) and Braddock Road. However, ELIs mailing address is: Northern Virginia Community College, Extended Learning Institute, 8333 Little River Turnpike, Annandale, Virginia 220033796.
Handbook Index
Academic Dishonesty Academic Honors Academic Standing Administrative Council Administrative Responsibility for the College Advisory and Governing Bodies Alcoholic Beverage Policy Alumni Federation Announcements of Class Cancellations Bookstores Campus Locations Campus Police & Public Safety Office Campus of Record Career Development Services Catalog, College Charges, Library/LRS Children on Campus Class Cancellations, Announcements of Classes, Faculty Meeting with Classes, Unexpected Delay of an Instructor in Meeting a Class Clubs and Student Organizations College Catalog College Commitment College Demonstrations, Procedures for Registration of College Fees/Fines College Forum College Mission College Staff Directory College Statement of Values College Student Development Objectives Committees, Student Membership on Complaints and Grievances, Student Computer Use Agreement 73 31 31 57 72 4 38 38 43 33 95 48 33 19 34 53 38 43 86 37 25 34 9 78 50 57 9 94 9 11 57 80 73
Cooperative Education Copyright Counseling Services Course Content Course Grade Appeals Deans List Disability Services for Students Disciplinary Panels Domicile/Tuition Appeal Process Drugs, Illegal Substance Policy Educational Support Services Electronic Mail (E-Mail) Emergencies Evaluation of Faculty Extended Learning Institute Faculty Advisors Faculty, Evaluation of Faculty, Functions & Duties of Faculty, Meeting with Classes Faculty Office Hours Faculty Responsibilities & Obligations Faculty, Statement on Professional Ethics Faculty, Student Advising Fees/Fines, College Financial Aid Financial Obligation to the College Fines, Parking Violation Fines, Traffic Fire Alarms Firearms and Other Dangerous Weapons Food Services General Education Goals General Expenses General Information Grading Graduation Handicapped Parking ID Cards and Student Discounts Illegal Substance Policy Inclement Weather Policy Information Technology Student/ Patron Agreement and NOVA Computer Use Agreement
34 38 13 87 83 31 16 67 52 72 36 39 39 88 35 36 88 85 86 86 85 86 35 50 19 54 54 55 41 41 43 11 53 38 87 36 54 54 72 47 74
Insurance Intramurals Library Charges Lockers Lost & Found Meeting Rooms Meeting with Classes Northern Virginia Community College Educational Foundation, Inc. NOVACard NOVAConnect NOVA Computer Use Agreement Office Hours Parking & Traffic Regulations Parking Permits Photographic Identification Physical Education Charges Police Policies and Procedures for Recognition of Student Groups Presidential Scholars List Privacy of Student Records Problem Assistance, Offices to be Consulted Procedures for Registration of College Demonstrations Publications Publicity Enrollment Rights and Responsibilities, Student Safety Information Services for Disabled Students Sexual Harassment Smoking Policy Solicitation & Distribution of Materials on College Property Statement of Values Statement on Professional Ethics Statement on Student Conduct, Rights and Responsibilities Student Activities Student Activities Office Student Activity Fund Student Advising Student Complaints and Grievances Student Conduct, Rights and Responsibilities Student Disciplinary Policies & Procedures Student Governance
47 25 53 47 47 47 86 19 54 30 75 86 55 54 30 55 48 61 31 27 94 78 25 26 13 65 49 16 77 49 26 9 86 65 24 26 64 87 80 65 67 57
Student Identification Number Student Membership on Committees Student Organizations Student Publications Student Record Disclosure to Faculty and Administration Student Record Disclosure to Persons Outside the College Student Records, Privacy of Student Records Retention Student Review of Records Student Services Student Services Centers Traffic Fines Transportation Tuition Refund Tuition Appeal Process Tuition Payment Unexpected Delay of Instructor Veterans Benefits & Services Voter Registration Weather, Inclement Whos Who Among Students in American Junior Colleges
30 57 25 25 27 28 27 29 29 11 12 55 88 51 52 50 37 17 24 47 49
WHO CAN ANSWER MY QUESTION?

Issue/Need(s) Academic Advisement Alumni Career Choice and Information Career Exploration/Field Experience Declaring a Major Distance Learning Courses Domicile (Legal) Questions Employment Lost and Found Parking Concerns Personal/Academic Problems Publicity for College Functions Contact Faculty Advisor or Counseling Services Executive Director, NVCC Educational Foundation Counseling Services Counseling Services Counseling Services and Faculty Advisors Extended Learning Institute Campus Registrar Counseling Services Campus Police Office Parking Office Counseling Services Coordinator of Public Information and Publications or Office of Student Activities Business Managers Office Student Services Center/ Campus Financial Aid Advisor Student Activities Office Student Activities Office Counseling Services Counseling Services NOVAConnect Business Office Veterans Advisors Campus Registrar or Office of International Student Services (for F-1 students) NOVAConnect Dean of Students
Refund Requests Scholarships, Loans, Work Study, etc. Student Activities Student Sponsored Services Study Habits and Budgeting Time Testing: Career Preference Transcript Request Tuition Questions Veterans Services Visas
Withdrawal from Class or the College Any Other Concern Not Identified Above
Administrative Offices
Brault Building 4001 Wakefield Chapel Road Annandale, Virginia 220033796 Alexandria Campus (AL) 3001 North Beauregard Street Alexandria, VA 223115097 Annandale Campus (AN) 8333 Little River Turnpike Annandale, VA 220033796 Arlington Center (ARL) 4600 North Fairfax Drive Arlington, VA 222031553 Loudoun Campus (LO) 1000 Harry Flood Byrd Hwy. Sterling, VA 201648699 Manassas Campus (MA) 6901 Sudley Road Manassas, VA 201092399 Medical Education Campus (MEC) 6699 Springfield Center Drive Springfield, VA 221501913 Reston Center I (RES1) SCS Building 11260 Roger Bacon Drive Reston, VA 201905203 Reston Center II (RES2) Reston Technical Training Center 1831 Wiehle Avenue Reston, VA 201905226 Woodbridge Campus (WO) 15200 Neabsco Mills Road Woodbridge, VA 221914099 Extended Learning Institute (ELI) (Mailing Address) 8333 Little River Turnpike Annandale, VA 220033796 (In-person Address) 8000 Forbes Place Springfield, VA 221513796 College Financial Aid Office (CFAO) (Mailing Address) Northern Virginia Community College Annandale, VA 220033796 [email protected] College Records Office (Mailing Address) 8333 Little River Turnpike Annandale, VA 220033796 Office of International Student Services 8333 Little River Turnpike Annandale, VA 220033796

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Student Handbook

Student Handbook 20092011 | NOVA | page 1

Page 2 | NOVA | Student Handbook 20092011

Robert G. Templin, Jr. President Northern Virginia Community College

Student Handbook 20092011 |

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Our Shared Values

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Student Development Services

Student Development Services Objectives:

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Student Services Center

NOVAConnect: Student Information System

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Counseling and Specialized Services Unit

Student Handbook 20092011 | NOVA | page 13

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Disability Services for Students

Page 16 | NOVA | Student Handbook 20092011

Veterans Benefits and Services

Student Handbook 20092011 | NOVA | page 17

Career Development Services

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College Records Office

Student Financial Aid

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How to Get Involved:

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Solicitation and Distribution of Materials on College Property

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Student Record Disclosure to Faculty and Administration

Student Handbook 20092011 | NOVA | page 27

Student Record Disclosure to Persons Outside the College

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Student Review of Records

Student Records Retention

Student Handbook 20092011 | NOVA | page 29

Use of Student Photographs

NOVAConnect Student ID Number

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Student Handbook 20092011 | NOVA | page 33

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Extended Learning Institute

Student Handbook 20092011 | NOVA | page 35

Educational Support Services

Accommodations for Religious Observances