Blackboard Update

Blackboard Web pages have been added to the NOVA website for students and faculty.

The new student page reveals how to obtain information and instructions on using Blackboard for online, hybrid or classroom courses.

The new faculty page explains how Blackboard can improve communication, make important information easier to share and support student learning for online and classroom courses. There is also a list of Blackboard resource links:

• Bb 9 Intro Video
• What's New in Bb 9 Quick Guide
• Bb Quick Guide
• VCCS Bb Tutorials (video and print)
• VCCS Bb 9 Tutorials (print)
• Bb Quick Tutorials Library
• USC Bb 9 How to Movies
• UT Bb Support Page

Watch faTV

faTV is Financial Aid’s new video channel. You can access the faTV button from the Financial Aid page or you connect to the faTV page directly.

A welcome segment in the center of the page will appear explaining how to find dynamic short videos with answers to your common questions. You can search by topic or playlist. If you have a question that isn’t covered by one of the videos, contact the Financial Aid Office.

Some of the many topics asked about by your fellow students include: scholarships, paying for college, qualifying for financial aid, loans, Pell Grants and much more. If you click on one of the videos listed on the far left it will appear and play in the center of the page with a list of additional questions and answers on the right. There are even videos En Español and Chinese (Cantonese and Mandarin). Under More Options if you click on Ask a Question a pop-up box will appear that you can fill out and submit or you can select Share (information) With a Friend.

Get on the Right Path

Visit our new Pathway to the Baccalaureate partnership site. The Pathway Program offers high school students a successful transition, retention, graduation and transfer through Northern Virginia Community College and on to a university of the student’s choice.

The Pathway to the Baccalaureate site was designed using informative copy and inspiring images to entice students to enroll in the program. On the home page you’ll find intro details, news and a video overview. On the Program page you’ll find easy to follow steps that will guide you through the process along with links on the side leading you to other informative details. Click on the My Pathway page to connect with other students through social media sites Facebook and Twitter and access helpful resources such as Blackboard. Select the Information Center and find details about the Partner Schools, Awards & Recognition, Fact Sheet, Data, Contacts and much more.

Gain insight from video testimonials of four students who are part of the Pathway to the Baccalaureate program at NOVA.

WSDM Makes Their Debut

Web Services & Digital Media (WSDM), a new division of NOVA's Marketing and Communications Department, recently launched their website.

WSDM is dedicated to promoting the positive image of NOVA by providing a rich Web environment for their many audiences who need access to NOVA information and services. WSDM is responsible for NOVA’s website, mobile site and social media.

On the WSDM website you'll find the following features:

• screenshots linking to WSDM's Web work including the college calendar, news and events, students resources and more;
• an About Us page with details on how you can reach members of the WSDM staff who are ready to assist you with any of your Web needs;
• a variety of tutorials covering how to create blogs, Web page design, podcasting and more;
• approved procedures and guidelines for the college identity, social media and digital signage;
• a vast array of resources including buttons to fun NOVA postcards you can customize and send to your friends and/or colleagues, six different PowerPoint templates and a gallery of NOVA images for use. There are also Web publishing tools, social networking tools and workshop and conference presentation materials;
• a button to a Request Services form for any projects you have for the WSDM team; and
• a Contact Us page with WSDM's hours of operation, mailing address, phone number and e-mail address.

As always, we want to hear from you! Send us your feedback and suggestions through the comments link below. We will personally reply to all entries submitted.

Financial Aid Site Updated

Our Financial Aid site has been reorganized to be more user-friendly! We've added extra functionality to make it easier for you to navigate the site, new tabs, a Latest News box and video clip. There are two new buttons -- one leads you to the online application and the other goes to a resource page where you can get an estimate on how much aid you will receive. The FAQ page has been cleaned up and the staff contacts page has been updated. The scholarship page is now streamlined; it includes content organized by tabs and useful links to all the available scholarships on one page.

New Events Calendar

Check out the new Events Calendar we recently rolled out! You'll find all sorts of great organized college-wide events by day, week, month or year. The calendar is updated on a daily basis.

Subscribe to the calendar and you'll receive reminders to events and changes/updates to event details. Add the calendar to your social network pages like Facebook and Twitter. Need directions to a posted event? No problem, the calendar is integrated with Google Maps so you can conveniently look up directions to a NOVA campus event. You can also do a search by event category, campus location, date and/or keyword(s) and print out calendar pages.

iTunes U Activity on the Rise

Since August 2009 the number of NOVA on iTunes U podcast downloads has tripled!!! If you haven’t done so already, be sure to check out NOVA on iTunes U, a Web-based service that delivers a variety of podcasts and open courses for FREE via the iTunes program.

NOVA’s iTunes U Categories Include:

• Window Into NOVA -- watch an introduction to NOVA by President Robert G. Templin, go on a virtual tour of the campuses and centers, find out about NOVA’s Distance Learning program and more.
• Academics -- listen to many audio presentations on subjects like Taking the Math Placement Test, Commencement, PUP Presentations and more, In addition, you can view great Science Seminar videos, entertaining instructional cooking segments presented by a professional chef from NOVA’s Hospitality Management Program who solves common cooking issues and more.
• NOVA Community -- find the latest student, faculty and college news to keep you informed!
• Open Courses -- hear a collection of instructive speeches given on an assortment of subjects of interest relevant to the NOVA community including Communication Design, History and Biology.
• Training & Services -- listen to a series of instructional audio clips on topics such as how-to create your own podcast, Blackboard tips and tricks and more.

NOTE: You must have iTunes downloaded on your computer in order to access NOVA on iTunes U.