News from ELI to you!
EXTENDED LEARNING
ELI Bulletin Board V O L U M E
INSTITUTE http://eli.nvcc.edu
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Spring into Service
703.323.3347 1.888.4DL.NVCC
INSIDE THIS ISSUE: New Courses for Fall
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eResources
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New Fire Science Technology Program
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Announcing ProctorU
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Updates from the Student Success Coaches
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Get Ready for Academic Advising Week
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“What’s in a Virtual Student Union?”
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Faculty Spotlight:: Dr. Semmler
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Profiles of Service
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ELI Service Events
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There's so much going on in our world today that calls for our attention. As we watch the events in Egypt and Libya, see legislators travel en masse to other states to fight against votes they deeply oppose, and discuss, debate, or argue about everything from health care to gay marriage to the economy, it can be easy to become overwhelmed and tune out all of it. At the same time, it's easy to forget about all the individual people affected by each and every one of these events and issues— people whose lives are being changed in concrete and lasting ways by violence, by hunger, by illness, by poverty, by unemploy-
ment, by political upheaval, or by natural disaster. This issue of the ELI Bulletin Board asks you to think about service. What can you do to serve your community and your world in the face of all these problems? In these pages, we'll share with you some recent and upcoming service events, plus profiles of ELI faculty and staff who are examples to us all of the importance of contributing to our communities. We hope that reading this newsletter will inspire you to find new opportunities to serve. Maybe you'll even join us at our Habitat for Humanity work day, April 27 or be part of our Race for the Cure team, June 4 (see
page 7 for details). However you decide to serve, I hope your service will not only help others but also bring you personal satisfaction and intellectual growth. There is much you can learn about critical thinking, about problem-solving, about communication and leadership skills, and about any area of study you might be pursuing, from serving your community. Service should be a part of the life-long learning we hope every NOVA student pursues. Thank you for serving! Dr. Jennifer Lerner, Associate Vice President for e-Learning
2nd Annual NOVA Serves Recap
WRITERS WANTED! The ELI Bulletin Board is published by the Extended Learning Institute of Northern Virginia Community College to keep the ELI community informed and connected. We welcome comments and contributions from students, faculty, and staff. Contact Bridget Downey for details.
On January 17, more than 300 students, faculty and staff joined together to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, a NOVA Serves event. In one day, more than 900 hours of service were provided at seven service sites across the community, including:
ReStore, Habitat for Humanity—48 volunteers at two locations processed donated building materials, organized the sales floor and assisted customers. Proceeds from the sales went to Habitat for Humanity’s building projects.
CrossLink International—14 volunteers provided an inventory of the pharmacy and organized a medical supply warehouse. The medicines and supplies are sent to third world countries.
SERVE, Northern Virginia Family Services—30 volunteers unloaded 25,000 pounds of donated food and moved it into the Food Distribution Center.
Drive to Employment—11 volunteers provided vehicle repairs to five low-income or unemployed members of the community.
USO—30 volunteers packed more than 3,000 care packages to be distributed to U.S. troops deployed or being deployed.
Tails High—7 volunteers cared for animals at an adoption event. The socialization they provided makes the animals more adoptable and comfortable in their future homes. Operation School Supply— 176 volunteers assembled more than 450 school supply kits. The school kits are sent to U.S. troops, who distribute the supplies to needy schoolchildren in Iraq and Afghanistan.
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New ELI Courses for Fall 2011 PLAN AHEAD!
ELI offers over 300 courses and the list grows each semester. Here is the current list of NEW courses that will be offered this Fall.
March 28—4th 16-week session start date
ENV 272: Environmental Law
April 4-8—Summer & Fall 2011 Academic Advising Week
CHD 210: Intro. To Exceptional Children CHI 102: Beginning Chinese II (Available this Summer)
April 12—Fall 2011 priority registration begins
MKT 221: Public Relations
May 16—Summer 2011 session begins
MKT 275: International Marketing PHT 231: Photojournalism I
June 7—Fall 2011 open registration begins
PSY 200: Principles of Psychology
August 22—Fall 2011 semester begins
PSY 215: Abnormal Psychology SDV 101: Orientation to: Education
Check your course syllabus for critical enrollment dates for courses you are currently enrolled in. Refer to ELI’s website for important date definitions.
Call the ELI Hotline to find out about session dates and other course requirements: 703-323 -3347. And contact ELI Counselors with questions about which courses best fit your academic and career plans.
SDV 101: Orientation to: Veterinary Technology SOC 202: Intro. To Sociology II (Available this Summer) VET 216: Animal Pharmacology VET 221: Advanced Clinical Practices III
ANNOUNCEMENT: ELI SE SSION CHANGES FOR FALL 2011
Beginning Fall 2011, ELI will no longer offer late-starting 16-week courses. While we will continue to offer16-week courses the first session of each semester, later sessions will be either 8 weeks or 12 weeks in length. Contact ELI Registration for more information about sessions changes and course lengths: elireg@nvcc.edu, 703-323-3368.
eResources E C O N T E N T An impressive collection of high-quality eBooks and eVideos are available free to students through NOVA Libraries. Plus, whether you’re working from laptop or hand-held device, eLibrarians are available via live chat to assist you with your reference needs. Visit NOVA’s Library website to explore these great resources and more.
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E R E A D E R S Using NOOKstudy, a free eTextbook application by Barnes & Noble, you can instantly download digital textbooks to your MAC or PC making it even easier for you to study on the go. No NOOK device needed! With more publishers now offering digital versions of traditional textbooks, NOOKstudy is a great tool to help you study and to manage all of your course content with one app. Find out more information about NOOKstudy and eTextbooks from the ELI-Alexandria Bookstore website.
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E T U T O R S Don’t forget about this online tutoring service available free to students enrolled in ELI courses. SMARTHINKING provides certified etutors in a variety of subjects, with many available 24/7.
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A Back-to-School Story After our last issue, ELI student Melissa Coughlin contacted us with her back-to-school story… “I read with interest the article in the ELI Bulletin Board about the returning student who came back to school after 18 years. I can totally relate! I have three college degrees, including the master's degree I earned back in 1988. I've always loved teaching but didn't pursue that career. Instead, I en-
tered the business industry, working for the Federal Reserve Bank and Bank of America. I got married, had two children, both of whom are special needs children. We moved from California to northern Virginia back in 2003 in order for the children to receive better special education services. In 2006, I began substitute teaching for Fairfax County Public Schools and realized I really did miss out! During this last summer I decided to go
back for the teacher license and am taking two online courses, one of them state-mandated. I will be transferring to GMU in the near future to enter the teacher education program but I chose NOVA for the convenience of online learning. I LOVE IT! Thank you so much!” We love hearing from our students. Contact Bridget Downey to share your story in our next issue of the ELI Bulletin Board.
New Fire Science Technology Program planning. Nationwide, fire suppression and emergency response is a growing industry. Careers in fire science and allied fields continue to increase.
As of Fall 2011, ELI will offer an Associates of Applied Science (AAS) degree in Fire Science Technology adding to the growing list of programs and certificates that can be completed completely online at NOVA. The AAS degree in Fire Science Technology (FST) is perfect for firefighters on shift work, or other students interested in pursuing advancement in technical or administrative careers in the fire service and related fields, who enjoy the flexibility studying online offers.
variety of backgrounds have graduated from the campus-based program and they have gone on to pursue careers in the public sector fire services or private sector careers in safety, loss prevention engineering, and risk management.
Although the curriculum is focused on assisting students who are currently firefighters with their career development goals, students from a
In addition, opportunities exist for transfer into four-year baccalaureate degree programs in fire science, public safety, public administration, and emergency management and
Currently, NOVA has the only Fire Science degree program in Northern Virginia. Unique to the NOVA program is that students have the opportunity to earn certification as a Fire Officer 1 and 2 by completing certain courses in the degree program. As an added bonus, a generous advanced standing program For program details, contact allows some stuMichael Pariser, Assistant dents to get credit for the training and Dean of Fire Science, at experience they mpariser@nvcc.edu. already have.
Announcing ProctorU ELI offers several options for taking proctored exams for distance learning courses. As of Spring 2011, ELI now offers an online proctoring option, ProctorU. For just $7.50 per exam, payable by credit or debit card, students who have speakers, microphone and a web-
cam connected to their computer can take their exams from home. Students must be 18 or older and certain other restrictions apply. Though not available for all courses, a growing number are being added to the list each semester. If ProctorU is available for your
course, you will find information in your Blackboard course site. ProctorU is one of several testing options. You can still take your proctored exams at any NOVA campus testing center, or other approved locations if you are out of the area.
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Student Success Coaching Updates ELI's Student Services staff is dedicated to providing top-of the-line services to our students to optimize their experience and success in online classes. Our registration staff and course specialists will help you resolve enrollment issues and set up proctors for exams. Our counseling staff are ready to assist you with academic advisement, help with academic decision making, transfer counseling, and support in gaining accommodations for physical and learning disabilities which might increase the challenge of your coursework. Our newest component to support our students is our Success Coaching Program. This program has two different components, Informed Success! and Individual Student Coaching.
Informed Success! provides informational services directed towards all ELI students. These services include a program of informative emails reminding you of important dates and events, blog posts offering helpful ideas and highlighting useful resources, and active Coaching Team participation in ELI's online social media sites, like the NOVA ELIfe Facebook page, and coming soon, Twitter! Individual Success Coaching provides more targeted assistance to students who need more individualized support. You may be referred to a Success Coach by your instructor, an ELI counselor or through Blackboard's Early Alert system, or you may sign up on your own to be assigned a Success Coach. Success
Coaches will work with you to identify your support needs and connect you with resources that meet those needs. Your coach will followup with you to make sure the resources provided are helpful, to see if goals you've set are working for you, to continue providing assistance with ongoing problem solving, and to provide encouragement and social support. This semester, we are pleased to welcome Kristin Shriver to our team and expect that another coach will be hired in late March.
Allison McElfresh
Kristin Shriver
April 4-8
Check the Student Center panel within NOVAConnect to see if you’ve been assigned an advisor (see instructions here).
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If you haven’t been assigned an advisor and have been program placed (officially declared a program of study) contact an appropriate Division Office on a NOVA campus that offers your program to be assigned an advisor. Remember to print and review a copy of your degree progress report before communicating with your advisor (see instructions here). The degree progress report will identify
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ELIFE? Be sure to follow ELI’s student blog, ELIfe. Here we post important reminders, tips and other tidbits related to academic advising, careers, technology, testing, textbooks, time management, scholarships, and more. Comment, and visit often! We also invite student bloggers on an ongoing basis. If you’re interested in becoming an ELIfe blogger, visit the Write for ELIfe page.
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Get Ready for Advising Week, It’s almost time once again to begin preparing for your next semester. Advising week is a great time for you to connect with your academic advisor and begin to plan your next semester. Your advisor can help you to identify and focus on your long-term educational and career goals.
ARE YOU READING
how the courses you have taken, are in the process of taking, or have received transfer credit for, apply to your declared program of study. If you have not declared a program of study or are not pursuing a specific program at NOVA, contact an ELI counselor for assistance: elicounselors@nvcc.edu, 703323-2425
ACCOMMODATIONS
Are you curious about disability accommodations for ELI students? One of ELI’s counselors, David Highsmith, is available to address questions related to NOVA’s Disability Student Services (DSS). You may contact David at dhighsmith@nvcc.edu or 703-323-2404. While ELI students must submit their request for disability accommodations and all supporting documentation through one of NOVA’s six campus-based DSS offices, David may be able to help with general questions or with the logistical facilitation of approved accommodations. Be sure to check out NOVA’s DSS website and then let David know if you have any questions!
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Greetings! Last issue we announced the very exciting start of ELI’s Student Life Program. For those new to ELI, the purpose of Student Life is to offer opportunities for engagement and personal development outside of your Blackboard course site and provide a sense of connection among members of the distance learning community. A variety of interesting events and activities are planned starting in March. So whether the activity you choose be for social, recreational, co-curricular, or just plain old informational purposes, we hope you’ll take part.
WEBINAR WEDNESDAYS Don’t miss our weekly webinar series where we present special topics to help you be more successful as a distance learner. Check the ELI Webinar Schedule for details and to register for an upcoming session.
UPCOMING STUDENT LIFE EVENTS... Pre-Finals Stress Relief Session
“The Civil War Through the Eyes of Women” An online lecture presented by ELI History instructor, Alicia Tucker. Thurs., March 17, 11am-12pm
An online info session presented
Family-friendly workshops at Lake Anna
by ELI Physical Education instructor, Beverly Pittman. Later this Spring More details TBA
State Park, led by ELI Physical Education instructor, Ildiko Strehli. Sundays this Summer More details TBA
FOLLOW NOVA ELIFE ON FACEBOOK FOR
ELI IS SOCIAL!
DETAILS
“What’s in a Virtual Student Union?” In addition to providing engaging online and face-to-face activities, another component of ELI’s Student Life program includes plans for a virtual student union.
As of November 2010, ELI officially went social and established the ELIfe community page. You’ll find us @ www.facebook.com/ NOVAELIfe.. Join in our discussions about the Virtual Student Union and stay tuned for updates and announcements about Student Life events and helpful reminders from Student Success Coaches.
Wellness Walks
What’s a virtual student union, you ask? Well, in conceptual terms, think of what’s traditionally available in a campus student union and the purpose it serves. As a hub for student recreation and socialization, a campus student union is a place where you can grab some coffee, play games, gather for student events, find out about student clubs and activities, and connect with a study group. ELI’s plan is to provide a virtual equivalent—an online site that you could access any time of
day to ask questions; find out about programs, activities and events; get study help and peer support; and in general, a place to socialize with other online students. More than just a Facebook page, ELI’s virtual student union will be an all-inone online community platform with discussion forums, chat rooms, blogs, videos, photo galleries, games, and more. Our goal is to offer something for everyone in a safe and welcoming environment. So now that you have a better understanding of what is planned and why, we hope to get your input regarding what YOU envision in a virtual student union. A Blackboard Organization is now available to
get the conversation going and to gather student feedback. If you’re interested in participating, sign
up to be enrolled.
Later this Spring and throughout the Summer, we will be sending out surveys and organizing focus groups. There will be lots of opportunity for you to get involved and we look forward to working with students in creating a dynamic online space that complements and enriches your distance learning experience at NOVA.
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Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Richard Semmler We could think of no better example of service than this issue’s faculty spotlight, founding ELI mathematics professor, Dr. Richard Semmler. In addition to teaching, Dr. Semmler has devoted his life to service, working additional jobs to give away half his yearly income to support philanthropic goals that serve the community. A true NOVA legend, yet a more modest and unassuming man you’ll never meet. Dr. Semmler was kind enough to answer a few questions about his career at NOVA and how we can all strive to be more charitable. Where are you from and what brought you to teach at NOVA?
DID YOU KNOW? In addition to the seminar rooms funded by Dr. Semmler in the Ernst Center, the Annandale Campus recently added the Semmler Study Room in the CM Building.
I grew up outside Rochester, NY. I ended up at NOVA in 1973 as this was the only institution to offer employment at a time when there was a downturn in the economy. I got started at ELI by teaching Math 001 when the College was still on the Quarter System. I have enjoyed my work at NOVA as I always wanted to teach mathematics and have enjoyed doing this for 38 years. What inspires you to give in the way that you do? The support of charities started 41years ago when I decided to give something back to a college which provided me with several scholarships and employment on campus to make it possible for me to have enough money for a college education. Even though the support was only $25 at that time, it motivated me in my life. So for the last 41 years I contributed to several charities where the total support to seven charities over the last 41 years has been $1.2 million. This support includes scholarships to students at two institutions, technology grants for faculty and staff at one institution, meals for the homeless in DC, and houses for Habitat families through Habitat for Humanity. [Ed. Note: As just one example, in 1985, Dr. Semmler established the ELI Scholarship program. For the past 25 years, this fund has assisted outstanding ELI students with paying
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for further education. Starting off small with awards of $50 in 1985, 13 students received awards of $500 each in 2010]. How is your expertise in math helpful in meeting your philanthropic goals? My training in math has helped me to plan strategies to support seven charities with gifts that total $1.2 million. Of course, each year I look ahead to see what type of support I can provide for the next six months, hoping to be able to stick to a specific schedule to support the charities I love. [Ed. Note: In 2009, Dr. Semmler surpassed his goal to donate $500,000 to NOVA. Earlier this year, the Northern Community College Educational Foundation recognized Semmler by naming a seminar room in the Ernst Cultural Center in his honor]. How do you balance your charity work with the demands of teaching online and on campus? It is difficult to keep up with the workload although this has changed due to several strokes in November/December. To keep up with the demands of teaching as well as support to several charities, my days start at 5:00 in the morning, seven days a week. Now that I am no longer working two part-time jobs, my days end much earlier so that I can get the rest needed to prevent future strokes, I hope.
What is your advice to people who want to get more involved in service? My advice for supporting charities is quite simple and to the point. Everyone everywhere should support a local charity to benefit the community in which you live and one international charity to benefit the planet upon which you live. If all of us did this, we could make this a better world for all 6.6 billion inhabitants. Above all, select a charity that is doing something beneficial in your community or in another part of the globe. Support that charity as best as possible. Whatever your support is this year, try to improve upon that support in the years to come. Your support to charities will make you a better person, feeling a sense of accomplishment to help out your fellow citizens. [Ed. Note: Dr. Semmler has been profiled in The Washington Post, U.S.A. Today, Chronicle of Philanthropy (see video), and appeared on ABC World News and Odyssey TV in China through Voice of America. He was honored with the Dream Builders Award by Habitat for Humanity, the Chancellor’s Award for Leadership in Philanthropy, the Governor’s Award, and an honorary degree. Most recently, on March 4, Dr. Semmler was presented the 2011 Distinguished Service Award by his alma mater, State University of New York at Plattsburgh, at a special ceremony in his honor at the Annandale campus].
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Profiles of Service... Maureen Madden, ELI Instructional Designer
Dr. Laura Franklin, ELI French Instructor
Co-Captain of “Sauntering Scholars” Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure
Founder of “MS is BS” Multiple Sclerosis Awareness
Everybody knows somebody who has had to deal with the effects of breast cancer. My “somebody” was my Mother. She was a lucky survivor. In 1999, a number of NOVA faculty and staff and their families wanted to participate in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure and “The Sauntering Scholars” became a team.
Multiple Sclerosis awareness became a priority for my family when my youngest daughter was diagnosed with the disease in 2008. Symptoms began with numbness in her feet that spread up to her waist, followed by severe sensitivity to heat, extreme fatigue and gastrointestinal problems. Prior to this, she was an elite athlete and aspiring journalist in perfect health.
Each year the team has grown in number and enthusiasm. The Sauntering Scholars are on the Mall the first Saturday in June, rain or shine. While walking, running, sleeping-in, or sauntering, we join together to honor our family members & friends who have battled, or are still battling, this disease. Please join us and “saunter” for a cure for breast cancer.
ELI student Lauren Hefner holds positions on numerous
It’s easy to feel helpless in the face of a disease with no known cure. But we decided to fight back. We formed “MS is BS” with a group of family and friends. Everyone brought their talents in graphic arts, social media and even musical performance to publicize our fundraising for the National MS Society. Now every year, we field walking teams for Walk MS and the Capital Challenge Walk MS. This year, we even have a Bike MS team. For more information about MS is BS, activities and upcoming events, visit our blog, MSisBS.org. We won't stop till a cure is found.
committees and Board of Directors at the local and national level. Hefner directly attributes her success at the young age of 28 to the leadership experience she gained through volunteering, networking, getting involved and giving back. “The one thing I've noticed is that even though technology has made it easier to interact as a "class" (even in the past 10 years), it also makes it easier to be avoidant of "real" interactions. A lot of people view volunteering as a "chore" but it can make a MILE of difference in someone's life - and in your own professional life. I guarantee half the reason I'm as successful as I am at my age is not only because of my volunteer experiences but also because of the connections and networking I've done. (I'm also a professional photographer and the networking has helped me in that arena as well).” - Lauren Hefner
JOIN ELI FOR AN UPCOMING SERVICE EVENT: Habitat for Humanity of Northern Virginia ELI Work Day with Dr. Semmler Wednesday, April 27, 8am-3pm Reserve a space (limited to 20 students and faculty)
Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure NOVA’s “Sauntering Scholars” Team Saturday, June 4 Stay tuned for more details
Announcements will be sent by email and posted on the ELIfe Facebook page. You may also contact Bridget Downey, Student Life Specialist, for more information: bmdowney@nvcc.edu.
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