News from ELI to you!
ELI Bulletin Board EXTENDED LEARNING V O L U M E
INSTITUTE www.nvcc.edu/ELI
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Happy Summer!
703.323.3347 1.888.4DL.NVCC
Greetings ELI Students, Faculty & Staff,
INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Welcome
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Meet New ELI Staff
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Join ELI on Social Media
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Join ELI for a Webinar
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Virtual Student Union
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Coaches’ Corner
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Forward your VCCS email
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1st Annual Spring Fling
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Exploring Career Options
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Common Reader Program
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Fall Registration
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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 ELI Student Life at elistulife@nvcc.edu for details.
We hope this summer has given you an opportunity to relax, try a new activity, read a good book, and, of course, take ELI distance learning courses! In this summer edition of the ELI Bulletin Board, we share with you ELI's social media presence. We invite you to join us on Facebook and Twitter, and to connect with fellow students in
the Virtual Student Union. You can take the opportunity to participate in the common reader program as a mentor to first year students or join ELI staff for a webinar on a variety of topics. We also invite you to share your story with faculty, staff and students on the ELIfe student blog. There are many ways to connect with students, faculty and staff in person or online and we
encourage you to take advantage of these opportunities. Additionally in the summer edition of the Bulletin Board, you will find useful information and reminders about Fall registration and upcoming contests and events. We wish you continued success in your course work! Debbie Wyne Director of Student Services
Meet New ELI Staff Members Hi ELI! My name is Sasha Lester and I joined ELI in April as the Outreach Specialist. I am responsible for assisting in all outreach and communications efforts for ELI and I am happy to join the team! I am from Richmond, VA and hold both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in mass communications from Virginia Commonwealth University. I took several distance learning courses while in graduate school so I am both a product and fan of online education. My goal is to ensure that northern Virginia
residents know what ELI can provide and how a distance learning education can be both efficient and effective. I look forward to working with you! Hello, my name is Adrienne Raynor. After a diverse career in higher education, working at GMU and NOVA, I am thrilled to begin my journey as a Student Success Coach at ELI. As an adult student at both NOVA and GMU, I am sensitive to the challenges that students face
when working and raising a family while trying to complete a degree. I look forward to supporting students by enhancing their personal and academic skills and teaching them other strategies that will help ease the load. As a mom, I understand the difficulties of navigating the higher education maze and look forward to sharing the plethora of resources ELI offers to promote a positive academic experience. I enjoy researching strategies for success and I am excited to serve as a source of information and inspiration to help you achieve your dreams and goals!
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Join ELI on Social Media sites FOLLOW US! Read the Student Blog, ELIFE Like NOVA ELIfe on Facebook We’re on Twitter too! @NOVAELIfe
ELI would like to invite you to join us virtually on Facebook, Twitter and our ELIfe student blog for the latest updates, announcements and tips for success in your distance learning course. Keep an eye out for upcoming contests, events and fantasy sports offered for ELI students. Are you a blogger? We’re looking for students and
recent grads who want to share their stories about their experience at ELI. Maybe you’ve graduated and you want to tell others about your path to success. Maybe you’re hoping to snag the internship that will help you break into your career field. Maybe you’re taking part in a volunteer program that will make your résumé shine. Whatever your experience is, we want to hear
about it and share it with our student audience! Your story will be shared on the ELIfe blog as well as on Facebook and Twitter. This is a great way to get your work published, get hands-on writing experience and inspire fellow students. If you’re interested, send us a brief e-mail telling us about yourself. For more information contact: elisuccess@nvcc.edu.
Did you know: The Blackboard Mobile app is available for NOVA. Download this app and stay up to date with your classes from your mobile device.
Join ELI for a Webinar A webinar is a live, online instruction session. You can participate in a webinar from any computer with Internet access. You will need speakers or headphones to hear the presentation and JAVA to run the program. ELI offers several webinars throughout each term, including: ELI Orientation, Is Distance Learning for Me?, Strategies for Success in Distance Learning,
Library Resources for Distance Learners and a new webinar offered by the ELI Success Coaches for overcoming math anxiety. Visit the Blackboard Collaborate Tech Support site and click on “First Time Users – Blackboard Collaborate”. You can also access a free download of JAVA and check your computer readiness. Participation in all webinars offered through ELI is free, but registration is required. Prior to
the webinar, all students registered will receive an email with more information about how to join the webinar live. Participating in a webinar is a great opportunity to work with ELI staff and meet fellow students. Visit ELI’s Webinar Schedule to view the ELI Webinar schedule and registration process. Contact the ELI Counselors at elicounselors@nvcc.edu with any questions you have about the webinar series.
Be sure to follow ELI’s student blog, ELIfe, for announcements and tips related to academic advising, careers, technology, testing, textbooks, time management, scholarships, and more. Comment and visit often! If you are interested in becoming an ELIfe blogger, e-mail ELIsuccess@nvcc.edu. ELI
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Virtual Student Union Have you heard of ELIs Virtual Student Union (VSU)? This online site has been built to help keep ELI students connected outside of their courses. Using the VSU, you can connect with students and organizations, get study help, discuss topics of interest with fellow students, and just hang out!
The Quad: In the quad, you can learn about college clubs in the Club Hub, listen to music with other students in the Music Lounge, or play free online games in the Game Center. Check the Game center to enter contests, including fantasy sports, and win prizes! Be on the lookout for a fantasy football league in August.
about ELI's next webinar or event. We will post all upcoming webinars here, including times and registration links. You will also be able to check out club meetings or ELIspecific events here. To get access to all areas of the site, you will need to sign-up by clicking “Connect!”, then “Register” on the VSU homepage. Once you’re registered, feel free to update your profile and comment. You can even connect to the Virtual Student Union through Facebook.
Here are some of the Virtual Student Union’s features: Discussion Den: This part of the VSU has all sorts of features geared towards online students. Check out the Discussion Den to talk to other students about study topics, share recipes, discuss current events, and more.
Newsroom: The Newsroom is your center for news about activities and events on the NOVA campuses.
Read the Student Blog, ELIFE Like NOVA ELIfe on Facebook And Twitter, too! @NOVAELIfe
If you have any ideas, suggestions, or need help with the site, e-mail ELI Student Life at ELIStuLife@nvcc.edu.
Events: Keep checking our Events calendar to find out
Join fellow ELI students in ELI’s Virtual Student Union. Create an account by going to ELI’s VSU, then select Connect!, then select Register/Login
eResources Smarthinking provides ELI students with free online tutoring in a variety of subjects. Create your free account today. Get ready for next semester with StudentLingo workshops to help achieve academic,
personal and career goals. Access the workshops for free with your VCCS email address. Smarter Measure offers ELI students tools to help with online learning skills where you need improvement.
Don’t miss ELI’s 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.
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Coaches’ Corner: Managing Your Schedule This Summer If you have ever taken summer classes in the past, you know it can be a major hurdle to squeeze everything you need to do, from homework assignments and exams to the leisurely Coaches’ Corner summer activities that you enjoy, into one ELI Success Coaches can condensed semester. be reached by email at Below are some tips elisuccess@nvcc.edu or to keep in mind as you by phone at prepare for a fast, yet 703.764.5076. fun, schedule ahead:
eyes and suddenly, summer is over due to a frenzy of activity!
contemplate your next steps in the long term scheme of things.
• Make time to spend with close friends and relatives. With the warmer weather, people are more inclined to want to go out and meet for tea and/or spend time taking a walk outdoors. Use this time to reconnect with meaningful friendships and relationships that maybe you were too busy for during the fall and spring when things are in high gear.
• Plan ahead as much as possible, so that when classes are in full swing, you will be aware of your long term plans since you will have them mapped out where you can look ahead to the next week or month and know what is coming up.
The semester moves fast in the summer, so you’ll need to buckle “Managing your down and plan out what • Be sure to make Schedule this Summer” assignments are due when. The time to get outside, was written by Erika • Plan your vacation early. Even if earlier you do this the better. In either by getting up a Coddington. you don’t plan on taking a the midst of all of the craziness, little earlier in the be sure to make time for fun this morning and going for vacation until mid-to-late Visit the Success summer. a power walk or mak- summer, make sure you know Coaches on ELI’s when and how much time you ing time at the end of website at http:// will need to plan in advance. your day to get out eli.nvcc.edu/success/ The Success Coaching Team at When you start feeling super and enjoy the sun. ELI is readily available and happy stressed from classes, check Vitamin D from the sun is great for renewing your your schedule to see when that to assist you with getting you the vacation is to give you a boost of time management resources and energy during a busy week. support that you need to be a energy at the anticipation of a successful student! We can assist relaxing getaway. you with planning out your • Don’t overbook yourself. assignments ahead of time to With summer classes • Allow time for reflection on prevent feeling overwhelmed and occurring in a more your long term goals such as direct you to college resources condensed format, it is best when you plan to graduate, what that will assist you at planning not to overload yourself with career you are seeking or if you more effectively. too many activities or too many classes. You don’t want plan on changing careers. If possible, find a quiet place to feel like you blinked your outside where you can
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Forwarding your email.vccs.edu E-Mail When juggling school, life, work, and family, it is very easy for important events and deadlines to get lost in the shuffle. Your instructor, the Financial Aid Office, the Business Office, and the Central Records Office will send important communications that you would need to be aware of to your student email account. If your student email account isn't the one you are used to checking every day, you might miss something important. Your student emails can be forwarded to another email address automatically, or you can set up your student email to receive emails from all of your other email accounts. To forward your student emails to another account, follow these steps: * Log into your student email account by logging into MY NOVA and selecting your student email from the list of choices * Then click where it says Settings in the upper right corner of the screen * Then select Forwarding and POP/IMAP from the top row of the menu * Select the Forward a copy of incoming mail to: * Enter the email address you want the mail forwarded to Just keep in mind that all information which would be protected by privacy laws that an employee at NOVA would send you through email must be sent to your student email account to ensure a level of security. When you forward an email to another address, you take responsibility yourself for protecting your privacy regarding that information. Remember that your instructor will need you to respond to him or her using your student email, so you may not be able to just reply from a forwarded email. Instead, you might need to log in to your student email account to respond.
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ELI Spring Fling at NOVA’s Woodbridge Campus ELIs first annual Spring Fling was held Thursday, April 19th at NOVA’s Woodbridge campus – and it was a great success! Both students and faculty were invited to enjoy free food and games and to learn more about what ELI has to offer. There were caricature artists, a DJ, free food and basketball stations for students to enjoy. Several members of the ELI Student Services team were available,
including our orientation specialist, an ELI counselor and a few of our student success coaches. The event served as an opportunity for students to have some face-to-face time with ELI staff and find out more information about the services offered to them. Students were excited to learn about the student support services at ELI and many signed up to learn more about the courses,
certificates and degrees that we offer. A big thanks to everyone that helped make our first Spring Fling a success – especially the WO faculty and staff! We are planning our 2nd annual Fall Fest for later this year and we hope to see you there!
Where in the world do you study online? Visit us on Facebook and tell us where in the world you study online. Stay tuned for details on participating in a photo contest that we will be sponsoring in the Fall.
Exploring Career Options Have you ever wondered what you would do in a particular career, but are unsure where to look to begin to find some answers? Have you identified a college program or major of interest, but are unsure about career options related to the program or major? If you an-
swered yes to either question consider attending the Exploring Career Options webinar. This 45-minute webinar will focus on using various resources to research career options. Resources presented will provide information on nature of work,
educational requirements, job outlook, and wages. Featured resources include the Occupational Outlook Handbook, America’s Career InfoNet, and Fergusons’s Career Guidance Center. Visit the ELI webinar schedule for dates and times and to register.
Do you have questions about disability accommodation in ELI courses? Contact ELI’s Disability Services Liaison, David Highsmith, at dhighsmith@nvcc.edu or 703-323-2404. Also, check out NOVA’s recently updated Disability Services website. ELI
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2nd Annual Common Reader Program This summer, ELI is planning our 2nd Annual Common Reader Program. Common Readers have become popular as part of the first year experience at many residential colleges, but ELI’s program is unique to a distance learning environment. The 2012 ELI Common Reader selection is The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. The book details the life, death and legacy of a poor tobacco farmer from Virginia who changed the course of
medical research, yet remains virtually unknown. Each chapter raises powerful questions about ethics, race, medical science, and social justice. We will invite 500 first-year students enrolled in ELI courses at NOVA to participate in the 2012 Common Reader program. This is a voluntary program designed to engage distance learning students and the book will be provided free of charge. We hope that invited students will take advantage of this unique opportunity to interact with their peers in an environment that will help to prepare them for successful online learning.
We have a team of ELI faculty and staff involved in the planning and implementation of the 2012 ELI Common Reader Program. Events will include a Common Reader Blog, online discussions at ELI’s Virtual Student Union, and various interactive events throughout the Fall semester. Current ELI students who are interested in participating in the 2012 ELI Common Reader as a mentor to first-year students please email elistulife@nvcc.edu.
Join fellow ELI students, faculty and staff in participating in the 2nd Annual Common Reader. Contact ELI Student Life at elistulife@nvcc.edu for more information.
Registration is continuing for the Fall 2012 Do you have questions about financial aid at Northern Virginia Community College? Learn about financial aid through these short videos on FATV: http:// bit.ly/KamByO
Visit the online class schedule and catalog section of NOVA’s website for information about courses being offered, payment deadlines, and methods of payment. You can learn more about sections of courses being offered through ELI by visiting ELI’s Course Descriptions website.
The first session of ELI courses for the fall semester will begin on August 22. Contact your advisor or an ELI counselor if you have any questions about what courses to take for your next semester. Also, consider attending a Getting Ready for Your Next Semester webinar.
This 45-minute webinar for NOVA students will focus on answering key questions students have about what courses to enroll in for their next semester. Topics covered will include program identification, college resources, creating a balanced schedule, and course selection. Visit ELI’s webinar schedule for dates and times and to register.
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www.nvcc.edu/ELI ELI Hotline: 703.323.3347 or 1.888.435.6822
Summer 2012 Bulletin Board Contributors: Katie Aimone, Orientation
Dr. Wm. Preston Davis, Director of Instructional Services
Natasha Spokish, Technology Support Specialist
Specialist
Christy Jensen, Counselor
Erika Coddington, Success Coach
Sasha Lester, Outreach Specialist
Debbie Wyne, Director of Student Services
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