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Annandale Student Life

NOVA's Annandale Office of Student Life assists with extracurricular and co-curricular programs that support student civic engagement, leadership development, community involvement, teamwork, personal empowerment and retention.

The Office of Student Life:

  • Provides advising, training and mentoring to student leaders and advisors.
  • Inspires students to become active members of the campus and community.
  • Creates programs and events that foster interactions among members of the NOVA community.
  • Maintains spaces and resources for students focused on initiatives that enrich college culture.
  • Engages student leaders to discover new knowledge that enables them to critically evaluate evidence, make informed judgments, balance multiple perspectives and act ethically.
  • Expands opportunities for experimental learning, civic engagement, cultural enrichment, leadership development, recreation and service learning.

Advertising on Campus

Every day our community and students receive visual and verbal communications about Northern Virginia Community College. By developing and maintaining a consistent visual identity, both as a College and as individual campuses, NOVA makes a unified and coherent impression that strengthens its image and public awareness as an institution of quality.

All flyers and advertisements using the NOVA logo, or the Northern Virginia Community College name must adhere to the NOVA college-wide Visual Identity Guidelines. For a review of the Visual Identity requirements for NOVA College fliers please refer to the Wordmark Guidelines on the Marketing and Communications website.

To insure that all electronic flyer postings meet the NOVA visual identity standards ALL student clubs, interest groups, and organizations must submit a copy of their proposed flyer to the Annandale Campus and Community Outreach Specialist, Tank McCarl at mmccarl@nvcc.edu for review. Flyers seeking permission for submission on NOVA's Annandale Campus Student Life bulletin boards must be submitted to the Annandale Student Life Office Manager, Elizabeth Garibay at egaribay@nvcc.edu for review.

Please submit fliers a minimum of two weeks prior to the time you wish to have the flier posted to ensure adequate posting time.

All flyers must be approved and stamped by Student Life (located in 
CF 232) before they can be posted on campus. All unapproved postings found will be removed and subject to further disciplinary action. If you want to post flyers on sites beyond the campus community bulletin boards around campus and the Student Life bulletin boards, you must submit a proposal for the requested posting areas five to seven business days prior to posting. (This ensures an adequate amount of time for the Office of Student Life to secure approval.) Flyers must contain content that is in line with the mission and standards of the college. All flyers must be typed; handwritten flyers will not be approved. In addition, all flyers written in a foreign language must have an English translation in order to gain approval. All postings by the Office of Student Life are made Monday through Friday by 2:00 p.m.

Due to the damages caused by tape adhesives, the use of tape is prohibited on all painted surfaces, glass windows and glass doors. There are several community bulletin boards accessible around campus for student clubs and organizations to post their advertisements, see the section on "Campus Bulletin Boards" for a detailed description on the location of the boards. Permissible methods of posting consist of using tacks, staples or tacky tape.
There are a variety of locations for student clubs and organizations to post their advertisement for upcoming programs and services. Contact the Office of Student Life for a list of bulletin board locations that are for club and organization postings only!

(This policy explicitly implies to non-college groups, businesses and organizations)

  • All fliers must be approved and stamped by the Office of Student Life (located in CF 230/232) and are subject to the "General Posting Policy Guidelines."
  • Fliers must contain content that is in line with the mission and standards of the college. All fliers must be typed; handwritten fliers will not be approved.
  • All fliers must have an English translation in order to gain approval.
  • Once approved, fliers are permitted in designated areas.
  • Advertisement Priority is given to on-campus groups/organizations and activities.

The Office of Student Life posts and monitors all advertisement placed on these boards on a daily basis. All postings by the Office of Student Life are made Monday through Friday by 4:00 p.m. Any postings found without approval from the Office of Student Life will be removed and subject to further disciplinary action and/or fines for solicitation.

The purpose of this policy is to inform and assist college and campus-wide organizations, and non-college organizations and users who wish to participate in the dissemination of information, advertisement of products, services, and general solicitation in the CF Cafeteria and Plaza.

Table use request from non-College organizations upon invitation of campus-wide events, student governments, other college units, or recognized campus organizations are subject to the following provisions, pending review and approval by the Office of Student Life:

  1. The use must confer a benefit to the College as determined by the Office of Student Life and the Office of the Dean of Students;
  2. The use must be pursuant to a written agreement setting forth the terms and conditions of the proposed use;
  3. The use by the applicant must be occasional rather than frequent;
  4. The use must not interfere with any organized college activity or event;
  5. Organizations and/or individuals with campus affiliation shall be granted priority over non-affiliated organizations and individuals;
  6. Consideration must be given to the availability of comparable non-college facilities and services which could accommodate the proposed use.

Reservations or requests shall be made at least 48 hours in advance, excluding weekends and holidays, to the appropriate campus office in accordance with following procedures:

  1. All requests must be submitted on NOVA form 105-112 (Application for Use of Facilities). Reservations or requests shall normally be made for use during the current academic year, and will be granted in the order of application. Inquiries for specific exceptions shall be directed to the Office of Student Life where the reservation is made.
  2. Reservation of facilities or requests for services by recognized campus organizations must be made with and approved by the Student Life Coordinator.
  3. The recognized student government and its agencies, official alumni organizations and similar college-related organizations, and colleges, schools, departments, and other units of the college, may make reservations or requests in accordance with established procedures.

Information may be posted and maintained on Individual sites by NOVA faculty, staff and student organizations("Individual Authors"). NOVA wishes to allow the academic community the greatest possible freedom to use these resources creatively and responsibly. Therefore it does not undertake to screen, verify, edit, monitor or censor information posted by individual authors, whether or not originated by individual authors or third parties and does not accept any responsibility or liability for such information. Individual authors and third parties are solely responsible for the content and organization of information posted by them, even if such information is accessed through the NOVA website. Should any NOVA website user discover something out of date, please feel free to contact the individual author at the email address given at the website. If a user notices something in conflict with NOVA, VCCS, Virginia or Federal policy or law, please contact the College Webmaster and the individual author.

Student Clubs & Organizations

The Office of Student Life has a variety of clubs and organizations that you can join including the Student Government Association, which is the "voice" of the students on campus and whose members act as representatives of the student body at committee meetings and other activities on- and off-campus. 

If you are interested in joining any of the organizations, please contact one of the club advisors for more information or pick up a "Student Club & Interest Group Directory" in the Student Life office. If you do not find a club or organization that suits your interests, please contact the Office of Student Life and make an appointment with the Student Life Counselor and Advisor for Student Club/Organizations & Leadership.

Recognized Clubs and Interest Groups

Club Meeting/Events Calendar

Student organizations at NOVA serve as a valuable educational function, offering students the opportunity to join together in governmental, cultural, political and/or special interest issues settings and to assume various leadership roles in carrying out the mission of the group. Organizations contribute a range of perspectives to the overall college community, thus enriching the academic environment and campus life for all students.

The Office of Student Life established a recognition process for student organizations that offers structure by providing parameters in which organizations can function; spells out responsibilities for groups, which the College expects them to fulfill; establishes a communication pattern between clubs and organizations and the Office of Student Life to provide support and stability to newly formed groups and their advisors and clearly defines consequences for groups, which choose not to exist in accordance with these guidelines.

In establishment of a recognition process, the Office of Student Life fulfills its charge to create an appropriate environment for support and maturation of student groups. The recognition process adds such an environment while maintaining flexibility. This goal has been a primary guiding principle in the creation of this recognition process.

To pick up a copy of the Student Club Starter Kit, simply make an appointment to meet with the Student Life Coordinator. We look forward to discussing your interest in further detail!

Student organizations are an excellent way to meet new people and learn more about the campus. In addition, student organizations are a place where you can try out new interests and gain new skills. They also enhance the education you receive in the classroom and can provide you with valuable leadership experience.

NOVA's Annandale Campus has several student organizations that include recreation, academic, social, religious, cultural and general interest groups. All have a common goal of furthering your education. It may be very difficult for you to decide which organization to join. As you make your choice, think carefully about what you hope to gain from the experience and how much time you have to devote to the organization and its activities.

Consider the following before joining an organization:

  • Talk to other students, advisors, professors and counselors to help you explore your interests and identify activities in which you can become involved.
  • Look around at what is available. The personal benefits exceed the time demands of involvement. Participate in several activities before making any major commitments.
  • Explore with a friend. Having someone with you will make a new situation more comfortable and fun. Whether you attend an activity alone or with a friend, introduce yourself to the person who is leading the activity and to people around you.

Most programming coordinated by the Office of Student Life and student organizations is funded through student fees. This money comes from you, the student, so if you ever wonder where those mysterious student fees go, the answer is they go right back to you for your benefit and enjoyment.

Why get involved?

It is extremely important to take advantage of the opportunity to become involved. It plays a very important part in broadening your college experience. When you are involved, you not only know what is happening, but also why and how it happened. The experience that you acquire by being an active student on campus will be invaluable to you later in life, both personally and professionally.

What's in it for me as a student?

Many students are uncertain at some point in their college years about what occupation to pursue after graduation. One way students can figure out what they really want as a career is to get involved in the various programs and organizations offered by the Office of Student Life.

Try out different things and you will have a better chance of finding out what you like and don't like. Also, getting involved gives you practical experience to put on your resume, not to mention the demonstrated leadership ability.

There is a distinct difference between clubs and interest groups. The College officially recognizes clubs; Interest Groups are groups formed on a temporary basis and are not officially recognized by the College. Further clarification can be found below for the differences between clubs versus interest groups:

Clubs/Organizations Can...

  • generate funds through fundraisers and donations;
  • have an account through the Office of Student Life;
  • use the College name to show its affiliation with the College;
  • be offered tabling priority during the Club Fair;
  • request funding from the Office of Student Life and the college for programs and club activities;
  • reserve college facilities and utilize college resources for a variety of programming opportunities; and, 
  • be featured in various publications of the College (Student Handbook, social media, etc.).

Interest Groups...

  • cannot have a club account through the Office of Student Life;
  • cannot use the College name to show its affiliation with the College;
  • may request funding from the Office of Student Life and the College for programs or activities;
  • may request to table during the Club Fair but are not guaranteed a spot;
  • may reserve College facilities for meetings and can meet anytime between Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm;
  • may begin once their application has been submitted BUT must spend one full semester as an interest group before being able to apply to be a club; and,
  • may be featured in publications of the College.

If you are a faculty, administrator or staff member on campus and would like to get more involved with clubs, organizations or interest groups on campus, please consider becoming an advisor! Throughout the year, students decide they would like to begin new clubs and organizations on campus -- if you are interested in becoming a student advisor please contact the Office of Student Life.

The Office of Student Life believes that student involvement in planning campus programs significantly enhances the value of these programs. We encourage you to contact us at 703.323.3147 or stop by our office in Room 232, on the upper level of the CF Building.

The Role of Faculty Advisor

All student organizations are required to have a full-time teaching or administrative faculty member as an advisor. Any full-time member of the faculty or administration is eligible to serve as an official advisor to the organization. If a student organization cannot locate a faculty advisor, the Office for Student Life Coordinator may serve as a temporary advisor for a maximum period not exceeding one calendar year.

The advisor of a student organization shall maintain a liaison with the Student Life Coordinator. As an advisor, you take an active interest in the organization and become familiar with the policies and procedures of the Campus and the College. The advisor should ensure that the organization attempts to fulfill the stated aims as stated in the organization constitution. Student organization officers are responsible for keeping advisors well informed of activities and programming initiatives. Courtesy copies of minutes, request forms and reports should be submitted to the Advisor.

The Advisor shall help determine that planned expenditures do not exceed the budget as discussed by the organization. Advisors of all organization are required to approve and sign all official forms for expenditures from their organizational accounts and other financial reports of the organization. The signature of the advisor on financial reports and/or forms in no way implies personal or financial responsibility on the part of the advisor.

If the advisor wishes to resign her/his position as advisor, she/he should notify the organization and the Office of Student Life in writing one month before her/his resignation becomes effective. An advisor may be requested to resign her/his organizational position as defined by the organization constitution and by-laws. Student organizations will keep the SACO Coordinator informed of any change in the status of the advisor.

 

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