Annandale Student Life

Northern Virginia Community College communicates with its community and students on a daily basis, both visually and verbally. In order to maintain 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 that use the NOVA logo or the Northern Virginia Community College name must comply with the NOVA college-wide Visual Identity Guidelines. To review the guidelines, please refer to the Wordmark Guidelines on the Marketing and Communications website.

To ensure that all electronic flyers posted 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 to be submitted to NOVA's Annandale Campus Student Life bulletin boards must be submitted to ANStudentLife@nvcc.edu for review.

To allow adequate posting time, please submit flyers at least two weeks before you wish to have them posted.

All flyers on campus must be approved by Student Life before posting. Unapproved postings will be removed and may result in disciplinary action. Submit a proposal for posting in areas beyond the campus bulletin boards at least five to seven days before posting. Flyers must be typed, meet college standards and contain an English translation if in a foreign language. The Office of Student Life posts flyers Mon-Fri before 2:00 p.m.

Avoid using tape on painted surfaces, glass windows, and doors. Use tacks, staples, or tacky tape to post ads on community bulletin boards for clubs and organizations located around campus.

Contact the Office of Student Life to get a list of designated bulletin board locations for club and organization postings.

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

All flyers must be approved and stamped by the Office of Student Life, which is located in CF 230/232. They are subject to the "General Posting Policy Guidelines." Flyers must contain content that aligns with the mission and standards of the college. Handwritten flyers will not be approved, only typed ones. Additionally, all flyers must have an English translation to gain approval.

Once approved, flyers can be posted in designated areas. Advertisement priority is given to on-campus groups/organizations and activities. The Office of Student Life posts and monitors all advertisements 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.

This policy aims to inform and assist college and campus-wide organizations, non-college organizations, and users who wish to participate in disseminating information, advertising products and 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 the following procedures:

1. 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.

NOVA's student organizations offer leadership opportunities and valuable educational functions to students. They enrich the academic environment and campus life by contributing a range of perspectives.

The Office of Student Life has established a recognition process for student organizations to provide support and stability to newly formed groups and clearly define consequences for noncompliance. The recognition process adds structure while maintaining flexibility, making it a guiding principle.

To get a copy of the Student Club Starter Kit, make an appointment with the Student Life Coordinator to discuss your interests in more detail.

Joining student organizations at NOVA's Annandale Campus can help you expand your social circle, explore new interests, and develop new skills. These groups offer leadership opportunities and complement your classroom learning. Think about what you hope to gain from the experience and how much time you can commit when choosing an organization.

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.

Student fees fund most programming coordinated by the Office of Student Life and student organizations. Getting involved broadens your college experience, helps you understand what's happening on campus, and can be invaluable later in life. Trying different things can help you figure out what career to pursue, gain practical experience, and develop your leadership skills.

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. 

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.

Faculty, administrators, or staff who want to get more involved with clubs, organizations, or interest groups on campus can become an advisor. If you are interested, please contact the Office of Student Life. All student organizations must have a full-time teaching or administrative faculty member as an advisor. The advisor should ensure that the organization tries to fulfill its aims as stated in the organization's constitution. Advisors should approve and sign official forms for expenditures from their organizational accounts and other financial reports. If the advisor resigns, they should notify the organization and the Office of Student Life in writing one month before their resignation.