Table of Contents
Overview – Faculty Advising
Faculty Advisor’s Role
Effective Advising
Page 1
Page 1-2
Curriculum Advising
Graduation Evaluation Checklist
Curriculum Specific Advising/Graduation Evaluations
Alternate Credit
PLACE
CLEP
ABLE
Military Credit
Transfer Credit Evaluation
Waiver of General Education Requirements
Procedures for Waiver and Substitution of Courses
Placement Exams
Student Development Orientation – SDV 100
Transfer Planning
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Page 6
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Page 7/10
Page 8
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Page 11/12
Page 13
Faculty Advisor’s Role
The role of the faculty advisor at NOVA is to assist in planning the student’s
program of study each semester. The faculty advisor can be an important source
of encouragement and information for most students.
Advisors bring their experience, knowledge about the college, and an
understanding of the discipline or profession to the advising process.
Effective Advising
In order to be effective, a faculty advisor should:
 Develop a personal relationship/ Provide program planning
 Be available
 Provide accurate information
 Make appropriate referral
Develop a personal relationship/provide program planning – advisor’s can
develop a good relationship with students by:
 Becoming familiar with student’s personal, educational, and career goals.
 Having some knowledge of student’s academic abilities, interests, and
other background by the transcript and conversations with the student.
 Discussing student’s progress and determining whether or not they need
assistance.
 Advisors should consider the following:
o Preparation students will need for recommended courses.
o The specific course sequences, prerequisites, co-requisites for
certain courses.
o The need to plan in advance.
o The student’s outside-of-school life, balancing work, school, and
family commitments.
o The choice of elective credits that best meet the student’s goals.
 Ultimately, academic choices are made by the students; advisors are
responsible for giving accurate information and advice.
IT Advising Manual
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Effective Advising
Be available by –
 posting and keeping a reasonable number of office hours during the
semester.
 returning phone calls and emails from students in a timely manner.
Provide accurate information – students expect accurate information about
their programs. The advisor should be:
 familiar with program requirements consistent with the college catalog.
 knowledgeable about general education requirements, degree
requirements, and academic policies and procedures.
 aware of other courses and academic program offered at the college.
 aware of programs and services available to students and able to refer
theses services when appropriate.
Make appropriate referrals - advisors should be aware of support services on
campus in order to make referrals when faced with situations that require
additional information or other campus resources.
When a referral is appropriate, advisors should:
 help students understand why the referral is being made.
 explain what kind of service is offered and what they may expect from the
referral service.
 provide students with the correct office location, phone number and/or
email address for them to make an appointment.
IT Advising Manual
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Graduation Evaluation Checklist
______ 1. Check NovaConnect to verify the student’s curriculum (IT
degree or certificate) and catalog year. The IT degree and each
certificate has a different curriculum code. The student has seven
years to graduate under the catalog they are program placed under.
(If the student is not program placed, send the student to the
Student Services Office to become program placed.)
______ 2. Use NovaConnect to print a copy of the student’s unofficial
transcript.
______ 3. Cross through all W’s and F’s on the transcript.
______ 4. Cross through the previous attempts of any courses that the
student repeated. (The course may only be counted once for
graduation.)
______ 5. Cross through all courses numbered below 100. These are
developmental courses that will not count toward
graduation or the curriculum GPA.
______ 6. If necessary, convert quarter credits to semester credits.
Quarter credits are 2/3 a semester credit. Quarter credit classes
have four-lettered prefixes. Students can substitute two quarter
classes for one semester class. For example: PSYC 201, PSYC
202 is equivalent to PSY 201.
______ 6. Print a copy of the student’s program advising worksheet from
http://www.nvcc.edu/academic/proginfo.htm
______ 7. Compare the courses that student completed with the courses on
the program advising worksheet. Check off the courses the
student completed.
_______ 8. Give the student a list of courses they need to complete to earn
the degree/certificate. This list should include the courses that they
are currently taking.
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Curriculum Specific Advising/Graduation Evaluations
As advisors work with students in a particular curriculum and ultimately for
graduation, you should keep the following items in mind:
Program Advising Worksheet - Using a program advising worksheet while
working with students is most helpful. The worksheets are available on this
website - http://www.nvcc.edu/academic/proginfo.htm
Program Placement – Verify that the student is officially program placed in
the correct curriculum. The program placement information is listed in the
unofficial transcript in NovaConnect – http://www.nvcc.edu/novaconnect
Catalog Year - Verify the program placement catalog year. The catalog year is
listed in the degree progress report and on the unofficial transcript in
NovaConnect – http://www.nvcc.edu/novaconnect Students can use the catalog
year at the time of program placement or any subsequent catalog provided the
catalog to be used has not been in effect for more than seven years prior to
graduation.
Technical courses – Technical courses completed more than ten years ago
usually can not be used as credit for a degree or certificate. Only the division
chair for the student’s curriculum can make any exceptions. All other courses
such as general education courses (English, history, science, etc.) and Math have
no time limit.
Repeated courses – Repeated courses course can only be counted once for
graduation and the most recent course is the one applied toward the degree.
When the student repeats a course, all grades will appear on their transcript but
the latest grade for the course is the grade that is applied toward their graduation
and their GPA. General usage courses – ITN 195, ITN 295 may be repeated
and all credits are counted for credit toward graduation, if the topic of the course
is different.
Developmental courses – Developmental courses numbered (001 – 009) may
not be applied toward graduation.
IT Advising Manual
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Curriculum Specific Advising/Graduation Evaluations
Shortage of credits – if a student meets all course requirements for graduation
but is short a fraction of a credit or one credit due to the conversion of quarter to
semester credits or due to a change in the number of credits for the course, a
waiver of the fractional credit may be done by the CRO. For example: IST
100 was changed from 4 credits to 3 credits. Students that completed all degree
requirements, but are short 1 credit because they completed IST 100 as a 3 credit
course.
IT Advising Manual
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Alternate Credit
Students must complete at least 25% of the credits in the curriculum at NOVA
to meet the college’s residency requirement. No more than 75% of a degree or
certificate may be earned through alternate methods including transfer credits.
1.
PLACE - (Prior Learning Activity for Credit Evaluation) – Students may
obtain credit for life experiences by developing portfolios through the
Prior Learning Activity for Credit Evaluation (PLACE) program. PLACE
is for adults who have gained college-level learning through work,
volunteer activities, participation in civic assignments, travel, independent
study, and similar life experiences. Students can earn up to 15 PLACE
credits.
2.
CLEP – (College Level Examination Program) - Students may obtain
credit for prior learning by taking a CLEP exam. There are CLEP exams
available for several general education courses. Information about CLEP
can be found at http://www.nvcc.edu/alexandria/continuing/clep.htm
There is a CLEP exam available for ITE 100. Information about the
locations to take the CLEP exams and the type of CLEP exam available
can be found at
http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/clep/about.html The CLEP
exam is offered locally through NOVA at the Quantico Education Center.
3.
ABLE - (Assessment By Local Exam) – ABLE examinations are
constructed by NOVA where tests are not available from outside sources
such as the College Level Examination Program (CLEP). An ABLE exam
is available for the SDV 100 course. The faculty advisor must complete
the NVCC 125-033 form http://www.nvcc.edu/forms/pdf/125-033.pdf for
the student prior to taking the exam. The student must take the NVCC
125-033 form and a picture ID with them to the Testing Center. The
ABLE study sheet is listed on pages 9 – 10 of this manual. Student can
print a copy of the ABLE study sheet at http://www.nvcc.edu/campusesand-centers/loudoun/campusresources/testing/information/SDV100ABLEreview_revised.pdf.
IT Advising Manual
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Alternative Credit
4.
Military Credit – military credit is evaluated by the Veteran’s Affairs
Office. Students should submit their DD214. The students are given at
least 2 credits for PED 116 (1 credit) and the PED Elective course (1
credit).
5.
Transfer Credit – If a student attended another college, he/she must have
each college previously attended send an official copy of the transcript
directly to the Student Services Office. The student must submit the
Request for Incoming Transcripts form (NVCC 125-029) http://www.nvcc.edu/forms/pdf/125-029.pdf to the schools they attended
and the Request for Evaluation for Transcripts form (NVCC 125-049) http://www.nvcc.edu/forms/pdf/125-049.pdf to the Student Services
Office.
Students transferring English composition from any country other than the
United States must either complete the English composition requirement
at NOVA, transfer ENG composition from another U.S. college or take
the English CLEP exam.
6.
Waiver for General Education Credits – students transferring to NOVA
with an Associate of Arts, Associate of Science or any baccalaureate or
high degree earned from an accredited U.S. school are considered to have
met the NOVA general education requirements. Students are
automatically awarded the credits on their unofficial transcript and degree
progress report after their transcript is evaluated. See page 8 of this
manual for a list of the general education courses. Students can view the
list of general education courses in the college catalog.
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Alternative Credit
7.
Procedures for Waiver and Substitution of Courses A substitution form should be used sparingly. I listed some occasions
when you should use the form:
1.
A student is registering for their last semester of courses at NOVA
and expects to graduate. One of the courses the student needs to
take is not offered on one of the campus, offered at ELI or offered
at a time the student can take the course.
2.
A student completed a course at a four-year university, but the
course was taken at a 300-level or 400-level. When the transcripts
are evaluated by NOVA, the student was given elective credit for
the course.
Additional methods for earning credit are in the Advanced Standing
Manual - http://www.nvcc.edu/about-nova/directories-offices/administrative-offices/academic/files/advanced-standingmanual.pdf
IT Advising Manual
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Placement Exams – English and Math
Prior to registering for ENG and MTH courses students must complete a
placement exam in the Testing Center.
Information about the exams can be found at 1.
You should recommend that the student takes the placement exams
early in their academic career.
2.
If the student does not earn a score high enough to place into the class
they need, they may have to take developmental classes.
3.
The student can either retake the exam or take the developmental
course(s).
a. English Placement - students can take the English placement exam
every six months. The test score is valid for three years.
b. ESL exam – students can take the ESL placement exam every six
months. The test score is value for one year.
c. Math Placement – students can take the Math placement exam
every three months. The test score is valid for one year.
You should recommend that the students study prior to taking the exam.
Students can print a study sheet at - http://www.nvcc.edu/futurestudents/placement-tests/
IT Advising Manual
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Waiver of General Education Requirements for Students with
Previous Degrees
Students transferring to NOVA with an Associate of Arts, Associate of Science
or any baccalaureate or high degree earned for an accredited U.S. school are
considered to have met the NOVA general education requirements.
Certificate
3 credits of English or Speech
1 credit SDV 100 (if required)
AAS/AAA Degrees 3 credits of English
3 credits of Speech
3 credits of Humanities
6 credits of Social Science
3 credits of Math/Science
1 credit of SDV 100
2 credits of PED
21 credits total
AA Degrees
6 credits of English
3 credits of Speech
3 credits of Humanities
12 credits of History/Social Science
6 credits of Math
8 credits of Natural Sciences
1 credit of SDV 100
2 credits of PED
41 credits total
AS Degrees
6 credits of English
3 credits of Speech
3 credits of Humanities
9 credits of History/Social Science
6 credits of Math (Does not apply to science, mathematics,
computer science, and engineering degrees.
8 credits of Natural Sciences
1 credit of SDV 100
2 credits of PED
38 credits total
IT Advising Manual
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Student Development Orientation – SDV 100
Registration Requirements:
Students who have completed 15 semester credit hours at NOVA should register
for a Student Development (SDV) course.
The benefits of taking a SDV course during their first semester are:
 Learning how to be a “master student”
 Learning how to make responsible choices regarding your academic,
personal, career and financial goals
 Learning how to choose a major based on your interests, values, skills and
abilities
 Learning how to choose appropriate courses for your chosen major
 Learning about transfer planning
 Learning about NOVA’s policies, procedures and resources to effectively
navigate through the educational system
Course options that will satisfy the SDV requirement:
Student Development Assessment by Local Examination (ABLE) Exam:
Students may waive the SDV requirement by demonstrating proficiency in the
fulfillment of the SDV 100 course objectives by obtaining
a score of 38 or above on the SDV ABLE Exam.
NOTE: The SDV 100 ABLE exam can only be taken once. The SDV 100
ABLE exam consists of 50 multiple-choice and true/false questions.
Test Preparation:
 Students should review important topics provided in the NOVA Catalog,
NOVA Student Handbook, NOVA website, and the first pages of the
NOVA Schedule of Classes.
 Allow at least 90 minutes to complete this test.
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SDV ABLE Exam topics include, but are not limited to, the following:
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Academic Degrees
Academic Honors
Academic Integrity
Academic Policies and Procedures
Career Planning and Self-Assessments
College Credit Through Advanced Standing
College Services and Resources
College Transfer Planning
Course Registration
Decision Making Skills
Essay Writing Tips
Financial Aid
GPA Calculations
Learning Styles
Listening Skills
NOVA Catalog Topics
NOVA Student Handbook Topics
Relationships
Study Skills
Stress Management
Substance Abuse
Where to take the SDV ABLE exam:
 Testing Center, Room LR 251, Loudoun Campus. Students MUST bring
in valid photo ID.
 Call the Testing Center at (703) 450-2508 for hours of operation.
 Check hours and closings at http://www.nvcc.edu/campuses-andcenters/loudoun/campus-resources/testing/location-hours/index.html.
Permission Slip Required to Test:
 Students must have a permission slip from a counselor to take the SDV
ABLE exam.
 Testing Center personnel record the score on the permission slip.
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Transfer Planning
The IT department offers an Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree,
which is intended to non-transfer degree. The individual courses within the
degree may transfer, but the degree does not transfer to a four-year institution in
its entirety.
The IT department also offers an Associate in Science (A.S.) degree, which is
designed for those who plan to transfer to a four-year institution for the
completion of a B.S. degree.
Three locations for transfer resources are:
 Transfer Planning Wizard https://www.vawizard.org/vccs/Main.action
 Transfer Planning Website - http://www.nvcc.edu/currentstudents/transfer/
 Campus Visits - Campus visits from four-year institutions. Students
should contact the Student Services Office for specific dates and times.
Students who intend to transfer should research their transfer options as early in
their academic career as possible. The students should gear their elective
credits towards the transfer institution.
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