·        Alcoholic beverages and tobacco products- No alcoholic beverages are allowed in the NCI classroom building.  Exceptions are made for special events that have permits from the Virginia Department of Alcohol Beverage Control or for events that have been pre-approved by NCI administration.  For event approval, please contact Leanna Blevins at 403-5603.  NCI is a tobacco-free facility.

·        Cell Phones- Cell phones may be used in the building, but should be turned off during classroom instruction.

·        Children- Children must be accompanied by an adult.  Children should not attend classes with parents unless pre-approved by the faculty.

·        Classroom use- All classrooms must be scheduled in advance by contacting Ms. Ruby Jones (403-5605) or Leanna Blevins by completing a Room Reservation form located on the NCI website.  NCI classes have first priority when scheduling the classroom building and events that compete with NCI academic programs will not be permitted.  There may be a charge for using the classrooms for non-NCI activities.  Classrooms should be left clean and furniture should be returned to its original formation. Visual displays cannot be left in the room. Report any damages or problems in the NCI building to the front desk.  

·        Code of Conduct- Students must follow the rules and honor codes of the NCI partner institution at which the students are enrolled.

·        Computers– A computer lab and several laptop computers are available on the main floor (second floor) of the NCI classroom building. You must be an NCI student and have permission from staff to access this equipment.  Food or drinks are not allowed while using the equipment.  To check out a laptop, please ask at the front desk.

·        Copier- A copier is available near the front desk for student use. Students must provide their own paper and use of the printer is free of charge.  

·        Emergency- Students should review the evacuation plans posted in each classroom and be familiar with the location of emergency exits and fire extinguishers (see below). In the event of an emergency, contact local fire and rescue by calling 911.  

·        Faculty Contact- Faculty-in-residence and program coordinator information for each program are listed on the NCI website.  To reach another professor, please refer to your course syllabus or contact the partner institution directly. 

·        Fire Extinguishers- On the second floor (main floor) two fire extinguishers are located to the right of the front desk, one is near room 204 (the Outreach Education office), and one is near the men’s restroom.  On the third floor, one is near the men’s restroom and one is inside the storage closet. On the first floor, one is at the bottom of the stairs and one is at the back exit.  Please report any accident or injury to NCI staff.  

·        Food and Drink- Several vending machines are located on the lower level (first floor) of the NCI classroom building. Food and drink are not allowed in the computer lab, but are allowed in the classrooms and the student break area. Please clean any spills up promptly, and leave rooms neat and clean.

·        Honor Code- All NCI partner institutions subscribe to an honor code which is designed to assure all students a learning community of trust and academic integrity. Students are expected to follow the honor codes of partner institutions.

·        Hours of Operation- The NCI Classroom building is open on weekdays from 8:30 am- 10:00 p.m. and on Saturdays from 8:30 am- 5:00 pm.  The building is closed for state holidays.  The building may be opened for other special events when pre-arrangements have been made (see Classroom Use, above).

·        Illegal drugs- The possession and/or use of illegal drugs is prohibited. Violators will be reported to the proper authorities.

·        Inclement Weather- In case of inclement weather, New College Institute will determine whether to close the building or delay opening.  For evening classes, a determination will be made, if possible, by 2 p.m.  The determination will be made independent of local schools and colleges.  Faculty members have the right to cancel class at any time, independent of NCI’s determination for the building to be open (i.e. the building may be open, but a faculty member may cancel class anyway); however, if the building is closed, faculty must cancel class.  In the event of an altered schedule, the public will be notified in the following ways:

1.      The schedule will be posted on the NCI website

2.      The change in schedule will be available by calling 276-403-5600 and pressing 5

3.      Each institutional representative will be contacted by email detailing the altered schedule

4.      The following local media will be notified:

a.      WHEE radio in Martinsville

b.      WMVA radio in Martinsville

c.      WZBB radio in Martinsville

d.      Cable station BTW 21 in Collinsville

e.      Cable station Media 6 (channel 18) in Martinsville

f.        WSLS channel 10 in Roanoke

·        Internet use-  (see Public Wireless Access Policy, attached)

·        Microwave Oven- A microwave oven is located in the student lounge on the first floor.  Please keep it clean.

·        Parking- Parking for the NCI classroom building is located along Franklin Street, in the lot along Bridge Street (across from the Courthouse Square), in marked spaces in front of the Courthouse, and in the lot on the lower level of Franklin Street.  All parking is public parking and is monitored by the City of Martinsville and the Martinsville Police Department.

·        Persons with Disabilities- Individuals requiring assistance to participate in NCI activities should contact our administrative offices at 403-5600.

·        Printers- Printers are available for student use on each floor of the Classroom Building.  Students must provide their own paper and use of the printer is free of charge.  

·        Public Wireless Access- (see attached policy)

·        Registration- Students must register for classes and make payments through our partner institutions once the student as been accepted in a program of study.  Contact information for each of the programs may be found on the NCI website.

·        Restrooms- Restrooms facilities are located on the main and upper levels of the classroom building.  There are no restrooms on the lower level.

·        Security Guard- A security guard is on site and located in our classroom building at the front desk Monday- Friday 5:30 pm to 10:00 pm and on Saturday from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm. 

·        Smoking Policy- Smoking or the use of tobacco products is not permitted in NCI buildings.

·        Weather Cancellations- (please see Inclement Weather)  
 

Contact Information:

Administrative Building:

29 Jones Street

Courthouse Square

Martinsville, VA 24112

(276) 403-5607

(276) 403-5604 FAX

The NCI Classroom Building on Courthouse Square:

30 Franklin Street

Martinsville, VA 24112

(276) 403-5600

(276) 403-5617 FAX

·        Additional contact information for individual staff members is located on the staff page here.
 

New College Institute – Public Wireless Access Policy

New College Institute (NCI) provides free Internet access points or "hot spots" throughout its facilities during normal business hours for users with portable computers or devices capable of receiving wireless signals. These access points will allow users to access the Internet from their laptop computers when sitting within range of the access points.

Acceptable Use

As a state agency, the New College Institute has established a policy to administer appropriate use of the Internet and online services supported by the agency. It is within this context that the New College Institute offers access to the Internet and via the public wireless network.

All users are expected to use the New College Institute’s wireless access in a legal and responsible manner, consistent with the educational and informational purposes for which it is provided.

While using this wireless access, users should not violate federal, state or local laws, or state or agency policies, including, but not limited to:

• Accessing, downloading, printing or storing information with sexually explicit content as prohibited by law (see Code of Virginia §2.2-2827);
• Downloading or transmitting fraudulent, threatening, obscene, intimidating, defamatory, harassing, discriminatory, or otherwise unlawful messages or images;
• Uploading or downloading copyrighted materials or proprietary information of NCI, any other state or federal agency, or the proprietary information of any commercial enterprise; 
• Downloading copyrighted material. U.S. copyright law (Title 17, U.S. Code) prohibits the unauthorized reproduction or distribution of copyrighted materials, except as permitted by the principles of "fair use". Users may not copy or distribute electronic materials without the explicit permission of the copyright holder;
• Uploading or downloading access-restricted information from any computer system;
• Misrepresenting themselves as another user; attempting to modify or gain access to files, passwords, or data belonging to others; seeking unauthorized access to any computer system, or damaging or altering software components of any network or database;
• Sending e-mail using another’s identity, an assumed name, or anonymously;
• Permitting a non-user to use for purposes of communicating the message of some third party individual or organization; and

• By using this wireless access network at the New College Institute, the user acknowledges that he ⁄she is subject to, and agrees to abide by all laws, policies, and regulations of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the federal government that is applicable to Internet use.

Terms and Conditions of Use

1. The NCI wireless network can be accessed using a notebook/laptop computer or other device equipped with a wireless card that supports the WiFi standard (IIEE 802.11b/802.11g).

2. The New College Institute assumes no responsibility for the safety of equipment; Users must keep their equipment with them at all times and may only use electrical outlets in public areas.

3. PLEASE NOTE: Printing access is not available via the wireless connection.
   
   
4. New College Institute assumes no responsibility for laptop configurations, security or changes to data files resulting from connection to the state agency’s network and cannot guarantee that a user's hardware will work with NCI’s wireless connection.  New College Institute staff does not provide technical assistance for wireless users unless it is for class-related activities.

5. If a user has problems accessing the Internet over these connections, staff will not assist in making changes to the user's network settings or perform any troubleshooting on the user's own computer. Users should refer to their owner's manuals or other support services offered by their device manufacturer.

6. New College Institute has tried to ensure that wireless access is available throughout its public facility areas. However, users may encounter occasional "dead spots" where wireless reception may be limited or too many users are attempting to access from a particular access point. If you have trouble accessing the Internet or staying online, please move to a different location within the facility.

Security Considerations

Wireless access is by nature an insecure medium. As with most public wireless networks, any information being sent or received over the New College Institute’s wireless network could potentially be intercepted by another wireless user. Cautious and informed wireless users should not transmit their credit card information, passwords and any other sensitive personal information while using any wireless "hot spot."

Anyone using the wireless network provided by the New College Institute is forewarned that there can be no expectation of privacy when using the wireless network, whether accessed from an external or internal site. Users assume all associated risks and agree to hold harmless the New College Institute and its employees for any personal information (e.g. credit card) that is compromised, or for any damage caused to users' hardware or software due to electric surges, security issues or consequences caused by viruses or hacking. NCI recommends that all wireless access users have up-to-date virus protection on their personal laptop computers or wireless devices.

Disclaimer

The New College Institute is providing wireless connectivity in this facility as a public service and offers no guarantees or representations that any use of the wireless connection is in any way secure, or that any privacy can be protected when using this wireless connection. Use of this wireless connection is entirely at the risk of the user, and New College Institute is not responsible for any loss of any information that may arise from the use of the wireless connection, nor is the state agency responsible for any loss, injury, or damages resulting from the use of the wireless connection.