Student Life
A college education at Napa Valley College extends outside the classroom walls. Student Life also consists of a wide variety of activities, organizations, and shared governance. Students who decide to participate will enrich their own lives, and the life of the larger campus community. This important decision will make the college years more enriching, and improve the student's academic performance as well.
Participation in student activities fosters relationships with other students, advisors, and administrators through which valuable leadership skills are developed. Students have the opportunity to participate on committees where many administrative decisions are made including the hiring of staff. Transfer institutions and employers often consider participation in student activities a factor in selection.
Don't miss out on the richness of an active college life. Your involvement can begin with as little as an hour or two a week. The skills you learn and the friendships you make may well last a lifetime.
The Associated Student Body is the official organization of students enrolled at Napa Valley College. Students are encouraged to support the student body through the purchase of an ASB ID card and through active participation in student affairs.
With the purchase of an ASB ID card, students are entitled to discounts for ASB-sponsored events and college activities. An ASB card can be used as identification for athletic and physical education equipment and facilities. Discounts may be available at specific, off-campus stores, theaters, and restaurants. ASB ID cards are purchased for $5.00 each semester or $9.00 for a year (subject to change). The cards display the student's name, birth and expiration date, and a photograph. See the ASB Office for a list of local businesses offering a discount with your ASB ID card.
Student-elected officers serve on the Executive Board, which governs ASB. Members of the ASB Board include a President, Vice President, Secretary, Financial Officer, and several Senators representing each academic area of study. There is also an elected student trustee, who serves on the College Board of Trustees.
The ASB Executive Board has responsibility for financing and organizing co-curricular and non-curricular activities, such as lectures, concerts, and various cultural awareness programs. It manages funds derived from the sale of ASB ID cards, entertainment, video and vending machines, and fundraisers; it also receives a portion of the profits from the student bookstore.
The ASB Executive Board strives to be a representative of the college's student body. All registered students have the right to vote in the annual elections. Any student who is carrying at least 6 units, who maintains a specific minimum GPA, and who follows other guidelines set by the ASB constitution and bylaws may run for office.
Participation in Shared Governance
At NVC, students participate in shared governance as representatives appointed by the ASB Executive Board to committees. These include the Board of Trustees, some Academic Senate Committees, the Planning Committee, the Budget Committee, Facilities Committee, Matriculation Steering Committee, screening and interview committees, all committees concerned with student activities, and many ad hoc committees.
The Student Government office is located in Room 101, with posted hours. The ASB Executive Board holds regular meetings in the student lounge located in the cafeteria. Students are encouraged to attend and voice their opinions on campus and community-related issues.
One of the skills so vital to success in today's world is leadership. While there are certainly some individuals with a natural flair for leadership, you don't have to be a natural born leader to become an effective leader. Skills can be learned through experience. Involvement in student activities is an excellent opportunity for students to develop these valuable skills in a supportive environment. Students learn how organizations work and how to get things done, how to organize, and how to delegate. They have the opportunity to work with faculty advisors, as well as their peers, on projects of mutual interest.
Clubs and Organizations on Campus
Clubs and organizations vary from year to year according to student interest. Among the groups recently active at the college are:
• Club Hispano Americano (CHA)
• Environmental Action Club
• Ethnic Success
• Gay Straight Alliance
• M.E.S.A. (Math, Engineering, and Sciences Achievement)
• LVN Club
• Parent Care Club
• Phi Theta Kappa
• Potters Guild
• Psych Tech Club
• Respiratory Therapy Club
• RN Association
• SMPTE (Society of Motion Picture and Television)
• S.T.A.I.R (Students Taking Action In Recovery)
New clubs are frequently recognized throughout the year. Students wishing to establish a club should contact the Student Activities Office, 253-3060. Clubs must participate in the Inter-Club Council (ICC).
Although there is no intramural sports program at NVC, the P.E. and athletic facilities are open to students for recreational use at designated times. Students are encouraged to supplement their physical education classes by taking advantage of recreational opportunities. An ASB card allows students to check out athletic equipment at the window of the equipment room and to use the following facilities during specific times (posted in the P.E. office and outside the racquetball courts and weight room):
• Jogging Trails
• Six outdoor paddleball courts
• Outdoor volleyball courts
• Outdoor basketball courts
• Eight outdoor tennis courts
• Four indoor racquetball/hardball courts
• Weight rooms
• Golf hitting screens
Napa Valley College is a full member of the Bay Valley Conference. In the fall, Napa Valley College is represented by teams in Men's Soccer, Women's Volleyball, Women's Golf, and Men's and Women's Basketball. In the spring, Napa Valley College is represented by teams in Men's Baseball, Women's Softball, and Men's Golf.
Students who represent Napa Valley College through participation on an athletic team are subject to the current rules and regulations of the California Commission on Athletics.
Through a joint agreement students may attend Napa Valley College full-time and participate in the following intercollegiate programs at Solano College: football, women's soccer, and men's and women's waterpolo.
More information on athletics may be obtained by calling the Athletic Department, 253-3222.
Actors in the Drama Department present campus shows and touring productions each semester. Participation is open to all. Auditions and technical assignments are arranged in the first week of each semester.
Periodically the Drama and Music Departments collaborate in the production of a musical. More information can be obtained by calling 253-3200.
Many jobs for credit (and some for pay) are also available in technical aspects of production: sets, lights, costumes, make-up, sound, and publicity.
Students in the Music Department have the option of performing in several choral organizations or three instrumental groups. Each performing group specializes in its own particular style, ranging from the "a cappello" singing of the vocal ensemble "Prima voce" to the classical sounds of the North Bay Philharmonic Orchestra. Instrumental groups include a chamber orchestra, a wind ensemble, and a jazz ensemble.
Napa Valley College musical and drama groups often perform throughout the valley, as well as in the college theatre. Napa Valley College Fine and Performing Arts Division produces more than 50 events each year for the community audience, providing outstanding cultural programs for students, local residents, and their families.