Northland Pioneer College (NPC) has launched new Virtual One-Stop Service Centers (VOSCs) at the college’s locations in Holbrook, Hopi, Kayenta, Snowflake/Taylor, Springerville, St. Johns, Whiteriver, and Winslow. The new VOSCs offer students more efficient and timelier, personalized access to NPC’s support specialists and departments including advising, financial aid, and veteran’s services.
NPC covers a vast area that spans over 21,000 sq. miles across Navajo and Apache counties and comprises portions of the Hopi, Navajo, and White Mountain Apache tribes. The new VOSCs are intended to enhance engagement for current and future students who are located at remote NPC locations and throughout the college district. Now students at any NPC location can access departments and services that may be housed at a different NPC location.
The VOSCs are essentially portable terminals that consist of a computer with a high-definition camera, monitor, and speaker system. The VOSCs provide a high-speed private and secure connection for one-click video conference access to NPC staff and services. Via virtual “visits,” current students, and prospective students, can meet with essential departments and staff and engage in confidential one-on-one conversations about their academic goals and progress. Students can interact in real-time with advisors, register for classes, and visit with staff in departments like financial aid and the registrar’s office. Apple iPads are also available to conveniently and easily gain access to the new VOSCs.
“Access and equity for every student at NPC is the goal,” explained Tonya Thacker, NPC’s Title III program director and lead for the initiative. “Students at our most remote centers, Hopi, Kayenta, Whiteriver, Springerville, and St. Johns, can now meet and connect with departments and staff located in Holbrook or any other NPC location when they need to.” Recognizing that one-on-one interaction is better than a phone call, Thacker said, “Students no longer have to drive long distances to meet with somebody face-to-face.”
The new VOSCs are among a collection of initiatives spurred by the 5-year “A Relational Model for Student Success” or ARMSS grant, awarded to NPC in the Fall of 2022. Some goals of the ARMSS grant include increasing NPC student engagement to promote a sense of belonging, purpose, and self-efficacy; increasing the retention and persistence rates of Native American students; and increasing students’ sense of financial literacy.
Northland Pioneer College serves the residents of Navajo and Apache counties with four regional campuses and five center locations. The college offers academic, career, and technical training and education as well as personal enrichment options. NPC supports each student’s educational goals through affordable tuition, small class sizes, and caring, professional instructors. For more information visit www.npc.edu.
