The MoU between Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) and Universitas Bakrie was signed in April 2013, the purpose is to initiate a process whereby select faculty members from both institutions have mutually enriching opportunities, the collaboration is to promote institutional exchange by inviting faculty and staff of the other party to participate in a variety of teaching activities and professional development; Carry out research, professional development, and continuing education programs;
Exchange information pertaining to developments in teaching, student development and research at each institution and both institutions will provide access to each other's library access in so far as possible. The following describes one possible approach to enabling faculty from one institution to visit another, Mr. Iwan Adhicandra, a selected faculty from Department of Information Technology gives his experience from this activity. This activity is based on a memorandum of understanding (MOU) made by and between Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA), and Bakrie University. The purpose of this MOU is to initiate a process whereby select faculty members from both institutions have mutually enriching opportunities. Mr. Iwan Adhicandra, a selected faculty from Department of Information Technology gives his experience from this activity.The selected partner faculty from NOVA is Dr. Afsaneh Chamlou. Mr. Iwan Adhicandra Mr. Iwan Adhicandra I departed from Soekarno Hatta International Airport at 2.00 am in the morning with Etihad Airways and arrived in Abu Dhabi at 6.50 am. After getting transit for 3 hours, I departed to Washington DC at 10 am. The journey took about 15 hours from Abu Dhabi. Finally, I arrived in Dulles International Airport (IAD), Washington DC at 16.30 pm on the same day. Getting out from passport control is another story. It took almost two hours for queuing at the Immigration Desk. After passing through arrival gate, I was picked up by Mr. Paul McVeigh (NOVA Vice President) at the arrival lounge. Paul drove me to Nadereh Chamlou’s house. In the house, I met also Dr. Afsaneh Chamlou, the exchange partner staff in the program. Ms Nadereh Chamlou, who is Dr. Afsaneh Chamlou’s sister, has been working for the World Bank for 30 years and has been a speaker for many events around the world particularly on women role issues. Passport ControlPassport Control Nadereh Chamlou’s houseNadereh Chamlou’s house For the second day, I visited NOVA Alexandria Campus. In the campus, I met other teaching staffs, Dr. Ali Soleymani, Dr. Margaret Leary and Mr. Stephen Ward. Dr. Soleymani is a professor in Information Technology. He teaches Databases. Dr. Leary is a professor in Information Technology. She teaches Network Security Layers, and CISSP Preparation. She is also a CyberWatch Co-Director for Professional Development. CyberWatch is an Advanced Technological Education (ATE) Center, funded by the National Science Foundation and located at Prince George’s Community College. The CyberWatch mission is to improve both the quantity and the quality of the nation’s information assurance workforce. CyberWatch works as a consortium of over 50 higher education member institutions, plus more than 30 partner organizations in industry and in government. Mr. Ward is an assistant professor in Information Technology. He teaches Network Communication, Security & Authentication.From her desk and laptop in her office, Dr. Leary demonstrated how she managed the examination live from online and distance programs. Together with Mr. Ward, I watched how her student gave a presentation for the assignment by online and by using software called SecondLife. Second Life is an online virtual world. A number of free client programs, or Viewers enable Second Life users to interact with each other through avatars. Avatars can explore the world, meet other residents, socialize, participate in individual and group activities, and create and trade virtual property and services with one another. Second Life is intended for people aged 16 and over. Dr. Leary is examining a student’s assignmentDr. Leary is examining a student’s assignment Faculty TimetableFaculty Timetable I visited The George Washington Masonic National Memorial. It is a Masonic building and memorial located in Alexandria, Virginia, outside Washington, D.C. It is dedicated to the memory of George Washington, the first President of the United States and a Mason. The tower is fashioned after the ancient Lighthouse of Alexandria in Egypt. The tall memorial sits atop Shooter's Hill. Construction began in 1922, the building was dedicated in 1932, and the interior finally completed in 1970. The memorial is located near by the King Street in Old Town of Alexandria. In the afternoon, I visited the Old Town of Alexandria, which is the heart of the city on the Potomac River waterfront. The King Street area has some famous stores and galleries. George Washington Masonic National Memorial George Washington Masonic National Memorial George Washington Masonic National Memorial George Washington Masonic National Memorial George Washington Masonic National Memorial George Washington Masonic National Memorial George Washington Masonic National Memorial George Washington Masonic National Memorial I visited NOVA Alexandria Campus. In the campus, I attended a meeting with members of the Women’s Center. This center fosters an environment in which women of diverse cultural backgrounds can best fulfill their personal, educational and professional goals. Specific goals of the center include as below: I. Provide resources and services to promote educational success emphasizing gender equity and inclusiveness. Promote access to quality education with college transfer: Scholarship, career and professional development opportunities. Internships, workshops, and community service initiatives Partnerships with community agencies and professional organizations II. Develop programs to address gender and cultural barriers in areas of employment and policy-making and to encourage leadership opportunities for women. Lecture series addressing women's issues. Development of curriculum for Women’s Studies Program. Recognition of contributions of women on campus III. Establish referral system to: Campus counseling for men and women. Community services agencies. Mentoring networks. Support groups and peer mentoring. Community outreach for role models Participants in the meeting include Ms Jill Biden, who is a Lecturer in English Department in NOVA Alexandria Campus and as the wife of the current U.S. Vice President Joe Biden.In one occation, Dr. Chamlou introduced me to her. It was exciting to meet and talk with the Second Lady of the United States. I also met other participants including Dr. George Gabriel, NOVA Vice President for Institutional Research, Planning and Assessment, and also met an exchange faculty staff from University of Dundee, Scotland, UK. In midday, Dr. Chamlou and I visited George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. In the campus, I visited the library, canteen, study room, and international office. In the evening I got dinner with Dr. Chamlou at her parent’s apartment. Dr. Chamlou and both her parents are originally from Iran. They migrated to the US during 1970s. I also enjoyed eating the taste of iranian food. Meeting at Women’s CenterMeeting at Women’s Center Ms Jill Bidden attended the meetingMs Jill Bidden attended the meeting George Mason UniversityGeorge Mason University Canteen and Library at George Mason UniversityCanteen and Library at George Mason University Dinner with Dr. Chamlou’s parentsDinner with Dr. Chamlou’s parents I visited the Garden Tour of the White House with Dr. Chamlou. We got 2 free tickets provided by Ms Jill Bidden on the day before. The White House Garden Tours have been a tradition since 1972 when Pat Nixon first opened the White House gardens to the public. Visitors are invited to view the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden, Rose Garden, Children's Garden and South Lawn of the White House. Additionally, the White House Kitchen Garden, the first vegetable garden at the White House since Eleanor Roosevelt’s Victory Garden was accessible to guests. There is a visual explanation to help educate visitors on the elements of the garden. Then, we visited some interesting places in Washington D.C. including the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, the National Mall, and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall. Fall Garden Viewing TicketFall Garden Viewing Ticket The White HouseThe White House Albert Einstein StatueAlbert Einstein Statue The National MonumentThe National Monument Lincoln MemorialLincoln Memorial Lincoln MemorialLincoln Memorial the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wallthe Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall The World War II Memorial The World War II Memorial I visited some interesting places in Washington DC including the Metro, the US Capitol, the Supreme Court, the Union Station Train Station, and the Pentagon. I also visited other interesting places such as the George Washington University (GWU) Campus. The MetroThe Metro The Union StationThe Union Station George Washington UniversityGeorge Washington University The US CapitolThe US Capitol The Supreme CourtThe Supreme Court In the morning I visited NOVA Medical Faculty campus with Mr. Paul McVeigh (NOVA Vice President). In the campus, I met a staff, who guidedus for tour on campus. In the midday, I got lunch with Mr. Paul McVeigh and Mr. Bernie Burolla (U.S. Executive Director of the U.S.-Indonesia Joint Council on Higher Education Partnership) at Korean Restaurant in Annandale region. Mr. Burolla explained the nature of the Joint Council’s work and how it supports the advancement of collaborations between American and Indonesian universities in the areas related to the environment. He also mentioned some possible collaborations in the future such as student exchange, etc. In the afternoon, I visited Mr. Paul McVeigh’s office in the Office of Global Studies and Programs at Annandale region. In the office, I met Ms Stacey Bustillos, who is a coordinator for Office of Global Studies and Programs. She produced documents for my visa application. In the office Ialso met an academic staff, who is responsible fordistance learning program. She explained how distance learning programsactually work in practice and gave some insights in term of student participation in the program. NOVA Medical Faculty campus NOVA Medical Faculty campus Classroom at NOVA Medical Faculty campusClassroom at NOVA Medical Faculty campus Health Information Management CourseHealth Information Management Course A human patient simulators laboratoryA human patient simulators laboratory Chemistry LaboratoryChemistry Laboratory NOVA Medical Faculty campusNOVA Medical Faculty campus US-Indonesia Joint Council Accomplishment, Bakrie University mentioned in “4 Faculty Exchanges”US-Indonesia Joint Council Accomplishment, Bakrie University mentioned in “4 Faculty Exchanges” With Mr. Paul McVeigh and Mr. Bernie Burolla With Mr. Paul McVeigh and Mr. Bernie Burolla With Ms Stacey BustillosWith Ms Stacey Bustillos With a teaching staff responsible for distance learning programWith a teaching staff responsible for distance learning program I visited NOVA Annandale Campus, and met the Provost of Annandale Campus, Dr. Barbara Saperstone. She briefly explained the formation of the campus including identifying some teaching staffs specializing in networking subjects. After the meeting, I continued visiting the Annandale campus facilities, library, canteen and also meeting other teaching staffs. Then, I met Dr. Necmi Mutlu, who is a lecturer in information technology specializing in networking. He teaches Introduction to Telecommunication and other Wireless Networksubjects. He is also a coordinator of International Programs. He managed to build collaboration in term of student exchange with an institution in Turkey. Then, I met Ms Cindy Miller, who is faculty developer for the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL). The Center is dedicated to assisting faculty and staff in improving the quality of teaching and learning services. CETL Faculty Advocates inspire, guide and mentor faculty in areas of pedagogy and classroom management. At midday, I got lunch at City Dinner Restaurant with Dr. Chamlou and Mr. Ward. In the afternoon, I got back to NOVA Alexandria Campus. With Dr. Saperstone With Dr. Saperstone With Ms MillerWith Ms Miller NOVA Annandale CampusNOVA Annandale Campus The Center for Excellent in Teaching and LearningThe Center for Excellent in Teaching and Learning NOVA Student ActivitiesNOVA Student Activities Lunch with Dr. Chamlou and Mr. WardLunch with Dr. Chamlou and Mr. Ward I visited NOVA Alexandria Campus and attended an IT training together with Dr. Chamlou about “How to Use Blackboard” with the instructor Ms. Kirstin Riddick.The Blackboard Learning System is a virtual learning environment and course management system developed by Blackboard Inc. It is a Web-based server software which features course management, customizable open architecture, and scalable design that allows integration with student information systems and authentication protocols. It may be installed on local servers or hosted by Blackboard ASP Solutions. Its main purposes are to add online elements to courses traditionally delivered face-to-face and to develop completely online courses with few or no face-to-face meetings. In the afternoon, I received a NOVA Alexandria Card as an Affiliate from the Parking Office, which can be used for Bus ticket from the main Alexandria campus to the down town of city of Alexandria. I also met the Provost of Alexandria Campus, Dr. Ron Buchanan. Later, I met the Dean of Division of Liberal Arts, Dr. Jim McClelland and the Dean of Division of Science, Technology & Business, Dr. Chad D. Knights. Some time in the afternoon, Dr. Chamlou introduced me with some students asking for some guidance from her about student activities. Dr. Chamlou is a mentor for student activities in NOVA Alexandria Campus. In the evening, I attended two courses related to my interests including “ITN 200 Administration of Network Resources” with the instructor of Mr. Hatim Hussein, and “ITN 155 Introductory Routing-CISCO” with the instructor of Mr. Pablo Ibar. The ITN 200 course focuses on the management of local area network servers, whereas the ITN 155 course gives an introduction to basic router configuration using Cisco IOS software. Instructor: Ms RiddickInstructor: Ms Riddick Exercise using Blackboard platformExercise using Blackboard platform Dr. Chamlou gave guidance for studentsDr. Chamlou gave guidance for students Mr. Hussein’s classMr. Hussein’s class Student interaction to Mr. Hussein’s lectureStudent interaction to Mr. Hussein’s lecture Mr. Ibar explained the materialsMr. Ibar explained the materials NOVA Shuttle BusNOVA Shuttle Bus NOVA CardNOVA Card With Dr. BuchananWith Dr. Buchanan With Dr. McClellandWith Dr. McClelland I visited the National Mall, which is a tree-lined, grassy space, was part of Pierre L’Enfant’s in 1791 plan for the city of Washington. Today it stretches from the Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial and is lined on either side with buildings of the Smithsonian Institution. The interesting places I visited including the Smithsonian Institution, National History Museum, and Air and Space Museum. The Smithsonian Institutionis a group of museums and research centers administered by the United States government. The National Museum of Natural History is a natural history museum administered by the Smithsonian Institution, located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The museum's collections include specimens of plants, animals, fossils, minerals, rocks, meteorites, and human cultural artifacts. The National Air and Space Museum (NASM) holds the largest collection of historic aircraft and spacecraft in the world. It is a center for research into the history and science of aviation and spaceflight, as well as planetary science and terrestrial geology and geophysics. Almost all space and aircraft on display are originals or backups to the originals. National History MuseumNational History Museum Homo Floresiensis at National History MuseumHomo Floresiensis at National History Museum Animal speciments at National History MuseumAnimal speciments at National History Museum The Moongate GardenThe Moongate Garden The Moongate GardenThe Moongate Garden Air and Space MuseumAir and Space Museum Air and Space MuseumAir and Space Museum I visited Mount Vernon. It was the home of George Washington for over 45 years. The house was built in 1743. George Washington lived there until his death in 1799. In Mount Vernon restaurant, I got lunch with Ms Zhang, who is a Faculty Exchange Staff from Nanjing Institute of Technology, China, and Mr. Paul McVeigh, NOVA Vice President. Ms Zhang, who just arrived 3 days ago, will spend as a visiting faculty in NOVA for 3 months. Her visit was funded by the Chinese Government. In the afternoon, I met Mr. Hatim Hussein, a Faculty staff from NOVA Alexandria Campus, and we got dinner at Kebab Restaurant. Mount VernonMount Vernon 3D Picture of George Washington3D Picture of George Washington Lunch with Mr. McVeigh and Ms. Zhang at Mount Vernon RestaurantLunch with Mr. McVeigh and Ms. Zhang at Mount Vernon Restaurant George Washington statueGeorge Washington statue George Washington statue with wife and childrenGeorge Washington statue with wife and children The MansionThe Mansion With Ms. Zhang at Potomac RiverWith Ms. Zhang at Potomac River With Mr. McVeigh at Potomac RiveWith Mr. McVeigh at Potomac Rive The MansionThe Mansion With Mr. HusseinWith Mr. Hussein I visited Mr. Steve Ward’s house and then got lunch with Mr. Ward and Dr. Chamlou at Mexican Restaurant. In the afternoon, Dr. Chamlou drove me to Dulles International Airport (IAD), Washington DC. Mr. Ward and Dr. Chamlou Mr. Ward and Dr. Chamlou With Mr. Ward in his houseWith Mr. Ward in his house In Dulles International Airport (IAD)In Dulles International Airport (IAD) On the journey with Etihad Airways to Abu Dhabi and in the next day Arrived in SoekarnoHatta International Airport at 14.30 pm.
