2024-2025 Academic Catalog

Academic Resources and Services

Dr. Patricia Lynch Stith Student Success Center (PLSSSC)

Nursing & General Education Bldg., Suite 100
Phone: (757) 823-8507

Email: ssc@nsu.edu
Website: www.nsu.edu/provost/ssc

Mission

The Spartan Student Success Center (SSC) supports Norfolk State University’s mission of transforming lives and communities by empowering a culturally diverse student population through a comprehensive educational plan that addresses academic engagement, educational commitment, self-efficacy, and campus engagement.

The Dr. Patricia Lynch Stith Student Success Center’s (PLSSSC) leadership, staff, and student leaders strive to be the Ideal Spartan Unit and achieve excellence in operations, programs, and services aimed at student success. Our mission statement guides us toward these ideals.

We promote student learning and degree completion by providing academic support services and programs that inform, empower and facilitate student success.
 

Goal

To provide a systematic approach designed to improve student achievement, increase retention, and reduce the time to degree completion.

  • Foster an open and responsive environment that encourages faculty and students to take an active interest and role in student success.
  • Develop in each student the skills, attitudes, and beliefs necessary to foster an understanding of the process of learning to achieve academic, career and life goals.
  • Work collaboratively with the campus community to promote student persistence and successful completion of the students’ educational goals.
  • Assess the effectiveness of the Spartan Success Center and evolve in response to student needs.
  • To assist students in becoming more independent, self-confident and efficient learners.

Child Development Laboratory

James Bowser Building, Room 113-A
(757) 823-8111

The Child Development Laboratory is part of Early Childhood Education program in the School of Education. The laboratory provides training and observation facility for class assignments, research, student teaching and field work. It provides a readiness curriculum for ages 2.5 to 5 years. Hours of operation are 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information contact (757) 823-8111 or (757) 823-9241.

Community and Outreach Services

Brambleton Community Outreach Center
909 Marshall Avenue

Norfolk, VA 23504
(757) 823-8743

The Brambleton Outreach Center (Center) is Norfolk State University’s primary connection with its surrounding neighborhoods. The Center is the point of contact for those neighbors seeking information related to community/public service activities conducted by the university. The Center is the hub for all university community and public service activities. The goal of the Center is to provide the place where neighbors seek and the university through its students and faculty provide the services that encourage communication, interaction, trust and a sense of community with each other.

The Writing Center

Lyman Beecher Brooks Library
P: (757) 823-2271
E: writingcenter@nsu.edu

The Comprehensive Language Learning Center is a state-of-the-art, interactive laboratory providing tutorial, computer assisted, audio, and video services for students and teachers of writing and the foreign languages.

Ernest M. Hodge Center for Entrepreneurship

McDemmond Center for Applied Research
(757) 823-2953

The Center provides leadership programs and resources that enable NSU to add value to businesses served while immersing students in the entrepreneurial experience. Through multidisciplinary teams, the Center extends knowledge and technical assistance that strengthen and expand the number and quality of minority- and women-owned, growth-oriented, and technology-driven businesses. Please see the School of Business section of catalog for additional information.

NSU Testing Services

Wilson Hall, Room 133
P: (757) 823-2504
E: testingcenter@nsu.edu

Mission Statement      

The mission of Testing Services is to provide opportunities for students, faculty, staff, and local residents to transform lives and communities, by providing exemplary services and innovative technologies in the delivery of local, national and professional certification examinations; to support lifelong learning and professional advancement.

Services Provided

Testing Services is a member of the National College Testing Association and is dedicated to the promotion of professionalism and quality in the administration of testing services and programs, including issues relating to test administration, test accessibility, test development, test scoring, and assessment. 

The Testing Center is equipped with over 40 computers in a quality test environment with state of the art workstations and test security systems. The Testing Center provides admissions testing for prospective students, academic testing to support ongoing assessment of continued student learning and national test administration

Student Benefits

If you are enrolled at Norfolk State University, test administration fees for Non-NSU university exams are waived. Student Request Forms

Military Benefits

Norfolk State University Testing Services is a fully funded CLEP test center. The United States government offers funding for all 34 CLEP exams through the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES). 

What to Expect When You Visit the Testing Center

  • Outstanding and supportive customer service by certified test administrators and proctors
  • A clean, comfortable and quiet test environment that is conducive to optimal test-taker performance
  • Collaboration between testing services staff, faculty and administrators to ensure that students receive University and national tests in compliance with educational and professional testing standards

Coordination with the NSU Office of Accessibility Services/International Student Services (O.A.S.I.S.) to ensure compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the American's with Disabilities Act. These mandates prohibit discrimination of individuals with disabilities and ensure that students with documented disabilities are afforded reasonable accommodations to have equal access to campus classes, activities, and resources.

For more information or to schedule a test appointment please contact Testing Services at (757) 823-2504 or testingcenter@nsu.edu.

No-Cost Career Interest Inventories

If you are uncertain about your major and would like help in identifying your strongest interests, feel free to take one of the no-cost interest inventories below.

Planetarium

Wood Science Building Room 119
(757) 823-8909

The Norfolk State University Planetarium is primarily a sky theater and laboratory, which may serve as a dramatic and fascinating facility for teaching concepts of Earth space science.
 
The Planetarium provides public shows for the University, the community, and the general public as a community service. Interested community groups are invited to make reservations for a prepared show, or they may request planetarium personnel to create a “tailor-made” program on a topic of special interest.

Spartans All Inclusive Learning (SAIL)

Spartans All Inclusive Learning (SAIL) is a course material model that reduces the cost of materials for students and ensures they have all their materials across all courses prior to the first day of class. Instead of purchasing materials a la carte, the cost will be included in their tuition or as a charge. The bookstore will provide each student with a convenient package for physical books and digital materials will be delivered directly to Blackboard. The cost is $25.00 per credit hour.

The program provides all required textbooks, lab manuals and digital textbook versions to eligible students. The program does not include consumables that cannot be returned and reused such as lab goggles, dissection kits, molecular model kits, engineering kits or nursing kits. The deadline to return all rental textbooks is the last day of finals. The program provides you with the option to purchase textbooks at a reduced rate during the return period.

All NSU students will be automatically enrolled in the SAIL program. Students have the option to opt out of the program by completing the SAIL Opt-Out Form. Opting out means you will not receive access to your required course materials in a convenient package at a discounted rate. Title IV financial aid recipients have the option of purchasing their books at their own expense or by using their excess FA funds at the Barnes & Noble College bookstore.

STARS Tutoring Center

Department of Nursing & Allied Health, NGE Room 311
(757) 823-2453

The Science and Technology Academicians on the Road to Success (STARS) is a school-wide program that builds on the successes of Norfolk State University's undergraduate Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) programs.

The STARS Peer Tutoring Program offers free, one-on-one tutoring or group tutoring for students taking courses in biology, chemistry, computer science, engineering, mathematics, nursing, physics, and technology. Tutoring is provided by graduate and undergraduate peer tutors who have been trained in effective tutoring techniques in accordance with College Reading and Learning Association Guidelines.

Teacher Education Resource Center (TERECE)

Bozeman Education Building, Room 225
(757) 823-8715

The H.H. Bozeman Integrated Media Resource Center is committed to providing high quality service to teacher education candidates. The center increases the capacity of teacher candidates/ interns to meet the requirements of methods courses. The primary goal is to link students with teacher resources. Education materials are available for loan, including assessment instruments, curricula, audio visuals, reference books, computer software, and assistive technology. For more information, please contact Dr. Leon Rouson at (757) 823-2260.