Official Policies

Scheduling and Room Reservation Policies

• Classrooms have a standard set up and inventory of furniture and equipment that must not be removed from the rooms. Rooms must be reset to their standard configuration at the end of the event/class.
• All equipment needs to be requested at the time of planning of event to facilities. Last minute equipment requests may be honored by facilities if equipment is available.
• Catering Guidelines: See Below
• NVC Alcohol Policy: See Below
• Event sponsors are responsible for the behavior of event attendees. Damages to property and equipment caused by event attendees will be the responsibility of the event sponsors
• Please report any changes to or cancellation of your event to facilities as soon as they are known.
• All space requests are subject to availability and are fulfilled on first come bases.
• We ask for at least 48 hours notice for all requests, but will do our best to reply sooner.
• Semester room request will be confirmed 2 weeks ahead of semester start.
• We do not schedule rooms on Sundays or during times the building is closed.

Office Space and Renovation Request

Department directors are the originators of requests for office space and office renovations at the Northern Virginia Center (NVC). Directors should request both by submitting a completed Space Request form to the office of the Center Director,  VT/NVC, for consideration by the NVC Space Committee. 

Office Furnishings - Use/Disposal/Storage

The building was new in 1997. The office furnishings were built-to-suit and original furnishings need to be maintained by the departments using the office space.

(Northern Virginia Center Policy)
Each office in the Northern Virginia (NVC) is furnished with a combination of fixed and movable desks, chairs, bookshelves, storage units and file cabinets, appropriate for use by faculty, staff and grad students. These furnishings are the property of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and cannot be removed or surplused without university permission (via NVC Administration). In addition, if furnishings are removed from offices, the academic department who requested their removal must bear either:

• the cost of de-installation, storage and re-installation of the original furnishings, or
• the cost of refurnishing the office to acceptable standards according to the space's original usage, or
• the responsibility to seek approval from NVC Administration to leave furnishings as is.

The Northern Virginia Center does not have - and cannot provide - storage for any furnishings removed from offices or classrooms. Although NVC Administration will make an effort to incorporate the furnishings elsewhere in the building, we cannot guarantee that this will be possible.

Room Temperatures

Building and classroom temperatures are computer-controlled and programmed at a room setting, or set point (usually 73 degrees). The system is programmed to make small adjustments to compensate for active room usage in a set area. A disadvantage of the system is that during fall and spring (seasonal changes) the outside temperatures can change rapidly affecting room temperatures and the system. HVAC requests should be sent to facilities to be registered and forwarded for attention by the property engineer.

The Facilities office has a few fans for loan in the event that temporary issues with HVAC arise in offices.  They can also relocate classes to other rooms if needed.

Office Supplies

Department offices are independent and each handle their own office supply orders, copier access codes, mailing accounts codes , etc.

VT Equipment and Property Pass

• If and when university assets are loaned by Administration staff for use by employees outside the NVC building, a Property Pass is issued to track the inventoried item(s).
• A signed original of the 3"x5" form will remain with the property item and a copy provided to the guards located on the main floor of the building. Passes for this purpose are recommended and can be issued by and Administration office located on the 4th floor.
• For any other department-specific property please contact that department for procedures.

VT Fixed Assets

For information on VT fixed-assets policy, controls, and department responsibilities go to the VT comptroller's page. The comptroller's office performs a physical, on-site, inventory of department (VT) assets at the NVC every three years or as deemed necessary. The last on-site review was in Oct 2011.

Surplus Policy

All university property purchased with university funds that is deemed excess to the needs of a department, or obsolete, must enter the surplus disposal process. Department Heads may act to transfer property to another department, but cannot sell, or donate, property to an individual or commercial firm.University Policy 3955 provides specific guidance.

Surplus Procedures

Visit the VT website on surplusing equipment or other VT assets. A VT Surplus Property Report form must be thoroughly completed and each item, or lot of items, labeled. Contact Surplus Property Office at 540/231-5660 for specific answers to your questions otherwise visit the website at https://www.procurement.vt.edu/surplusproperty.html

• Surplus Property personnel from the main campus in Blacksburg plan for quarterly collections, or pick ups, from the VT locations in the northern Virginia areas. Planning for these pick ups is based solely on forms received for surplus items and departments should NOT expect items to be picked up for without having submitted the requested form.
• Department surplus items will need to remain in the departments until such time as Surplus staff can retrieve them. Facilities staff assists Blacksburg staff with coordinating on-site, NVC, surplus collections, the day of collection.
• Departments are responsible for assuring that all computer hard drives are erased i.e., free of all data and software prior to surplusing the items. Contact NVC Information Services at 703-538-8444 for any assistance to wipe data from your systems.
• Computer monitors contain toxic elements, therefore, Environmental, Health and Safety Services is responsible for the disposal of broken/nonworking computers monitors. For more information please see this web site https://www.ehss.vt.edu/programs/waste_removal.php

Locating Bulletin Boards

Departments must seek approval of respective Center Directors (or their Facilities Managers) to locate bulletin boards outside the immediate vicinity of their department offices. If locations are not pre-approved, the bulletin board will be removed by the building engineer.

Official Use of Bulletin Boards

Bulletin boards located in the hallways and public areas (but not kitchens or vending areas) are for official use of the universities. No unofficial postings (such as for room-mates, car sales, used textbooks, etc.) will be permitted on these bulletin boards. Unofficial information will be removed from University bulletin boards.

Unofficial Use of Bulletin Boards

Kitchen and vending area bulletin boards are for student and public use, and therefore they can be used for non-official purposes (rental information, job postings, books for sale, etc.). This information must be appropriate to the Northern Virginia Center population and will have a limited time on the board. All items should be dated when posted.

Attaching Materials to Walls

Under no circumstances are items to be attached via regular masking or scotch tape, thumbtacks or other means directly to any wall surface, floor or ceiling. Blue masking tape is allowed. Items can only be attached to bulletin board surfaces. Items can be temporarily posted on office doors with magnets, but permanent door signage, aside from the standard mounting alongside each door, is permitted only at the discretion of the Center Directors.

• Floor signs/stands are available on request from the Facilities office.

Catering Policy

Delivery, Parking, and Unloading/Loading

• The primary catering entrance is the loading dock on the first floor.
• Caterers are not permitted into the event room earlier than the time(s) scheduled with the Facilities office.
• Catering vehicles must not obstruct the dock or entrances at any time. If the catering vehicle remains at the center after unloading, the vehicle must be parked in an appropriate space away from door or in the lower parking lot.
• Caterers - or programs - provide their own carts to transport food from loading dock to the event room.
• At no time should outside building doors be propped open for an extended period of time and left unattended.
• The cost to repair any damage done to walls, doors or carpets during the delivery of food will be borne by the sponsoring program.

Setup

• Table coverings for food and beverage service is mandatory.
• Sterno-heated serving trays should not be left unattended.
• The cost to clean food stains from carpet will be borne by the sponsoring program.
• The catering firm - or the sponsoring program - is responsible for returning all furniture to its original set up.

Kitchen/Staging Areas

• Small kitchens or staging areas for catering are located on the second, third and fourth floors of the NVC. These rooms contain counter space, sinks, and cabinets.
• Sinks are not equipped with disposals, and the faucets do not swivel: sponsoring program is responsible for plumbing costs if the caterers pour food into the sinks or damage the faucets.
• Refrigerators and microwaves in the staging areas are not professional grade, and are not for use by caterers.
• Some cabinets may be available to caterers for short-term use (i.e. duration of a two-day course). Check with facilities office.

Clean Up

• Caterers - or the sponsoring program - are responsible for removing all leftover food, drink, serving pieces and containers from the event area no later than one hour after event is completed. The sponsoring program will be assessed $150 each time food, containers or trash are left following an event.
• Leftover carafers, serving stands and other items not collected risk being disposed of.
• The catering firm - or the sponsoring program - is responsible for returning all furniture to its original set up (see diagrams provided or contact VT Facilities office).
• Caterers - or the sponsoring program - are responsible for removing all trash from the holding area and catering room(s), and depositing it in the trash dumpster at the loading dock area. Mobile trash carts are to be placed inside loading dock doors after they are emptied.
• Caterers should mail invoices to the sponsoring departments and not leave them in staging/kitchen areas.
• Caterers cannot be on the premises after building hours.

Alcohol Policy

• Events in which sponsors or their designated caterers are serving alcoholic beverages must follow the VT University Policy for necessary licensing requirements and approvals:  https:/www.policies.vt.edu/1015.pdf.  Approved forms (scanned forms with signatures accepted) are to be provided to facilities@vt.edu, rooms 403 and 404 or by fax to Facilities, 703-538-8305, no later than 30 business days before event takes place.
• University Alcohol Beverage Request Form