2011
In January, the University announced it was moving its Adult Professional Program to a new campus - Riverview Campus - in Danville's Tobacco Warehouse District - the former Dimon headquarters on Bridge Street. The Riverview Campus not only houses offices and classes for the Adult Professional Program, but courses for the health sciences initiative and traditional undergraduate classes as well.

The University added a new full motion flight simulator, the Redbird FMX Advanced Aviation Training Device, to its pilot-training capabilities. The simulator's technological features, such as wrap-around visuals, a fully enclosed cockpit, reconfigurable construction and a motion platform, create a level of realism that is invaluable in training the pilots of tomorrow.

Ginger Henderson '87, assistant professor of equestrian studies and coach of the Intercollegiate Dressage Association (IDA) Team, was named IDA Coach of the Year during the national competition at the University of Florida April 29-30.

The Adult Professional Program was approved by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) to offer courses leading toward a master of business administration degree through video conferencing at the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center in Abingdon, the Crossroads Institute in Galax and the New College Institute in Martinsville.

The equestrian studies department was approved to offer a new concentration: equine assisted psychotherapy (EAP). The concentration is also available as a minor to students in the psychology and sociology/criminal justice programs. In the new concentration, students take four core courses including introduction to equine assisted psychotherapy, equine behavior and two practicum courses where they gain hands-on experience. By the time students are finished, they will be nationally certified by the Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association (EAGALA).

The University opened two new locations for its Adult Professional Program - one in Chesapeake on Independence Parkway and the second in Richmond at the Watkins Centre on Midlothian Turnpike.

During the summer, the University renovated the first floor of Main Hall for the creation of Averett Central, a one-stop-shop designed to better serve students in accomplishing the "business" of being in school. When students arrived in August, they found the registrar and student financial services (financial aid and student accounts) offices all together in one central location.

For the second year in a row, G.I. Jobs magazine recognized Averett as a "military friendly" school. This honor ranked the University in the top 20 percent of all colleges, universities and trade schools nationwide that are working to help America's military and veterans as students.

Averett earned the 34th spot among Regional Colleges (South) in the 2012 edition of Best Colleges by U.S. News Media Group. The University is the highest-ranked Virginia school among the 99 Southern schools listed as Regional Colleges.

In the fall of 2011, the University began offering non-credit continuing education courses. The courses covered a variety of topics and interests including introduction to historic preservation, politics and the media, American art - from our founding to today and an introduction to Islam.