CoffeeBreak is an e-newsletter distributed to Averett faculty and staff to keep them up-to-date on campus activities and information. Please send information you would like included in CoffeeBreak via this form. Please submit by Friday, Apr. 27, for a Wednesday, May 2, publication.
Academic Support Tutor of the Week
Jenamarie Brearley is a biomedical major with a minor in psychology and equine science. She works as a math tutor tutoring Math 100, Math 103 and Math 151. If you would like to schedule help with math, you can email [email protected] and request to work with Jena.
What Jena enjoys most about working as a tutor in the Student Success Center is the opportunity to help her fellow peers learn math. In Jena’s free time, she enjoys hanging out with friends and reading books.
GPS Student Spotlight
Meet Sarah Gaffney, a student pursuing her Master of Business Administration degree who is expected to graduate in 2018.
QUESTION: What is your motivation for obtaining your degree?
ANSWER: “I had been discussing getting my MBA or MHA for about four years. A meeting with a trusted mentor last year proved to be the final push that I needed, and three weeks later I found myself accepted to the MBA program at Averett! I work in healthcare and having a strong business acumen is now one area needed to be successful. I desire to continue to progress professionally and obtaining my MBA was the keystone for this.”
Averett: From the Eyes of Freshmen
During every Averett 101 class each fall semester, the students go to the president’s house and enjoy a dinner with Dr. Franks and her husband, Joe. During that time, Dr. Franks asks the students what they love about Averett and if they have any concerns. During this spring semester, we will be sharing some of those positive comments with you. Enjoy!
“The President is friendly and opens her house up to us.”
“It’s easy to meet new people.”
“The support staff is great.”
“The classes and professors are friendly and open.”
“The teachers make sure that the students understand the curriculum.”
“Small class sizes make it easier to pay attention.”
Sam’s Club on Campus
The Sam’s Club representative will be on campus today, Apr. 25., in the dining hall from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. You can renew your membership and the representative can assist you with a new enrollment.
Candidates for the Director of the Galesi Center on campus
Today, Apr. 25, from 1:15-2 p.m., Erin Schlauch, candidate for the director of the Galesi Center, will be on campus. As part of the on-campus interview, the committee has requested a short presentation be conducted to illustrate the candidate’s vision for the Success Center and Early Alert System. The presentation will be followed by an open forum in which faculty and staff may ask questions of the candidate. The presentation will take place in the multipurpose room.
Academic Support Updates
The last day for drop-in consultations in the Writing Center is today, April 25. The last day for regularly scheduled tutoring sessions and open group tutoring opportunities is today, Apr. 25. The Student Success Center believes it is best to allow peer tutors/consultants to have the week of finals to focus on their own studies during the last week of school.
If one of your students needs assistance after today, please have them email either [email protected] or [email protected] with their request, and they will most likely be scheduled with a professional tutor/consultant for assistance.
Late Night Breakfast
As the semester is nearing an end, the Student Engagement Center is working to organize the annual late night breakfast. Late night breakfast occurs on Reading Day, tomorrow, Apr. 26, from 10-11:30 p.m. in the Student Center Café.
We are searching for staff and faculty willing to participate and help serve breakfast for the students as they prepare for exams. Please email [email protected] if you are available and willing to help!
Staff Council Nominations
Staff Council nominations are currently being accepted for the 2018-2019 fiscal year. Please complete the form located here. The site is secure, once you click on the link you may need to click “allow” or “continue to this website” on your computer to get to the document.
Nominations will be accepted until Monday, Apr. 30. New this year, online voting will begin Friday, May 4, and will run until Friday, May 11. You will receive an email with the voting information.
Previously, you were not able to nominate a someone who is a “director.” That has been removed, and you are now able to nominate a person at the director level.
The new Staff Council members will be announced at the Thursday, May 17, meeting. Should you have any questions, please contact Mark Sheets at [email protected].
Spring Commencement
Adjunct faculty and staff members are invited to participate in the Spring 2018 Commencement exercises on Saturday, May 5, at 10 a.m. In order to participate in the exercises, you must have received at least a graduate degree and have the proper regalia. If you would like to participate, please email Mary Sullivan at [email protected] by Tuesday, May 1.
Those wishing to attend commencement except faculty/staff included in the procession and graduates will need a ticket, including children of any age. Questions regarding tickets (one per person) for students and staff, other than graduating seniors and faculty, may be directed to Mary Sullivan at [email protected]. Commencement questions from graduating seniors should be directed to Katie Johnston at [email protected].
CCECC Director Candidate on Campus
Please join us Wednesday, May 2, at 2 p.m. in the multipurpose room as we welcome CCECC director candidate Richard Glass. Glass will present his thoughts on community engagement, revitalization and the role of students in community efforts. The session includes time for candidate questions and discussion. Please join us and offer your input as we try to fill what is a very important leadership role in our community.
Glass previously served as director of the career center and the Washington fellowship program at Liberty University. If you would like a copy of his credentials, email Susan Huckstep at [email protected].
Faculty, Staff Retiree Appreciation Luncheon
A reminder to respond to the invitation to the Faculty, Staff, Retiree Appreciation Luncheon Program, which will take place Thursday, May 3, from noon until 1:15 p.m. We look forward to seeing you there! Contact Kathie Tune at [email protected] for additional information.
Save the Dates: Summer New Student Registration
Summer registration for incoming freshmen will be June 22, July 13, July 27 and August 17. Faculty are needed to register freshmen for fall classes. Each date will include two, one-hour general advising/registration sessions, and faculty will be compensated.
If you are able to represent your department on one or more of these dates, please contact Janet Roberson at [email protected], and Barb Kushubar at [email protected]. Thanks in advice for your help.
Fall Faculty Workshops
It there is a topic you’d like to see presented at the Wednesday, Aug. 15, faculty workshops or if there is a topic on which you’d be willing to present, please email Susan Huckstep at [email protected] or Janet Phillips at [email protected].
Summer Fridays!
Dear Colleagues,
Averett is pleased to announce that our “Summer Friday” schedule will begin on Friday, May 11, and end on Friday, July 20. Regular Friday work hours will resume on Friday, July 27, 2017. This year, we have three Fridays that will not be half days as they are Summer Orientation days – June 22, July 13 and July 27.
During the Summer schedule, Friday workdays will be from 8:30am to 12:30pm (with no additional lunch break). Regular work hours continue during the Summer on Mondays through Thursdays.
Please note that during the Summer schedule, some offices still require coverage on Friday afternoons. Those requirements are determined by respective vice presidents and directors. In such cases, alternative arrangements can be made to ensure that everyone is able to enjoy this extra time off. Please check with your supervisor if you have any questions.
Homecoming 2018
Homecoming 2018 will be September 28-30. It will come very quickly after opening, so we are preparing now! If you have ideas for your department or division that will add to the Homecoming experience, please let Dan Hayes know at [email protected]. Think about if it has been 30, 20 or 10 years since a major change? Do we need to honor someone in your department? Now is the time to decide!
Strategic Plan Update
The Living-Learning Community Committee has done excellent work this year in building a Living Learning Community. The committee worked to meet our residential population in their current mindset based upon the feedback we received from a survey that approximately 75 percent of the residential population participated in. With resounding authority it was clear our students were requesting no intrusion into their residential experience, citing fear of further exclusion or isolation on small, already silo-oriented campus populations.
The students instead requested more large-scale programming with further interaction with faculty and staff. This encouraged the committee’s current path into a fully designed residential curriculum that integrates four pillars of Wellness, Interpersonal Skills, Academic Engagement and Global Citizenship, custom-tailored to each residential building’s populations and development levels. For more information, or top participate in the planning of events for Fall ’18, contact Kyle Patterson at [email protected] or by phone at (434) 791-2470.
