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 by 4:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 14 for a Wednesday, Oct. 19 publication.

We’ll Miss You Sherry!

We regret to inform you that Sherry Phelps, associate registrar, is leaving us after 10 years for the mountains of Lexington, Virginia. She has resigned from Averett and accepted a position as Associate Registrar at the Virginia Military Institute (VMI). Beyond her employment at Averett, Sherry also earned a BA in English and Theatre with a minor in Church Ministry, as well as an MBA at the University.

Her hard work and dedication to the Registrar’s office and the Averett Community will certainly be missed. We are sad to see Sherry go, but we congratulate her on her new adventure and wish her the best. Her last day with us will be on Friday, Oct. 14.

Please drop by Averett Central at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct.14 to wish her well!

GPS Student Spotlight: Brian Layton

Throughout the month, the Graduate and Professional Studies (GPS) admissions team interviews and highlights our GPS students. We hope you will enjoy learning more about these amazing members of our Averett family!

Meet Brian Layton, one of our students pursuing his Bachelor of Science in sociology and criminal justice. He will graduate in 2017.

What is your motivation for obtaining your degree? “This is a great question because all students in higher education have something motivating them. For me, I have two motivators: (1) my three beautiful children – I expect them to achieve higher education so I want my educational success to be a positive influence on their lives; and (2) I aspire to be a chief of police before the end of my law enforcement career, and my sociology and criminal justice degree from Averett University will certainly aid in my achieving this goal.”

Why he chose the GPS program: “I chose Averett for a few reasons. First, Averett is associated with the criminal justice academy where I graduated from back in 1995 – the Rappahannock Regional Criminal Justice Academy in Fredericksburg, Va. As such, I was able to turn much of my law enforcement education there into life credits with Averett. I also had some credits at the University of Virginia from my time spent at the FBI National Academy. Averett allowed me to transfer those credits directly into my degree program. Lastly, Pat Williams, my senior enrollment counselor at Averett, did an incredible job of walking me through the enrollment process and providing me with my educational vision for the future. I can’t thank Pat enough for taking care of me through that process and for continuing to check up on me through my journey.”

What keeps him motivated: “Because the educational experience is online, the GPS program requires considerable self-motivation to complete the reading and work assignments each and every week. Five-week classes seem to end in the blink of an eye. Maintaining this fast pace requires designated work times throughout the week. Procrastination causes stress and normally leads to substandard work. When your motivation is low, and it will be at times, I remember the commitment I made to my family, profession,and myself. This is what gets me through the tough times.”

Tip for fellow and future classmates: “Like I tell my children, hard work always pays off in the end. When I started the GPS program at Averett, I made a commitment to my family, my profession and myself – I will work hard every week to achieve this degree and better my life, as well as the lives of those around me.”

Homecoming Weekend

Averett University celebrates its 2016 Homecoming, featuring a weekend of activities and events for the whole family. Themed “Making Dreams a Reality,” the fun of October 14-16 is sure to delight all.

On Friday, Oct. 14, beginning at 6:30 p.m., the university will host its annual Homecoming Hometown Party at the Danville Community Market. This year’s entertainment will be provided by DJ Larry Stamps. Those without a dinner ticket ican get in for $15 after 8 p.m. at the door.

On Saturday, Oct. 15, alumni award winners will be recognized and athletics hall of famers will be inducted at a very special ceremony at 10 a.m. in Pritchett Auditorium. Festivities at the North Campus will take place at our new Frank R. Campbell Stadium beginning at 2 p.m., with a pregame tailgate party. hat is going to be the place where you see alumni that you know and can give them a chance to say thank you in their own way. Sometimes it will be sharing an important person in their lives or telling you about their job. You have changed lives and this is the chance to be recognized for it! Tailgate Alley has become a special part of Homecoming and the university encourages those who want to tailgate together to arrive together because spots will not be reserved. When the parking lot at the North Campus fills up, there will be overflow parking and shuttle service available at Abundant Life World Outreach Church (955 Mt. Cross Rd). Attendees are encouraged to arrive early, as parking is expected to fill up quickly.Gates and concessions (Chick-fil-A, pizza and hot dogs) will open at 4:30 p.m. The Cougars will kick off at 6 p.m. against Greensboro College. During halftime, this year’s alumni award recipients and Athletics Hall of Fame inductees will be recognized.

Festivities will conclude on Sunday, Oct. 16, at 10 a.m., when we hold our annual Service of Remembrance in Blount Chapel. This special chapel service honors members of the Averett community who passed away in the last year. Following the chapel service brunch will be served in the dining hall in the Student Center from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. (Dutch treat).

Check out the full Homecoming schedule here. Go Cougars!

Faculty Advisors for Alumni Award Winners

Were you the faculty advisor for any of this year’s alumni or athletics award recipients being recognized this Saturday? If so, we would like to invite you to a special reception during Homecoming weekend. Please check the list at www.averett.edu/homecoming and contact Dan Hayes at [email protected] or (434) 791-7252 if you are the advisor for one of them.

Our Welcome Center is Moving

We are very excited to share that the Welcome Center is moving to Schoolfield House Booksellers on October 17. All visiting families will now enjoy the true Averett family feel of this beautiful, home-like atmosphere that is easily identifiable!

If you have any questions, please contact Shekinah Logan, our campus visit coordinator, at either [email protected] or at (434) 791-6880.

Arts@Averett: Acrobats of CirqueTacular “Spooktacular”

In the spirit of Halloween, Arts@Averett brings the Acrobats of CirqueTacular “Spooktacular” to town on Sunday, Oct. 23, at 4 p.m. Spooks, specters and scaredy-cats cavort and conspire through a hair-raising circus of scare. Banshees soar and acrobatic zombies contort from the beyond in this humorously haunted bazaar of the bizarre! Join us for a jaw-droppingly fun circus Halloween adventure that the whole family will enjoy, with one dazzling, death-defying feat of athletic prowess after another, with spectacular aerial numbers, gorgeously choreographed ground acrobatics, energetic music and beautiful costumes! Visit http://dcaproductions.com/v2/?p=1206 for pictures and video clips from the show, which will be held in the Pritchett Auditorium in the Violet T. Frith Fine Arts Center. All faculty and staff with an ID receive two free, non-transferable tickets. Students with an Averett ID are also free, general admission tickets are $5, and children age 5 and under are free. For the full Arts@Averett season schedule or more information, visit https://www.averett.edu/about-us/arts-averett/averett-arts-schedule/ or call (434) 791-5867.

Students Stay on Track to Graduate

Student registration is just around the corner and it’s a great way to keep our students on their pathway to graduation! Please help our students by asking them if they’re ready for registration and if they’ve met with their advisor.

Senior Registration: October 28 and 29
Junior Registration: October 30 and 31
Sophomore Registration: November 1 and 2
Freshman Registration: November 3 and 4
Open Registration: November 5 through November 30

Students should register before November 30 to avoid a late registration fee of $50.

Faculty and Staff Employee Giving

Don’t forget! Our annual faculty and staff giving campaign ends Monday, Oct. 31. It’s not about how much you give, but rather that everyone gives something – the percentage of employees who give is what counts most! Contact Dan Hayes at [email protected] or (434) 791-7252 for more information on how to give.

Also, we want to hear from you. Get creative and tell us what fun and silly things you’d like for Dan and Buddy Rawley to do to celebrate this year if we reach our goal of 87 percent participation. Send your ideas to Dan this month for consideration, and if your idea gets chosen, you will be guaranteed a role in the fun!

Southern Hills Golf Discounts

Southern Hills Golf Course, located at 188 Stokesland Ave. in Danville, is offering Averett faculty, staff and students a special discounted rate. The cost will be $16 to play 18 holes of golf. In order to receive this discount, you must register before Monday, Oct. 31 by emailing Barbara Kushubar at [email protected].

More Pay Days Each Month

The news media has been full of stories about the changes that the U.S. Department of Labor has made to the Fair Labor Standards Act. These changes go into effect December 1, 2016, and will have several impacts at Averett University. One of the changes Averett is making to enable our compliance with the revised standards is to move from one payday a month to one payday every other week. Yes, you will get paid more often. This change in pay schedules will start on December 1. Among other things, this change means there will be a new timesheet used for staff employees and some payroll paperwork may need to be updated.

To help everyone understand the changes being made, what the new procedures are, and what you need to know, the payroll team and the human resources team are joining together to develop informational resources and to host discussion and question/answer sessions. The first session for supervisors will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 2, at 3 p.m. in the multipurpose room. All employees are welcome to attend this or one of two other sessions on Monday, Nov. 7, at 9:30 a.m. or Thursday, Nov. 17, at 2:30 p.m., both in the multipurpose room.

The City Needs Your Input: Mainline Trolley Bus Survey

The City of Danville is evaluating the possibility of providing new trolley bus service that would offer direct access to the River District and Historic Districts in Danville. The intent of this new service would be to offer convenient transportation to growing entertainment, dining, shopping opportunities, encourage Park N Ride access, reduce drinking and driving and promote tourism. Planned hours of operation will be determined based on survey responses received and the completion of other service planning activities. The fare for the proposed service would be consistent with the existing fixed route fare structure; $1 base fare, $.50 for seniors 60 years old and older and persons with disabilities until 12:00 p.m. One child 12 years old and younger may ride free with a paying adult. Please answer the survey questions by accessing this link to assist the City of Danville with this transportation planning activity.