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, Feb. 5 for a Wednesday, Feb. 10 publication.

Athletics Department Receives National Award

Averett University was only one of several Division III institutions in the country to earn recognition from the National Association of Division III Athletic Administrators (NADIIIAA). The NADIIIAA recently announced the recipients of this year’s NADIIIAA/JOSTENS Community Service Awards. Each institution or conference was recognized for the impressive community service projects performed by its student-athletes during the 2014-15 academic year.

Averett was one of three universities to receive “Award of Merit” distinction in the “Array of Projects” category, along with Arcadia University and Roger Williams University. For more about this recognition, click here.

Stevens Speaks at NCAA Seminar

Athletics Director Meg Stevens was one of the industry leaders and experts to speak at the 2016 NCAA Emerging Leaders Seminar in Indianapolis Jan 27- 29. Nicole Barringer ’15, graduate assistant for volleyball, was selected to attend the seminar as well.

More than 200 interns and graduate assistants at the start of their careers participated in the seminar. A committee comprised of members from the Association – a group that includes current administrators and past seminar participants across all NCAA divisions – selected the participants. Besides national office interns, 59 conferences and affiliates and 165 schools were represented in the program this year.

McMurtry Earns Ph.D.

Kim McMurtry, Adjunct Instructor of English, has earned a Ph.D. in Computing Technology in Education from Nova Southeastern University. For her dissertation entitled “Effective Teaching Practices in Online Higher Education,” she conducted a multi-case study of national award-winning online instructors. McMurtry teaches online courses for IDEAL.

MLK Day Thank You!

The CCECC would like to thank everyone who shared their story by participating in America’s Sunday Supper and the MLK Day of Service!

More than 85 guests shared a meal together and engaged in a meaningful conversation about our community at the Sunday Supper Jan. 17. The following day, over 200 volunteers from the community stopped by the MLK Day of Service at North Campus. These volunteers completed 18 t-shirt blankets for Haven and Grace & Main Fellowship, rehabbed six free Little Libraries, and made 65 potpourri hearts for residents at Riverside Health & Rehabilitation Center.

A special thanks to the following people for representing Averett during MLK Day 2016: Dr. Tiffany Franks, Joe Franks, Marsha Foster, Dan Hayes, Dr. Gary Tucker, Dr. Sue Davis, Barbara Kushubar, Dr. Richard Ferguson, Meg Stevens, Alonzo Jones, Philip Wilson, Cari Beck, Marion Breen and Karmen Robinson.

We would also like to thank Robert Marsh, Feleta Morton, Sierra Braxton-Sears, Emily Tomlinson and Tia Yancey for helping us judge the MLK Art Contest entries from Danville Public Schools. Also, thank you to Diane Kendrick for recruiting some art students to help with judging!

Service-Learning Brain Pick-nic

Join us for the first Service-Learning Brain Pick-nic of 2016 on Thursday, Feb. 4! Any and all service-learning enthusiasts are invited to brainstorm, share and discuss service-learning best practices. The pick-nic will be in the bookstore sunroom from 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Please bring your lunch.

Teach It Forward! Challenge

Our region suffers from an unsettling amount of violence and a lack of education and opportunities. In order for our community to tackle these issues we must address them from the bottom up. In an attempt to create a safer and more positive culture in our community we need to provide our youth with encouraging role models and a quality education.

While current opportunities like Day to Engage and Week to Engage are great ways to get involved, they do not provide a sustainable impact. Beginning Feb. 8, students, faculty, and staff will compete to earn points for tutoring at places such as Cardinal Village, Boys & Girls Club and Cedar Terrace. The overall goal of the Teach It Forward! Challenge is to provide our partner organizations that work with after-school children consistent volunteers for mentoring and tutoring. The challenge will run until April 8.

The Teach It Forward! Challenge still needs members for the staff team. Please contact Kyle Patterson by Thursday, Feb. 4 to join the team! There will be a kickoff event for volunteers, click here for details.

Resilient Women Study Group

“Resilient Women: A Psycho-Education Study Group for Creating Personal Power,” will be held on Wednesday afternoons from 4-5 p.m. beginning Wednesday, Feb. 3 and ending Wednesday, March 2. The book, “The Resilient Woman: Mastering the 7 Steps to Personal Power,” will be given to each participant.

Reading, journaling and group discussion will be the avenues used to help participants recognize and use their own unique resilience. This program is free, however a commitment to participate in all five sessions is a must. The program will be held in suite 417 of the Student Center. Donna Benz and Joan Kahwajy-Anderson will facilitate the group. Please contact Joan to register.

Cupcakes for Little Life

On Thursday, Feb. 4, CCM and CSF, under the Office of Religious Life, will sponsor the program “Cupcakes for Little Life Transition Pregnancy Solutions.” The following items are needed for local mothers and their babies: diapers, baby wipes, baby lotion, baby bath and baby shampoo, first year baby clothes, post-it notes, and gift cards to Target and Wal-mart. For your donation, you will receive a cupcake. CCM and CSF students will be handing out cupcakes in the dining hall from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. No donation is too small, and mothers and babies who need help the most will benefit.

mtvU

Want to submit a flyer or message to be posted on the TVs located in the dining hall? Here is how! Please view the protocol and contact [email protected] or [email protected] with any questions.

Professional Headshots for Students

The CCECC has arranged for juniors and seniors to have complimentary, professional headshots taken by a local photography studio. We are encouraging students who will be looking for jobs/internships to have a professional photo on their social media sites as well as their LinkedIn profiles. Please encourage students to schedule their headshots by contacting Tia Yancey at (434) 791-7214. To show students what professional headshots look like, please have them to visit our staff page. Questions? Please contact Angie McAdams at 791-5629.

Game Day Party Pack Outs

Bon Appétit will be selling pizza, wings and other game day favorites for the Super Bowl this Sunday. Please review the flyer for menu and ordering information.

Inventory at the Bookstore

The Schoolfield House Booksellers‘ annual inventory process will take place Thursday, Feb. 11 and Friday, Feb. 12. The store will close at 3 p.m. on Thursday and reopen at 11 a.m. on Friday. You can still shop online at www.averettshop.com.

Cougar Connection Submissions

Please help us fill the Cougar Connection with information our students need to know. Whether it is promoting an event or thanking a student for going above and beyond, submit an announcement using this form. If you would like to receive the Cougar Connection, please contact Rachel Covington.