AU CoffeeBreak 3-22-17

Posted on March 22nd, 2017 by Danielle Staub

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, Mar. 24, for a Wednesday, Mar. 29, publication.

Hebrew and Beyond CBRalph Hawkins, associate professor of religion, had a chapter published this week in a volume of Hebrew and Beyond, honoring Dr. Rodney Cloud, one of his former professors. His chapter is entitled, “The Forty-Thousand Men of Joshua 4:13,” and deals with the translation of Hebrew terms in this verse.

 

 

 

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Student Accolades

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Last fall, the Student Life department began recognizing students that go the extra mile in whatever they are doing on campus. Each week, the staff meets to select students for recognition for their dedication to Averett, and they are notified they’ve been nominated for a chance to win a $50 Visa Gift Card. At the end of the semester, we put all the names in a bowl and draw the name of one lucky student. This is our way to let the students know we appreciate all that they do.

This week, Student Life would like to nominate Joshua Davis and Joey Cloud.

GPS Student Spotlight

Edna Brown GPS SpotlightThroughout 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 Edna Brown who is pursuing her bachelor’s of applied science and leadership studies. She is expected to graduate in 2017.

What is your motivation for obtaining your degree? “My motivation for obtaining my degree has many facets. First, I work in an environment where I encourage students to finish their classes at the community college level and then to transfer to a four-year university. I needed to be more than the encourager, I needed to finish the journey that I had started after I graduated from my community college. My second motivational factor was to gain a better skill set for my current position. As my job duties changed, I found myself in a predicament where I knew that I needed a professional degree.”

Why did you choose Averett’s Graduate & Professional Studies Program? “I saw a doable solution to earning my degree online in a timely manner. The structure of the GPS program is challenging and rigorous but I felt that I was determined enough to complete the requirements to receive my bachelor’s degree. I also wanted to finish an earlier attempt at earning my degree that I started years ago. My supervisor had arranged for a representative from Averett University to come and discuss the GPS program with our faculty, staff and students at Piedmont Community College. I attended the informational session to learn more about the programs that Averett offered. After listening to the representative share the details of the GPS program, and receiving the list of credits that would transfer to Averett, I signed on with great excitement!”

Please share one tip for your fellow classmates and future AU students. “My tip to fellow and future classmates is to take an online personality self-assessment and answer the questions truthfully to learn what type of learner you are. Start finding resources that address how you learn and develop a study plan that addresses your needs. Schedule time for studying just like you would for other important events in your life. Personally, I took advantage of the services that were provided to me free of charge from Averett University such as utilizing Blount Library, tutoring services from the Student Success Program and SmarThinking. I love the support services that Averett provides for its students.”

What helps to keep you motivated while you are in the program? “After having a discussion with my supervisor about returning to school to finish my degree, she was so excited for me! After my classes started, I remained motivated by my instructors’ encouraging words of feedback detailing strengths and areas of improvement pertaining to my assignments. As I earned good grades, my husband motivated me by showing me that he was proud of my progress because he wanted me to reach the goal of earning my bachelor’s degree. I was also motivated after integrating processes that I learned in the classroom into my work environment and witnessing the changes occur. I received immediate results from my classroom training by applying techniques learned from my leadership classes into my role at work. Seeing the progress motivated me to keep striving for my degree.”

Tornado Feedback

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Thank you for your participation in the statewide tornado drill yesterday. Averett University was one of many across the Commonwealth to prepare for a potential tornado.

If you have any questions, concerns or feedback regarding the procedures or process, please email Dean Lesley Villarose, chair of the Emergency Management Team, at [email protected]. All feedback will be reviewed and considered for future drills and emergency procedures in the University’s Emergency Operations Manual.

Staff Meeting

Staff Meeting 2There is a staff meeting tomorrow, Mar. 23, at 11:15 a.m. in the multipurpose room. Come hear a presentation from Admissions and be a part of the discussion afterwards about how we all are involved in the admissions process for prospective students.

Also, it’s that time of year again to recognize our outstanding faculty and staff members at Averett! Here are a couple of things to keep in mind as you are nominating for the Outstanding Faculty Award and the Outstanding Staff Award.

1. The nominee must currently be employed by Averett. Sorry, no Aramark/Bon Appétit employees.
2. The nominee must correctly be reported as faculty or staff.  Some AU employees look like faculty but are actually staff (i.e., Theatre), and some look like staff but are actually faculty (i.e., Elaine Day at the library).
3. The prior three years’ winners are not eligible to be nominated: Staff – Kevin Lipscomb, Carly Pearce and Sandy Bash. Faculty – Richard Breen, Peggy Wright and Barb Kushubar.

Please email your nomination(s) to [email protected]. Simply include your nomination in the body of the email. Nominations are due by 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Apr. 14.

Pre-Registration

pre registration CBThe Advising Committee is reminding everyone that pre-registration begins this Friday, Mar. 24. Please consider doing the following: 1. Review your advisees’ mid-term grades. 2. If any advisee has a grade of “F,” start a conversation to see if it possible that he/she can bring it up to a passing grade. If not, try and reschedule the class in the fall. 3. Check with your “undecideds” to see if they have selected a major. 4. Review curriculum changes which are located in the Intranet.

Engage Showcase Awards

engage showcaseTo nominate a student, instructor or community partner you believe is an outstanding engage leader to receive an Engage Leader Award, please visit the criteria for award nominations and the award application. All applications must be submitted by this Friday, Mar. 24. If you or others would like to present your community work or have any questions, please email Brigid Belko at [email protected].

The Center for Community Engagement and Career Competitiveness’ (CCECC) 3rd Annual Engagement Showcase is focused on recognizing the great work of students, faculty and staff who have been engaged in volunteerism, internships and service-learning at Averett University. For the first time, the Engage Showcase is partnering with the Honors Awards Program to simultaneously recognize student groups, research and other academic achievements.

The Annual Engage Showcase and Honors Awards will take place Monday, Apr. 10, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in the Violet T. Frith Fine Arts Center lobby.

TIAA-CREF on Campus

TIAA-CREF-logoTIAA-CREF will be on campus next week, on Tuesday, Mar. 28, and Wednesday, Mar. 29, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., in Main Hall room 131.

No matter where you are in life—just getting started or planning for retirement—a session with Matt Meade from TIAA-CREF can help you create a unique plan for your goals. It’s at no additional cost as a part of your retirement plan. You’ll get answers to these questions and more: Am I invested in the right mix of investments to help meet my goals? Am I saving enough to create the retirement income I need? How do I take income from my retirement account once I stop working?

You can register for one of the sessions by clicking here, and get an action plan created especially for you.

Have You Checked out the New Student Spaces?

Frith Study Hall Space 1 floorWith the help of a $25,000 grant from the Hughes Foundation, Averett has completed two new student spaces in Frith Hall and the hallways got a fresh coat of paint! Located in the bottom of Frith and on the third floor, these lounges will provide space for students to get together – but most particularly for commuter students to have a “space” on campus to relax, hang out, microwave snacks andFrith Student Lounge 3 floor meet fellow students.

The effort was organized by a project team led by Bren Taylor and Rachel Covington. Other members of the team include Erica Skiddle, Katie Johnston, Katherine Clark, Sierra Braxton-Sears, Taylor Mahaffey, David Hanbury and Brigid Belko. This is one more way Averett is creating living-learning spaces for our students and growing their engagement and retention.

Academic Support’s Mid-Semester Training

Academic Support Semester Training CBAcademic Support tutors and writing consultants enjoyed a mid-semester training led by coordinator Holly Kilby, on March 16. The tutors and writing consultants reviewed current policies, identified and practiced effective tutoring techniques, discussed improvements, and were introduced to the Growth Mindset while engaging in targeted activities. It was an enjoyable afternoon, and the Student Success Center looks forward to developing more training for its tutors and writing consultants.

2017 Cougar Golf Classic

Cougars Golf TourCome join in on the fun and get a four-person team together for this year’s Cougar Golf Classic on Friday, June 9. There is a minimum handicap of 30 required for each team. Prizes are given for 1st and 2nd place and then a random draw for 3rd place so everyone has a chance to win. Every participant receives a gift and has a chance to bid at the silent auction. (Rumor is there are items autographed by Steph Curry along with other valuable choices.) Please contact Barb Kushubar for more information at [email protected] or at (434) 791-5687. To register click here.

 

New Position Posting

Averett New LogoThe University is looking to add a new director of facilities to its staff. Click here to view the full listing.

Healthy Solutions

employee health screeningsDon’t forget to register for your wellness screening via the online beBetter portal. All eligible employees received an email with directions on how to sign up for a screening time. We must meet a minimum of 25 appointments or we will have to reschedule and move all screenings to the Fall dates. So schedule your time on Thursday, Apr. 6, between 7 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., in the multipurpose room by clicking here.