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, May 5, for a Wednesday, May 10, publication.
Averett IDA Team Wins 2017 National Championship
Averett University’s Intercollegiate Dressage Association (IDA) team is the 2017 national champion after finishing first at the national competition hosted by Centenary University over the weekend. Averett’s championship hopes came down to the last group with junior Megan Grimes, who rode in the Intro Division. Four members of the team competed for team points and two members competed individually for Averett during the two-day event.
Averett edged Mount Holyoke College, which finished second. Emory & Henry College placed third along with host Centenary and Cazenovia College rounding out the top five. Although Averett has had an individual national champion before, the program has never produced a team title until this past weekend. Congratulations!
Graduate Success Stories
Brooke Miller, May 2017 graduate, has accepted a position with KPMG, an accounting and financial services firm, in Washington D.C. Brooke is majoring in business: management science and accounting. She is minoring in communication studies. Within KPMG, Brooke will be specifically working with audits of the Federal Government. She interned with them in the summer of 2016. Brooke is from Danville. Best of luck to her!!
Alex Argentieri, May 2017 graduate, will be heading to Shenandoah University to complete his Doctorate in Physical Therapy. Alex is majoring in biology: biomedical science and minoring in physical education. While on campus, Alex was a RA, student ambassador, peer instructor, tutor, volunteer for many organizations, member of Alpha Chi/ Beta Beta Beta and the National Society of Leadership and Success. He is originally from Doylestown, Pa. Great Job, Alex!
GPS Student Spotlight
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!
Today, meet Oliver Brugato, who is pursuing his bachelor of business administration. He is expected to graduate in 2017.
What is your motivation for obtaining your degree? “Moral High Ground! I am preaching education to my kids, so how can I preach it if I don’t live it?”
Why did you choose Averett’s Graduate & Professional Studies Program? “Following the recommendations of Base Education at Quantico.”
Please share one tip for your fellow classmates and future AU students. “Don’t Stop! It gets crazy and the papers will pile up; push hard and realize your goals. If you stop, it is harder to re-start.”
What helps to keep you motivated while you are in the program? “My wife just graduated with her master’s degree. I watch my credit hours pile up, and I see a light at the end of the tunnel.”
Mindset Minute: Averett’s QEP
Ever wonder from what research our QEP was founded? Want ideas on how to develop a growth mindset in your students? Each week we will provide a snapshot into the world of growth mindset research and practice through “Mindset Minute,” where you can check back for more tips and links to key related research and application. This week, we’re sharing a relevant quote for inspiration.
“The person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.” – Albert Einstein
Aviation Fundraiser
Tonight, May, 3, from 5-9 p.m., 10 percent of the sales at Buffalo Wild Wings, 3415 Riverside Dr., will go to support the Averett University Flight Team. The money is going towards the costs of competing in the National Intercollegiate Flying Association Safecon 2017. The team will be there with a table, so go say hello and eat out tonight to help support your Averett Family!
Grad Hall Director Candidate on Campus
One more candidate for the open graduate hall director positions will be on campus this week. Faculty and staff are invited to meet with the candidate tomorrow, May 4, from 2:45–3:30 p.m. in the Carrington Conference Room.
Spring Commencement
Spring Commencement is this Saturday, May, 6, at 10 a.m. in the E. Stuart James Grant Athletic & Convocation Center at North Campus. More than 220 graduates will be walking this spring. Come out and support your Averett Family!
Staff Council Nominations
Staff council is asking for nominations for new members! There are three positions open for the 2017-2019 term. Nominations are due by May 15, and the candidates will be voted on during the May 18 University staff meeting. Please submit all nominations to [email protected].
Please ask the person you are nominating if they are interested in serving on staff council before submitting their name. Staff council is a leadership position for staff members of Averett University and represents the best interests of all university staff. At a minimum, members of staff council are expected to contribute to the monthly staff council meetings, assist in the planning and implementation of staff council programs and events, and plan and attend monthly University staff meetings.
Goodwill Campus Move Out
Goodwill Industries of South Central Virginia and Averett University are working together to help prevent waste in landfills by donating instead of throwing out the items at the end of the school year. Goodwill donation bins are in the parking lot of each dorm. Fill up the bins and keep good items out of the waste count in America! If you have any items that are too big for the bins or may be damaged, call (434) 792-2511 ext. 224 and let Goodwill know to pick these items up. All donations are tax deductible.
Preparing for Medicare
Don’t forget! Carolyn B. Smith, Marketplace Agency & ElderCare Associates, Inc. president & CEO, and her associates will discuss coverage options before you turn 65, explain how Medicare works for you, what plans are available and when to enroll into your plan choices. Their focus is on personalized service. The presentation is designed to be educational and informative and is not a sales opportunity for the agency. Join them on Wednesday, May 10, from 2-4 p.m. in the multipurpose room. Please email Kathie Tune at [email protected] if you are interested so she can make sure an information booklet is available for you.
2017 Cougar Golf Classic
Do you have your team yet? Come 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.
Averett Wins Fields of Excellence Award
Averett University has been selected as a winner of the 2016 Fields of Excellence Award for its softball facility, Cougar Field. This is Averett’s fourth Pioneer Fields of Excellence award and second for Cougar Field. Owen-Fulton Field, Averett’s baseball facility, also has received the honor twice.
As a winner, Averett will receive a certificate of recognition and a Fields of Excellence banner that they can proudly display at their winning field. Pioneer Athletics may also use the picture of Averett’s winning field in its upcoming publications and annual calendar.
The Fields of Excellence Award Program honors outstanding athletic fields and the hardworking field crews who diligently maintain them. The program was established in 1998 and has honored over 530 athletic fields from around the country since its creation.
Averett Wins Special Olympics Spotlight Poll
Averett University Athletics’ Special Olympics event was voted as the top story in the April NCAA Division III Special Olympics Spotlight Poll! The win nets Averett $500 to use toward a future Special Olympics event. Averett’s story received the highest number of votes — garnering 437 selections on the 620 total ballots cast. As the winner for April, Averett’s story will also be recognized in the Division III monthly newsletter and on the Division III homepage.
New GPS Alumni Form
The GPS team has launched a new GPS alumni form that encourages our GPS alumni to connect with us and share what they’ve been up to. The goal with this form is to connect, hear about their successes since graduation, family updates, and anything they’d like to share. We want to celebrate their successes and share their stories on our GPS Blog! Please encourage any GPS alumni you know to fill out the form and share it with those you know on social media.
Campus Store Summer Hours
The Schoolfield House Booksellers store’s summer hours will start Monday, May, 8, and run through Sunday, Aug. 13. The store will be open Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and Friday 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Click here to access the store online.
Summer School
A summer school task force led by Dr. Jennifer Hughes and Stephen Davidson has been examining how we can increase the number of students taking summer school courses from Averett. Students were surveyed and more work needs to be given to the matter next year. As a pilot to see how it affects enrollment, tuition has been lowered for this summer from $425 per credit hour to $375 (traditional classes only). Please continue to encourage students to take our summer courses as there is a good and broad list of classes offered this summer.
Download the LiveSafe App
Recently, the Threat Assessment Team at Averett rolled out the LiveSafe app, a new tool for emergency notifications. Click here for instructions on how to download the app.
The LiveSafe service is a two-way communication application between users and safety officials. It consists of a mobile app for users on their cell phone and a web-based dashboard for officials. The tool ties right into our existing “See it, Say it!” campaign, and allows for tip reporting, emergency communications, mapping and user-to-user communications.
Please note: you still need to be registered for our e2campus notifications, as we will continue to push out notifications with this tool for the rest of the semester. Please take some time now to be sure that you are signed up to receive messages via the e2campus system. You can sign up on the Averett website by clicking here.
