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, Aug. 18, for a Wednesday, Aug. 23, publication.
Athletics Welcomes New Softball, Wrestling Assistant Coaches and Assistant Sports Information Director
A native of Lovettsville, Va., Allie Reid joins Averett as the assistant coach for the softball team. Reid played four-plus seasons of collegiate softball, finishing her career at Division II Concord. Mostly a pitcher, Reid went 41-25 in the circle while setting the program record for career wins at Concord. In addition to her playing experience, Reid has coached the Loudoun Storm fastpitch travel softball organization while also giving instructional lessons for six years. To learn more about Reid, click here.
A native of Petersburg, Va., Blake Roulo joins Averett as the assistant coach for the wrestling team. Roulo comes to Averett from Southern Virginia University, where he was an assistant coach for one season and helped guide the Knights to five program records during the 2016-17 season. Roulo wrestled collegiately at Division I George Mason University, where he was a four-year starter and four-time all-conference selection. To learn more about Roulo, click here.
A native of Lockport, Ill., Jeffrey Bentley joins Averett as the assistant sports information director. While pursuing his undergraduate degree at Division III Loras College, Bentley worked in the athletic communications office for almost three and a half years under the direction of Jim Naprstek. As one of Naprstek’s primary assistants his senior year, Bentley oversaw all responsibilities for men’s soccer and baseball in addition to handling other game day duties that Loras’ 23 sports provided. To learn more about Bentley, click here.
Nursing Faculty with New Roles
The School of Nursing is happy to announce that Nancy Dameron, assistant professor, is the new clinical coordinator for the School of Nursing. Dameron is filling the post vacated when Sarah Pressley retired in the spring. Dameron is responsible for arranging and monitoring clinical experiences/requirements for RNBSN and BSN students.
Karen Oaks, assistant professor, is the new simulation coordinator for the School of Nursing, a position that has been vacant since March 2016. Oaks is responsible for the oversight of the simulation and skills labs, as well as assisting with the continued integration of simulation into the nursing curriculum.
GPS Spotlight
Meet Parrish Lewis, a student pursuing her Bachelor of Science in nursing degree who is expected to graduate in 2018.
QUESTION: Why Did You Choose Averett’s Graduate and Professional Studies Program?
ANSWER: “I chose Averett’s GPS program because it is online and allows me the flexibility needed with my work schedule. Having the campus and professors locally is also a plus, as it is comforting to know that should I need assistance they are easily accessible. I am also blessed to be employed by an organization that not only believes in but promotes advanced learning by offering scholarship assistance to those who qualify,” said Lewis.
The August Opening is Tomorrow!
This year’s Opening of the Year Kick-Off session for faculty and staff will be held in the Grant Center on North Campus tomorrow, Aug. 17, at 3 p.m., and will include important University updates, pinning of new faculty and staff members and a special guest speaker to highlight the Averett Experience. Following the presentation, you’ll move into an engaging, interactive journey that’s linked to our upcoming Homecoming theme, “There’s No Place Like Home!” inspired by The Wizard of Oz. You’ll follow the Yellow Brick Road – a path with stops along the way, showcasing some of the many new and innovative initiatives at Averett.
Following the opening session, President Franks and Joe will host a picnic for you and your families (to include dinner and children’s activities), which will begin at 5:15 p.m. We can’t wait to see you all there!
August Welcome Week
It’s that time of year! Let’s welcome our new and returning students back with a smile! The Office of Student Life wants to make sure all faculty and staff are aware of when students will be coming back this weekend.
On Friday, Aug. 18, 9 a.m. to noon, residential new students who didn’t attend an orientation will move in and check in at the Student Center. On Saturday, Aug. 19, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., orientation for those that didn’t attend an orientation will take place. Also, residential new students who already attended orientation will be moving in and checking in at the Student Center. On Sunday, Aug. 20, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., returning students will be moving in and checking in at the Student Center. Click here to see the full schedule. For any further questions please contact Sierra Braxton-Sears at [email protected] or (434) 791-5655.
You’re Invited to the Reimagination Celebration
The CCECC is hosting its annual Reimagination Celebration on Sunday, Aug. 20, in Danville’s River District, and all faculty and staff are invited to join!
The event is designed to serve as a welcome from the Danville community to Averett’s incoming students. There will be a welcome video in the Danville Science Center’s Dome Theater, a game to learn fun facts about Danville in Cottontail Weddings & Events and ice-cream in the Community Market! The festivities downtown will run from about 3:30-5:30 p.m., so come on down and help welcome our students to this wonderful community. And a huge THANK YOU to all of those who are volunteering to help this event run smoothly!
New Transportation Schedules
Averett offers students various opportunities for travel to classes at our other campuses and now, destinations around the City of Danville.
Averett’s Cougar Express offers free van service from the Main Campus to North and Riverview campuses. The Cougar Express operates Monday through Friday at specific scheduled times when classes are in session. Please refer students to the newly updated schedule on the Averett University Website. Flyers will also be available in each residence hall and the schedule will display on the campus touchscreens. The van stops at the corner of Woodland Drive and Townes Street (Main Campus-Jut’s Cafe), at the North Campus Grant Center classroom entrance and at the Riverview Campus.
Danville Transit has scheduled stops at DICK’s Sporting Goods, Med Express and Walmart for Averett University students. Please refer students to The Danville Transit System Route and Schedule Guide, August 2017. These guides can be found in all residence halls and on the campus touchscreens for student referral. This service is free to any Averett University student who presents their Student ID card.
Student Planner and Handbook Availability
Student handbooks will arrive soon. The Office of Student Life would like to make sure that each student has a handbook before we give them out to faculty and staff. Once we get through student move-in on Aug. 20, we will let faculty and staff know when handbooks are available for pick-up in the Dean of Students Office on the fourth floor of the Student Center.
Cougar Connection Will Start on August 20
Cougar Connection, a weekly newsletter for students, will start this Sunday, Aug. 20. To keep all faculty and staff informed about campus and student activities, this newsletter also goes out to faculty and staff, as well. The deadline to submit to Cougar Connection is the Wednesday prior to the Sunday distribution.
For the first Cougar Connection, please submit by the end of the day today for a Sunday, Aug. 20, publication. Reminder: all students will be back by Aug. 20, so this will provide them with the upcoming events for their first week of school. To submit, click here. If you have any questions, please contact Danielle Staub, marketing and communications specialist, at [email protected] or (434) 791-5681.
New Library Web Features Sources, Tools and Research Skills
Your friendly librarians have redesigned the Blount Library web home, research guides and tutorials at a new address: https://averett.libguides.com. There you will find familiar links to faculty information and the Chronicle of Higher Education, along with:
* The new WorldCat Discovery – find books, articles, media, everything!
* Google Scholar search
* Subject Research Guides
* Library Research Tutorials (We recommend that newcomers and Averett 101 students start with the Library User Guide.)
* Featured books and databases
From https://averett.libguides.com you can:
* Select a subject to see related guides and databases.
* View Averett copyright and intellectual property policies from the “Learn” tab.
* Find a journal when you have a citation in hand.
* Hop to a specific database, or browse A-Z databases.
* Find your liaison librarian under the “Consult” tab.
Please contact your liaison librarian to discuss academic resources and schedule library orientation for classes. The Academic Commons at Blount Library offers formal and informal spaces for seminars and presentations.
Over the summer, the library also discontinued eBooks from eBrary and added the EBSCO Academic Collection. If you have embedded eBook links in syllabi or Moodle courses, please test them before classes begin. Nine Averett subscription and open access eBook collections are discoverable in WorldCat. EBSCO records have “permalinks” that include Averett’s proxy server for remote access to books and articles. The library will be happy acquire any book required for your courses.
Librarians welcome suggestions from faculty and staff. Please recommend sources and library improvements under the “New Books” tab, or contact your liaison or Elaine Day at [email protected] or (434) 791-5696.
GPS Tutoring Positions Available
The GPS program is hiring part-time tutors in multiple subject areas, especially in mathematics and other quantitative classes. Until now, GPS has been limited in its ability to offer first-party tutoring services. However, as this new tutoring program is being finalized, we are seeking faculty and staff members who are interested in supporting our students’ success while also earning extra income. Our tutors will be trained to work with adult students using varying learning styles through both local and online video tutoring sessions. Work will be intermittent throughout the year depending on when courses are being offered and the needs of the students.
Mandatory paid tutor training will be provided. Based on the need to comply with labor laws and university policy, only exempt employees will be considered. Tutors need at least a bachelor’s degree that includes relevant coursework for the subject to be tutored, experience working with students, preferably adult learners, and good computer and communication skills. If you are interested in investing your expertise in the success of our GPS students, please click here to submit a preliminary interest form. Contact Carly Pearce with any questions at [email protected] or (434) 791-5841.
Get Your Tailgate and Reserved Parking Spot Now!
Averett Football season tickets are now sold out! Tailgate and reserved parking spots are still available. Act fast, spaces are filling up fast! Click here for the full details. If you have questions or would like to make a purchase, contact Bren Taylor at (434) 791-5677 or [email protected].
Athletic Merchandise Website
Looking to expand your wardrobe on game days or seeking that perfect gift? Averett University Athletics announced Thursday it has teamed up with Follett (Averett bookstore) to present a new and easy way to purchase Averett Cougars merchandise online through ShopCougars.com.
The new site, which opened this week, offers a wide variety of Averett merchandise — everything from clothing and jewelry to pet accessories and tablet covers. Some items also allow for sport-specific logo customization. Gift certificates are available. The website will feature occasional promos and deals. To start, all hats are 15 percent off through Sept. 6. Orders ship within eight business days or less, and same-day shipping is available on some orders.
Averett staff and faculty can receive a 10 percent discount on the site. Please email Courtney Leddy at [email protected] for instructions on how to get your discount.
Live & Learn
Join us for the Health and Wellness program Live and Learn, the hot topic of Debt Solutions featuring Sheila Walker on Thursday, Aug. 24, at 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m., in the multipurpose room. Take a break to learn about how we get into debt, tips on reducing debt and how debt can affect us. If you have questions or to save your spot, contact Tammy Wall at [email protected] or (434) 791-5679.
Arts@Averett Presents: Ethan Uslan Ragtime Piano
The first event in the 2017-18 Arts@Averett series will include a movie and a piano. The event will include ragtime piano scoring of the silent movie “The Freshman,” a 1925 comedy film that tells the story of a college freshman trying to become popular by joining the school football team. As with old-time silent movies, live piano music accompanied the action on the screen. Come check it out on Thursday, Aug. 24, at 7 p.m. in Pritchett Auditorium. Faculty and staff receive two free tickets. Averett students get in free with their Student ID. All other tickets are $5.
Deadline Extended: Stories of the Middle Border
Stories of the Middle Border, an initiative of the Middle Border Forward Fellowship 2016-17 Cohort, seeks to celebrate our differences while highlighting the common ties that bind us together as a community through public photographs in Danville’s River District and online video interviews. The project will showcase the unique stories of our region, celebrating the diversity we all share.
We want to ensure Averett is represented in the public project, so please consider participating. Residents of Danville, Pittsylvania County or Caswell County who would like to be featured can submit an interest form at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SOMB2017 by August 25. For more information or for questions, contact Cassie Jones at [email protected] or (434) 791-5684.
Save the Date: Graduate Assistants’ Pinning
Please save the date for a graduate assistants’ pinning ceremony. All current graduate assistants are invited to be pinned by Dr. Franks on Tuesday, Aug. 29, from 8:30-9:30 a.m., in the multipurpose room. Invites will be sent out shortly.
