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. For the next CoffeeBreak, please submit by Friday, Mar. 15, for a Wednesday, Mar. 20, publication.
Sam’s Club on Campus
The Sam’s Club representative will be on campus again today, Mar. 13, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Back by popular demand, Karen Shields will return to the dining hall with opportunities to join the club or renew your Sam’s Club membership. Basic is $45 and Plus is $100.
Happy March Birthday
Wishing you the nicest things that life can bring your way, And this is not just a Birthday wish…it’s meant for every day!
Host: President Franks and Joe Franks
For: Celebration for Faculty & Staff with March Birthdays
When: TODAY, Mar. 13
Where: Main Hall Penthouse
Time: 1-2 p.m.
RSVP to [email protected]
Big Idea Competition
Please see the email from Dr. Tiffany Franks that was sent Monday morning regarding the exciting new initiative, the Big Idea Competition!
As a way to prioritize and accelerate innovative thinking, reward and cultivate creativity and advance a greater culture of experimentation, the Averett Board of Trustees is piloting and funding a competition for faculty, staff and students to generate proposals for new ways to move the University forward. Submit your individual or group proposal through the form in the email by Friday, Apr. 5, for a chance to win $1,000, $1,500 or $2,000! For questions, contact Charles Harris at [email protected] or (434)791-5701. Good luck!
Spring Fling is this Week!
Get excited and join the students at one or several of the events happening this week for Spring Fling!
Today, Mar. 13: Intramural basketball at 6 p.m. in Carrington Gym. Teams see IMLeagues app for times! If you’re not in a team, come out as a fan and show your support!
Thursday, Mar. 14: Spring Fling Talent Show at 8 p.m. in Pritchett Auditorium. Come out and support Averett’s very own talented singers, dancers, and many more as they show us all what they’ve got!
Friday, Mar. 15: Spring Fling Comedy Show at 8 p.m. in the back of café. Our spring semester comedy show is here! Show featuring Wild ‘N Out comics Burpie and TylerChronicles.
Saturday, Mar. 16: Spring Fling Festival at Noon in Jordan Commons and Student Center Lawn. Come out and enjoy all that the Festival has to offer, including a live performance. Lunch will be served outside. Students that do not have a meal plan will be covered by S.E.T. Faculty and staff will have to pay for their own lunch.
Glow in the Dark Dodgeball at 7 p.m. in Carrington Gym. Get your teams ready and make sure to wear NEON colors. Night Fest at 10:30 p.m. in Carrington Gym.
Please stop by the Student Engagement Center for more information.
SGA Leadership Awards
It’s nomination time! Nominations for the SGA Leadership Awards are due to Jill Adams by Friday, Mar. 15. Please nominate a student that you feel deserves to be recognized! Click on the year of the student you want to nominate for the correct form. There is also a separate award for the Unsung Hero.
- Freshman Student Leader of the Year Award 2019
- Sophomore Student Leader of the Year Award 2019
- Junior Student Leader of the Year Award 2018
- Senior Student Leader of the Year Award 2019
- Unsung Hero Award 2019
Direct all questions to Jill Adams at [email protected].
Governors’ Fellows Program
Please share this information regarding a wonderful opportunity with any student who may be interested in careers in local, state and or federal government. All majors are encouraged to apply. Please note the application deadline is Friday, Mar. 15. CLICK HERE for more details.
Arts@Averett: Little Bread Hen Puppet Show
Inspired by the classic tale of The Little Red Hen, this version reveals the truth about what really happened that fateful day when a chicken decided to bake a loaf of bread. Were the other farm animals just lazy or was there something else stewing in the barnyard?
Bring the children and join us for the Little Bread Hen Puppet Show on Friday, Mar. 15, at 7 p.m. in Pritchett Auditorium. Admission is free!
SAAC Chipotle Night
Support the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) in their effort to raise money for the Nick Price Foundation by picking up your dinner from Chipotle on Monday, Mar. 18, between 5-9 p.m. Mention Averett SAAC to the cashier and you’re supporting the cause to make sure 33% of the proceeds will be donate to SAAC and the Nick Price Foundation.
T.R.U.T.H. Talks: Reducing Crime in Our Communities
Averett’s Criminal Justice Club and the CCECC are co-sponsoring a “Policing in the 21st Century Speakers’ Forum: Reducing Crime in Our Communities” on Wednesday, Mar. 20, in Blount Chapel from 6-8 p.m. Click here to see the full flyer.
Refreshments will be served starting at 5:30 p.m. Captain Pace and Captain Thompson from Danville Police Department will serve on a panel to outline new strategies to reduce crime in our communities. T.R.U.T.H. Talks are designed after a national program to engage college campuses and local communities on issues of diversity and inclusion of all types. These forums provide a structured and safe-space environment for all involved to voice their concerns and praises.
Staff Meeting
The March staff meeting will take place on Thursday, Mar. 21, at 11:15 a.m. in the multipurpose room. Join us for department announcements, staff council voting instructions, and faculty and staff member of the year nomination information.
Remember to nominate your co-workers for the Golden Bagel! Please send all nominations to [email protected]. Congratulations to Coach Patrick Henry for winning the Golden Bagel in February!
Staff Council Nominations
Staff Council nominations for 2019-20 are due on Thursday, Mar. 21, by the end of the day! CLICK HERE for the fillable PDF. To ensure a balanced representation of all University departments on Staff Council, the council members are categorized into four (4) groups, with three (3) members serving in each group, as shown on the PDF. (Please note, one person from each group will be elected annually.) You are allowed to nominate any person from any department who is a full-time employee of Averett University and is not classified as a faculty member or a member of President’s Council.
Please make sure your nominee(s) will be willing to serve as a member of Staff Council and is also committed to the three-year term if elected. You do not have to nominate one from each group. For example, your nominees may all come from the same department. You are welcome to nominate as many individuals as you would like. Direct any questions to [email protected].
5th Annual Engage Showcase
It is that time of year, again—The Engage Showcase! This is time for you and your students to celebrate and share your community work.
Would you and your students be interested in hosting a table to discuss engagement in the community? There will be 18 Averett tables in the Frith Lobby for the Engage Showcase on Tuesday, Apr. 16, from 5:30-7:30 pm. Students should bring tangible evidence of their work via photos, videos or products made for the community partner. We seek genuine conversation and ask that students bring what they used to connect with the community partner. If they cooked a meal, then bring some of the ingredients. If they put on an event, then bring some of the favors and promotional flyers, and so on. Please fill out this form with your interest by Sunday, Mar. 24.
Awards: Nominate a student, community partner or colleague that stands out in their community work! To nominate an Outstanding Engage Leader, please visit the criteria for award nominations and the award nomination form. All applications must be submitted by Sunday, Mar. 24.
Save the Date: International Education Programs
The Averett Study Abroad office and the Study Abroad Association are offering an in-depth faculty workshop for professors who are interested in developing and customizing International Education programs. This opportunity encourages participants to get engaged, ask questions, and become comfortable and confident with the idea of taking students abroad. Interested staff are also welcome! Click here to learn more about study abroad.
Please join us on Tuesday, Mar. 26, in Frith 205 at 11:15 a.m. Refreshments provided. RSVP preferred. Contact Dr. Catherine Clark at [email protected] with any questions.
Vote for Averett to win $10,000 Scholarship
Help pick which Virginia college will win $10,000 in student book scholarships from the KLM Scholarship Foundation. Vote for Averett University up to once a day now through Saturday, Mar. 30. The winning school will be revealed during the KLM Scholarship Foundation’s 11th annual Black & White Affair Charity Benefit on Saturday, Apr. 6. Click here to vote!
Save the Date: 2019 Cougar Golf Classic
It’s almost time for the 2019 Cougar Golf Classic! This year the golf tournament will take place on Friday, June 14, with a 1 p.m. shotgun start at Goodyear Golf Club. Contact Brenda Taylor with any questions at [email protected].
Advising Tips
Advising is the process of finding the schedule that is right for the student and will lead them on a path towards graduation, but it is important when selecting classes to think of what might be needed outside the classroom as well! Some classes, dependent on student strengths, may take more time and effort. Some good questions to ask may be:
What subjects are your strengths?
What subjects have you noticed may be challenging for you?
What subject areas are your passions?
Do you have a study pal in this class?
If you have an online class, how are you with technology?
Then, you can work with them to find not only what will be good classes to put together in a given semester, but also what outside resources and study time they can go ahead and put on their schedules, that they should attend from the beginning, just like their regular classes.
SOVAH Health Clinic
Not feeling well? Sovah Health Clinic is open Monday- Friday from 8 a.m. to Noon, for Averett students, faculty, and staff. The clinic is located on the 4th floor of the Student Center, above the cafeteria. It accepts walk-ins and offers routine care.
Common services include but are not limited to: cold and flu symptoms, health maintenance and prevention, lab work, sport physicals, flu shots, TB skin tests, non-life threatening injuries, pap smears and depression. Appointments can be made by calling (434) 797-2828.
GPS Student Spotlight
Meet Misty Witt, a student pursuing her Bachelor of Applied Science in computer information systems degree.
Why did you choose Averett’s GPS program?
“I chose Averett for two reasons. One, because Averett does not have all the hidden digital online reoccurring fees that other colleges have. Financially, it was the smartest choice. Two, Jonathan Nichels! He was my admissions counselor and the first person that I had the pleasure of speaking with. Jonathan is a great listener and cheerleader that put my anxiety to rest. His immediate availability to connect helped me to springboard through any hesitancy that I was feeling. He followed me through the entire process of applying and even checked in on me from time to time, going well above and beyond his responsibilities.
There are countless other Averett staff members that welcomed and guided me through my first steps into college life again. I feel that each one of them love what they do because it radiates from them. Averett’s staff are top notch, in fact, my first Averett connection with Melissa Anderson, I feel confident will be a lifelong connection.”
Averett 101: From the Eyes of Freshmen
During every Averett 101 class each fall semester, the students go to the president’s house and enjoy a dinner with Dr. Franks and her husband, Joe. During that time, Dr. Franks asks the students what they love about Averett and if they have any concerns. During the spring, we will be sharing some of the comments students shared with Dr. Franks and Joe about Averett!
“My basketball coach motivates me and pushes me to do my best.”
“I like the gym at North Campus.”
“The community relates to the campus.”
“I like the choices of clubs and activities.”
“I like the positivity on campus. The engagement team is great.”
“The counseling center is really helpful.”
“Food is good in café.”
“The atmosphere is energetic.”
