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. Please submit by Friday, Apr. 20, for a Wednesday, Apr. 25, publication.
Byrne Selected as Chaperone for the International Young Rider Dream Program
The Dressage Foundation (TDF) selects two adult chaperones on the trip to accompany the Young Riders. The chaperones are not only there to guide the group safely through the trip’s itinerary, but also to teach the Young Riders during discussions about theory, training exercises and dressage in general. Meaghan Byrne, instructor of business administration, will be traveling to Aachen, Germany in July 2018.
The concept of TDF’s Young Rider International Dream Program is to allow four top American Young Riders the opportunity to enhance their understanding of dressage theory through a European tour. The Young Riders observe, discuss and absorb the European training system. They watch their peers compete in shows and championships, and they visit top European trainers and riders. Selection is based on merit, riding proficiency, a history of volunteering in the dressage community, and commitment to training in the sport of dressage.
Academic Support Tutors of the Week
Erica Englehart is a senior double-majoring in business management and theatre. She works as a math, business and theatre tutor, as well as a writing consultant. If you would like to schedule help with any of these subjects, you can email [email protected]. In the Writing Center, Erica works on Tuesday from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. and Friday from noon until 2 p.m. You do not have to schedule a time to work with her during these hours. What Erica most enjoys about working in the Student Success Center is that she gets to make new friends and feels that she is making a difference on campus.
Kaleigh Steelman is a junior majoring in biochemistry. She works as both a statistics and a biology tutor, and she is one of the most frequently requested tutors in the Student Success Center. If you would like to schedule help with statistics or science, you can email [email protected] and request Kaleigh. What Kaleigh most enjoys are working in the Student Success Center is the opportunity she has to help her classmates and to learn along the way as well.
GPS Student Spotlight
Meet Teunsha Hope, a student pursuing her Bachelor of Business Administration degree who is expected to graduate in 2019.
QUESTION: What is your motivation for obtaining your degree?
ANSWER: “My daughters Emmery, 7, and Peyton, 5, are my motivation for obtaining my degree. We all do homework together where I stress the importance of education. I am showing them that it is never too late to achieve your goals and with hard work and dedication, the sky is the limit!”
Averett: 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 this spring semester, we will be sharing some of those positive comments with you. Enjoy!
“The teacher office hours are great.”
“It’s hard to fail because you have so much help.”
“It’s like a nice family – people work with you.”
“The diversity – different culture – people from everywhere.”
“The family atmosphere.”
Nursing Disaster Simulation Today
Today, the School of Nursing is facilitating a disaster simulation to train nursing students in emergency response care. We are partnering with several local agencies and organizations to complete the exercise, and access to the Riverview Campus will be very limited between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. The 500 block of Bridge Street will be blocked, and the parking lot will have limited access during this time. For questions, contact Debbie Pike in the School of Nursing at (434) 791-7113 or [email protected].
Sam’s Club on Campus
The Sam’s Club representative will be on campus today, Apr. 18, and Wednesday, Apr. 25., in the dining hall from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. each day. You can renew your membership and the representative can assist you with a new enrollment.
CCECC Executive Director Candidate on Campus
Please join us today, Apr. 18, at 2:45 p.m. in Blount Chapel as we welcome our second CCECC director candidate, Dr. Billy Wooten. Dr. Wooten will present his thoughts on community engagement, revitalization and the role of students in community efforts. The session includes time for candidate questions and discussion. Please join us and offer your input as we try to fill what is a very important leadership role in our community.
Dr. Wooten previously served as a faculty member and division chair at Berea College. While at Berea, he took a leadership role in promoting service learning pedagogy and helping students excel in transformative internship experiences. If you would like a copy of his credentials, email Susan Huckstep at [email protected].
Note: Our final candidate, Richard Glass, will be on campus May 2 at 2 p.m. in the multipurpose room. Watch CoffeeBreak for more details closer to his visit.
Staff Meeting and Staff Council Nominations
The April Staff Meeting will take place tomorrow Apr. 19, at 11:15 a.m. Please join us for a social media update, departmental announcements, staff council nomination details and lunch with your co-workers!
Staff Council nominations are currently being accepted for the 2018-2019 fiscal year. Please complete the form located here. The site is secure, once you click on the link you may need to click “allow” or “continue to this website” on your computer to get to the document.
Nominations will be accepted until Monday, Apr. 30. New this year, online voting will begin Friday, May 4. Voting will run from Friday, May 4, until Friday, May 11. You will receive an email with the voting information.
The new Staff Council Members will be announced at the Thursday, May 17, meeting. Should you have any questions, please contact Mark Sheets at [email protected].
Student Success Center Events
The Student Success Center is celebrating students’ successes and helping them prepare for the end of the semester! A ‘Sophomore Success Celebration’ will be held tomorrow, Apr. 19. All sophomores are encouraged to stop by to receive a gift bag celebrating their half-way mark through their college career.
On Wednesday, Apr. 25, the Student Success Center will distribute ‘Finals Survival Kits’ to help ease the stress of finals. Finally, on Friday, May 4, a ‘Caps off to Seniors Day.’ All seniors are encouraged to visit the Student Success Center that day and decorate their caps; crafting materials and food are supplied.
Music Department Ensembles Spring Concerts
Welcome the arrival of Spring (we hope) with the Music Department ensemble concerts this weekend. Saturday night the AU Cougar Band will celebrate classic American tunes that include Aaron Copland’s “Hoedown;” Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah;” Ol’ time revival tunes; Motown hits and Morton Gould’s “American Salute.”
On Sunday afternoon, the Averett Handbell Ensemble will present a program that showcases both ensemble and solo bell ringing of familiar hymn tunes. The Averett Singers will add new music that includes excerpts from Dan Forrest’s “Our Father,” classic pop tunes (Lennon/McCartney’s “Blackbird;” “What a Wonderful World”), along with new classics (“This is Me” and “Human”). Come support your students in their artistic expressions.
Academic Support Updates
The last day for drop-in consultations in the Writing Center is Wednesday, Apr. 25. The last day for regularly scheduled tutoring sessions and open group tutoring opportunities is also Wednesday, Apr. 25. The Student Success Center believes it is best to allow peer tutors/consultants to have the week of finals to focus on their own studies during the last week of school.
Should you speak with students who are needing assistance after Wednesday, April 25, please tell them to email either [email protected] or [email protected] with their request, and they will most likely be scheduled with a professional tutor/consultant for assistance.
Administrative Professionals Event
There will be an Administrative Professionals event at The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research on Wednesday, Apr. 25, from 11:15 a.m. until 1:15 p.m. The guest speaker is Connie Nyholm, owner and CEO of the Virginia International Raceway. The cost is $25. For more information, click here.
Save the Date: Medicare Presentation
There will be a Medicare Presentation on Tuesday, May 8, from 2-4 p.m. in the Carrington Conference Room. Carolyn B. Smith,, president and CEO of The Marketplace Insurance Agency & ElderCare Associates, Inc., will be here.
Carolyn and her team will present the Medicare program to anyone interested and answer questions you may have after the presentation. Contact Kathie Tune at [email protected] for additional information.
Click the Link!
“Collegiality is a “relationship among colleagues with a commitment to sustaining a positive and productive environment as critical for the progress and success of the university community” (North Dakota State University).”
At Averett, we strive to live up to the standard of collegiality. On the other hand, incivility is when community members treat each other poorly or engage in workplace harassment and discrimination. The first program in our employee training program for 2018 raises awareness of these issues (intentional and accidental), provides tools to deal with them and explains the prohibition against retaliation.
Since the program was launched on Friday, March 23, through Tuesday, Apr. 10, only 14 percent of our employees have completed this mandatory training. It takes just 40 minutes to complete this interactive course. If you have not logged and changed your password in the last few weeks, your username is your Averett email address and your initial password is your PID (include the P). Go ahead, click the link!
