Averett CoffeeBreak 5-2-18

Posted on May 2nd, 2018 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. Please submit by Friday, May 4, for a Wednesday, May 9, publication.

Kenny Fleming Hired as New Baseball Head Coach

Averett University Director of Athletics Meg Stevens proudly announced the hiring of Kenny Fleming as the new baseball head coach. Fleming returns to Averett after serving as an assistant coach at Division I Army West Point during the 2018 season.

Fleming previously coached three seasons with the Cougars, beginning as a student assistant in 2015 and coaching two seasons as a graduate assistant during the 2016 and 2017 seasons. He becomes the fourth coach in Averett baseball history, taking over a program with more than 200 wins and a conference championship in 23 years of varsity play. To see the full story on Fleming, click here.

2018 JeopardBee Win for Averett!

Congratulations to Averett University for winning the 2018 JeopardBee spelling bee held at West Main Baptist Church on April 19. The JeopardBee is a fundraiser for Project Literacy, an organization committed to helping raise the level of literacy in the Dan River region.

This is the fourth time an Averett University team has won this event. This year the Averett University team consisted of Jim Verdini, Patrick Wasley and Linda Lemery. The team won first place in the event by correctly spelling the final JeopardBee word, “dithyramb.” Go, Averett!

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Academic Support Tutor of the Week

Emerald Tran is a senior majoring in biochemistry. She tutors all science courses, and she has been a wonderful asset to our science tutees this academic year. Emerald is graduating and going to UNC Chapel Hill Eshelman School of Pharmacy to pursue her graduate studies.

GPS Student Spotlight

Meet Harold West, a student pursuing his Master of Business Administration degree who is expected to graduate in 2019.

QUESTION: What is your motivation for obtaining your degree?

ANSWER: “I want to create a competitive edge in the marketplace. Also, I plan to open an upscale cigar lounge, therefore obtaining my MBA would be useful in planning, maintaining and expanding the business.”

 

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.

We have been sharing these comments with you all spring. Enjoy the last few as we finish up the semester!

“I enjoy the culture even if the humidity is a challenge.”

“I like the small campus.”

“Close to home, I can commute.”

“So much positive energy – people come together. And Homecoming is fun.”

“Averett is close to things to do in Danville.”

“I enjoy the freedom of being a college schedule.”

“Food – good quantity and quality.”

“There are lots of activities – I loved the Scarowinds trip.”

“I’m enjoying my classes more than high school.”

“I love going to the Theatre programs.”

Faculty, Staff, Retiree Appreciation Luncheon

Reminder that tomorrow, May 3, from noon until 1:15 p.m. is our Faculty, Staff, Retiree Appreciation Luncheon! We look forward to seeing you there! Contact Kathie Tune at [email protected] with any questions.

Spring Commencement

Spring 2018 Commencement is on Saturday, May 5, at 10 a.m. Those wishing to attend commencement, except faculty/staff included in the procession and graduates, will need a ticket – including children of any age.

Questions regarding tickets (one per person) for students and staff, other than graduating seniors and faculty, may be directed to Mary Sullivan at [email protected]. Commencement questions from graduating seniors should be directed to Katie Johnston at [email protected].

Staff Council Voting

Thank you to everyone who submitted nominations for Staff Council. Voting will begin this Friday, May 4, and run through Friday, May 11. It will be done electronically and you will receive an email on Friday with all the details. Please contact [email protected] if you have any questions.

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 and 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.

Can we make 90 percent?

Our employee training initiative goal is to have at least 90 percent of our employees complete each of our four annual training programs. Our online course about the prevention of harassment and discrimination is ‘due’ in two weeks on Wednesday, May 16. About 35 percent of our employees have completed it so far. Thank you to all who have taken the 45 minutes to work through the course. Kudos go out to our full-time staff who lead compliance with 48 percent of them completing the training as of April 25!

Let’s make the time to assure we understand the rules and honor our community values of diversity and integrity. Keep your name off the non-compliant list going out to department heads soon – login to learn.ue.org and complete your training. If you have questions or challenges accessing the training, contact Anna Kautzman at [email protected] or extension 17244 for assistance.

GPS Student Newsletter

GPS has developed a newsletter targeted toward the GPS student population to increase their connectivity to each other, the GPS faculty and staff and Averett as a whole. It is called the ‘Cougar Quarterly,’ and as you may be able to gather, it will be sent out quarterly.

If you would like to be included in the email list for the new ‘Cougar Quarterly,’ please email Liz Cervantes at [email protected].

Campaign for Main: Update

The renovation of Main Hall is well underway, with plans to be completed by early August and 84 new freshmen living in the third and fourth floors in the Fall 2018 semester! Demolition on the fourth floor and penthouse is complete, with work on hold until our students are moved out. The full-scale work kicks off next Monday after Commencement, which also includes a renovated third floor and new bathrooms, study areas and common spaces, and the penthouse will be reopened, complete with a community kitchen. Additionally, a passenger elevator is being installed, new heating and air conditioning systems ran throughout and new electrical and replacement windows will be installed.

We are so grateful to our generous benefactors who have already helped us raise money for this project that will undoubtedly be so meaningful to our students. Since kicking off the first public phase of this multi-phased, 10-year, $28 million campaign to raise funds to renovate existing residence halls and future expansions on Main Campus, we have already secured $4.9 million in cash and pledges against a $5.36 million budget for the renovation of iconic Main Hall! But there’s still more to do, and we need your help spreading the word. There are a number of naming opportunities still available, including 25 dorm rooms still available for sale. For more information, click here.

Open Textbooks Reviewed by Professors

When considering textbooks for 2018-2019 courses, please browse cost-free alternatives from the Open Textbook Library at the University of Minnesota.

Open textbooks are textbooks that have been funded, published and licensed to be freely used, adapted and distributed. These books have been reviewed by faculty from a variety of colleges and universities to assess their quality. These books can be downloaded for no cost, or printed at low cost. All textbooks are either used at multiple higher education institutions, or affiliated with an institution, scholarly society or professional organization.

For more information on the open textbook initiative from the Virtual Library of Virginia, contact Elaine Day at [email protected].

University Giveaways

Is your department looking for fun Averett giveaways or will you need them in the next year? Things like pens, cups or bags with the Averett logo on them? The Alumni Office is preparing to make an order. If you would like to purchase some for your department, please contact Dan Hayes at [email protected].

Thank you!

Thank you for the thoughts, prayers, cards and flowers during the passing of my mother-in-law. Please keep my family in your prayers in the coming days.

Sincerely, Stephanie Walker.