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, August 11, for a Wednesday, Aug. 16, publication.

Wilson Elected to D3SIDA Board as Region Representative

Averett University Director of Athletic Communications Drew Wilson has been elected to serve on the D3SIDA Board of Directors as the Region 3 representative, the organization announced Aug. 1.

Wilson, who enters his 16th year at Averett this fall, was elected as the Region 3 representative, which serves all Division III schools in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. Wilson’s two-year term begins immediately and expires 2024-2025.

Congratulations, Drew, on this distinguished appointment!

Welcome Lizzie Velonza-Estes

Lizzie Velonza-Estes has joined the Averett Online Student Services team as the Military Site and Student Support Liaison. Lizzie will advise our students at Quantico, the Northern Virginia Region, and across our Averett Online programs. She will also have some recruiting and admissions responsibilities. Lizzie’s office will be located at the Voluntary Education Center (VEC), Marine Corps Base Quantico, VA.

Lizzie comes to us having most recently lived in Washington state, where she worked as a paralegal. She also has experience in higher education, having worked in various capacities at Gonzaga University while she was earning her Bachelor of Arts degree in history.

Please join us in welcoming Lizzie to Averett.

Dear Averett Family,

I simply cannot express the joy it was to see each of you at Monday’s Faculty and Staff Kick-off. It was a wonderful morning and I hope that each of you felt appreciated and welcomed back as we prepare for the start of a new academic year.

Attached is an evaluation survey link for the event. We value your feedback on each aspect of the program and know that your input will help shape our planning for future events.

Each of you have my deepest gratitude for all you continue to do. We are one family and together All Averett!

Gratefully,
Tiffany M. Franks

Student Move-In, Volunteer Sign-ups Deadline

A reminder that new student move-in and check-in is set for Saturday, Aug. 12. Returning students arrive back on campus on Sunday. For a full list of opening week activities, please click Welcome-Week-Fall-2023 for all the details.

Student Check-In 

Saturday, Aug. 12
New Residential: 8-11 a.m.; Noon-1 p.m.
New Commuter: 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

Sunday, Aug. 13
Returning Residential and Commuter: 9 a.m.–3 p.m.

Employee Engagement Opportunities 

• Please sign up to volunteer by end of day today by clicking here.  You can sign up for as many slots as your schedule allows.
• Lunch will be provided for all volunteers.
• Contact Person: Tina Younger ([email protected])                                                                                

Welcome Week: August 13 – 21

• Please feel free to engage with our students at any event.
• Contact Person: Nate Lake ([email protected])

Thank you in advance for your support and participation.

Get in Your Submissions for Cougar Connection

Cougar Connection, the weekly newsletter for Averett University students, returns Monday, Aug. 14. Make sure you submit information for the newsletter by Thursdays each week. The deadline for Monday’s edition is end of day tomorrow, Aug. 10. To submit an entry, please click HERE.

Convocation Next Tuesday

Join Averett for Convocation Tuesday, Aug. 15, at 11:15 a.m. in Pritchett Auditorium in the Violet T. Frith Fine Arts Center ahead of the start of the new semester on Wednesday, Aug. 16. All are welcome to attend.

Averett University’s Cougar Business Fest 2023

Averett University’s Center for Community Engagement and Career Competitiveness (CCECC) invites you to the annual Cougar Business Festival on Tuesday, Aug. 15, from noon to 3 p.m. on Main Campus in the Carrington Gym.

SharePoint Training

IT is offering SharePoint training conducted by Tahsha Harmon, independent IT contractor, during the month of August. Attendees will learn how to use SharePoint for document sharing, real-time collaboration, and how it integrates with the suite of Office 365 apps. Attendees will also preview and learn how to navigate the new Averett intranet built on the SharePoint platform.

Training is offered for all Averett employees. You may sign up for a training session using the following link to a Microsoft SharePoint Training Form: https://forms.office.com/r/swUWgBfRSc.

Save your seat now. Contact Tahsha Harmon at [email protected] for any questions regarding SharePoint training.

Let’s Get Engaged, Cougars!

Dr. Franks has awarded each employee 16 hours of service time for the academic year. You can volunteer at your child’s school, voter registration stations, at your church or a community event, for example.

If you would like to volunteer and need suggestions, contact the CCECC for volunteer options. To use these hours, you must have permission from your supervisor and log your hours in Paylocity. Hours can be used in 1-16 hour increments. Once you complete the information below, you can save the form for your records. To highlight your volunteer experience, please upload a photo to share with the campus.

For questions, contact Director of Community Engagement and Outreach Tia Yancey at [email protected] .

Mary B. Blount Library Announces New Book Club

Our library staff members have been hard at work this summer to cope with many changes in personnel, but that hasn’t prevented us from bringing some new and exciting things to the library. One of these things is a book club. These meetings will be open to faculty, staff, students and alumni, as well as interested community members. Please visit the library page through the provided link to learn more about our new book club and to vote on the upcoming read.

About – Book Club – Library at Averett University (libguides.com)

CCECC Events Calendar and Updates

As the fall semester fast approaches, the CCECC is excited to offer a full slate of events for faculty, staff, and students. To see the calendar, click CCECC Calendar of Events. If you have any questions, please let us know. Specific details for each event will be sent closer to the event date.

We have also updated our annual one-pager, CCECC Info Page, which overviews our services, outcomes and contact information. Please reach out with any questions or ideas you may have about how we can partner.

Updated Tuition Remission Policy

The waiting period for employees and their dependents has changed from one year to no waiting period. Please see section VI of the updated policy. The final version is listed here for your reference and has been placed in the Policy Library on SharePoint (the new AU intranet).

Tuition Remission Benefit Eligibility
The tuition remission benefit is an opportunity for eligible employees and their dependents, as defined in this Policy, to attend classes at Averett with 100% of the tuition paid by the University, subject to the requirements and limitations outlined in this Policy. This benefit is available immediately after an eligible employee begins work at Averett. To receive the tuition remission benefit, the process outlined in the accompanying Procedures must be completed.

Eligible employees and dependents who take courses under this policy are subject to all requirements and restrictions that apply to University students, as published in the University catalog.

Contact Kathie Tune at [email protected] for additional information.

Submit your Averett ID Card Info Now

We are working on implementing a new card access system across several buildings on Main Campus. The hours the doors are currently unlocked by key will remain the same, but for employees wanting access to their offices after hours will need to use their ID to access their buildings. This system will help secure our campus, making it a safer environment for students, employees and visitors. If you have not completed this task yet, please do so as soon as possible.

• If you have an ID card that looks like this on the back, please click this LINK and follow the instructions to enter the correct number from the back of your Averett ID card (as shown below, circled in red). This is NOT the same as your Averett ID number, which may be three, four or five digits (typically five).
• If you DO NOT yet have your Averett ID or you DO NOT have this version of the Averett ID card (one that DOES NOT have the above numbers on the back), use this LINK to upload a photo and request a new card.

Employees will be notified when new ID cards are ready for pick up.

Thank you for the photos

Allow us to take this opportunity to thank everyone who submitted photos for the August Opening celebration. The slideshow was a huge success and will likely return next summer.

Water Challenge Update

The Water Challenge is here! (for real this time 😊)

Once you are in the wellness portal you will see a prompt in the middle of your screen to sign up for the Water Challenge. Please reach out if you have any questions! [email protected]  Also, don’t forget your FREE water bottle.

Good luck and have a great week.