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, Sept.28, for a Wednesday, Oct 3, publication.

Meet Rhonda Lawson, a student pursuing her Master of Business Administration degree who is expected to graduate in 2019. To learn more about Rhonda on this GPS blog, click here.

What is your motivation for obtaining your degree here at Averett University?

“I never had the privilege of going to college after graduating high school, but I always had the desire to complete higher education. So one day when I turned 45 years old, I made it a goal that before I turned 50 years old, I would obtain my bachelor’s of business administration.

For me, Maya Angelou said it best, ‘There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside of you.’ My untold story is I always had the desire to obtain a degree, but as time passed, raising a family and working full time, I never focused on it. However, the agony of not knowing if I could have obtained my degree that I had the chance bothered me. So, I did not want the question of not knowing how much I could have grown or whether I could have completed a degree to go unanswered. Being able to tell my story one day to someone and to be able to inspire them is my motivation.”

It’s Homecoming Week!

Happy “Woke up like this” Wednesday! Participation around campus has been awesome and quite entertaining. That’s the school spirit we want to see! But guess what, the week is not over. Tomorrow is Decades Day and Friday, wear your blue and gold! Here is the full schedule for the weekend! If you still need to buy your Homecoming Hometown Party ticket, come to Alumni Hall or email Dan Hayes at [email protected].

Friday, Sept. 28

• BLUE AND GOLD DAY – Wear your blue and gold to work and post your picture with #AverettHomecoming
• Alumni Career Expo: 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Carrington Gym on Averett’s Main Campus
• Cougar Festival: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Student Center Lawn
• Volleyball vs. Pfeiffer University: 3 p.m., North Campus
• Men’s Soccer vs. Greensboro College: 5 p.m., North Campus
• Homecoming Hometown Party with DJ Jay Rojas ’89, ’92: 6:30 p.m. (Must be 21 or over; Tickets $25 per person), Stratford Conference Center (149 Piney Forest Rd.)
• Volleyball vs. William Peace University: 7 p.m., North Campus
• After Party: 11 p.m., Kickback Jack’s

Saturday, Sept. 29

• Alumni Awards Ceremony and Athletics Hall of Fame Induction: 10 a.m., Pritchett Auditorium in the Violet T. Frith Fine Arts Center
• Tailgate Alley Opens: 10 a.m., North Campus
• Tours of the newly renovated Main Hall: 11:30 a.m., Main Hall Lobby
• Women’s Soccer vs. N.C. Wesleyan College: 1:30 p.m., North Campus
• Parking lot shuttle will start picking people up from the Abundant Life Church parking lot once the North Campus parking lot fills up.
• Alumni Cookout: 2:30 p.m., Alumni, join tailgate alley at the alumni registration area for a FREE cookout!
• Cougar Walk: 4:30 p.m., North Campus
• Gates Open: 5 p.m., North Campus
• Football vs. Greensboro College: 6:30 p.m., North Campus
• Join us after the game and support a Team Averett restaurant. Watch for the banners at Frank R. Campbell Stadium on North Campus.

Sunday, Sept. 30

• Service of Remembrance: 10 a.m., Blount Chapel
• Sunday Brunch: 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Student Center Dining Hall

Medicare Presentation Today

The Medicare presentation will be held in the Carrington Conference room today, Sept. 26, from 3-5 p.m.

Join Carolyn Smith from Marketplace Agency & ElderCare for a workshop on Medicare enrollment, rules and regulations, and tips on how to find the best plan for you.

Averett Chapel

Please join your fellow students, faculty and staff tomorrow, Sept. 27, at 11:15 a.m. in Blount Chapel, for Averett Chapel–a non-sectarian, Christian worship service. Just 30 minutes long!

Please do not schedule any student, faculty or staff obligations during Chapel Time, the second and fourth Thursday of each month, from 11:15 a.m.-11:45 a.m., so that we can all take time in our week to nurture our spiritual formation according to conscience.

Senior Pinning Ceremony

All faculty and staff are invited to attend the Senior Pinning Ceremony tomorrow, Sept. 27, at 4 p.m. at the Violet T. Frith Fine Arts Center. A reception will follow the ceremony at the President’s House.

Career Expo

Averett’s annual Career Expo will be held this Friday, Sept. 28, from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Carrington Gym. This is strictly a networking event in which students have the opportunity to meet alumni and other business/community leaders. It is not a job fair.

The Expo is a speed-networking event and students will have just a few minutes at each station to ask career related questions before moving to the next. The event is required for all freshmen, but is open to ALL students. Please encourage students to attend. Interested students should contact the CCECC for more information.

Cans Across the Conference

The Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) will be collecting canned goods at the football game this Saturday, Sept. 29. There will be a table inside the gate starting an hour before the game until half time. All proceeds will go to God’s Storehouse and help SAAC reach its goal for the Cans Across the Conference competition (Which they have won four years in a row! Go Averett!)

Voter Registration Opportunities

The CCECC is hosting two more voter registration drives at the table in front of the dining hall before the October 15 deadline. Let your students know they are allowed to vote in Virginia if they are from another state. Please stop by during these times to learn more:

Tuesday, Oct. 2, from noon-1:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 9, from noon-1:30 p.m.

TIAA Representative On Campus

A reminder to schedule your one-on-one appointment with Matthew Meade, our TIAA financial consultant. Meade will be here on Monday, Oct. 1, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The last appointment will be at 3 p.m.

Click here or call (800) 732.8343, weekdays from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. You may schedule an appointment with Meade to ask about enrolling in the University’s retirement plan or inquire about your current enrollment in the plan.

Staff Social on October 11

All staff are invited to a staff social on Thursday, Oct. 11, at 4:45 p.m. at Crema & Vine, hosted by Staff Council. Please join us! It’s okay if you can only stay 10 minutes or if you want to stay for two hours!

The idea is to give staff an option to gather off campus after work and relax with co-workers. Finger food will be provided by Staff Council. Crema & Vine is a Cougar Nation Discount Program business and that means all other purchases (coffee, soda, wine or beer) are 15 percent off. See you there!

Fall Screenings and Flu Clinic

Fall Health Screenings will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 17, and Thursday, Oct. 18, from 7 a.m. until noon in the MPR. Please sign up by clicking here. This is for Health Plan participants only!

ALSO: The flu clinic will be held Wednesday, Oct. 17, and Thursday, Oct. 18, in the MPR. Please bring a copy of your health insurance card and photo ID. This is open to everyone.

Save the Date: Health Insurance Vendor Day

Please save the date for the Health Insurance Vendor Day. It will be Friday, Oct. 26, in the MPR from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. More to come regarding open enrollment dates.

Averett to Host the VACUHO 2018 RA Conference

Student Life is hosting VACUHO 2018 RA Conference on Nov. 2-3. The goal of the conference is to inspire student leaders towards achievements in their tracks & fields of interest. We will accomplish our goal through intensive training that vaults them into action. We will offer a marathon of meets and trials centered on advancing one’s self as an RA and individually. The end goal of this conference is for the delegates to discus the ideas and events back at their home institutions and to further ignite the flames of learning!

Student Life is looking for presenters for the conference. If you are interested please contact Jawoin Williams at [email protected]. To see the full website for the conference, click here.

Holiday Season Break for Staff

 The holiday season can be a wonderful time of religious, cultural and seasonal celebrations with family, friends and communities. So, in the true spirit of the season, Averett University will recognize Thursday Dec. 20, through Wednesday, Jan. 2, as our holiday break. Offices will close at end of day Wednesday, Dec. 19, and will reopen on Thursday, Jan. 3, 2019.

Averett is very pleased to be able to provide this wonderful additional benefit to recognize the exceptional work that all of our faculty and staff do every day.

Please note:  If you are one of those positions that will be required to be on-call or in the office during this time (primarily Admissions, Mailroom, Registrar’s Office, Student Financial Services, Institutional Advancement, IT, Athletics, GPS, etc.), you will be notified by your supervisor as to what those hours are and what the expectations will be during the break.

New Master’s Programs Available

Averett University’s Graduate and Professional Studies program is excited to announce two new master’s degree programs! These new programs include a Master of Science in Criminal Justice Administration and Leadership and Master of Science in Applied Data Analytics.

If you or anyone you know are interested in pursuing their master’s or even finishing a bachelor’s, check us out online by clicking here to request more information.