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, May 5, for a Wednesday, May 10, publication.
Erica Bailey named Director of Online Admissions
I am excited to announce the promotion of Erica Bailey to director of Online Admissions. Erica has been part of the Averett Online team since 2019, where she worked with Student Success as a graduate assistant. She was then hired as a full-time counselor in March 2020, moving her way up to assistant and then associate director in 2022.
In her time as an admissions counselor, she was responsible for the admittance of 228 students. In August 2022 alone, Erica matriculated 94 students into Averett Online, marking one of our highest enrollment starts. In her time as associate director, she has led training for 11 new admissions counselors. Erica cares deeply about the Averett Online students and the growth of each Online academic department. Her biggest passion is the admissions counselors on her team, and she thanks them for their perspective, communication and approachability.
Erica is extremely excited to see Averett Online Admissions continue to succeed! Please join me in congratulating Erica for this well-deserved promotion. In addition, I want to thank Josh Williams for everything he has done as interim director of Online Admissions. Josh has done a great job guiding us over the past year and will be with us through the fiscal year.
-Vice President of Enrollment Management and University Marketing, Lee Beaumont
LOCATION CHANGE: Spring 2023 Commencement
Spring 2023 Commencement will now be held inside the gym of the Grant Center on Averett’s E. Stuart James Grant North Campus at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 6.
Tickets
Graduates will receive up to 12 tickets to distribute to guests.
Virtual Viewing of Graduation
The webcast will begin 15 minutes before the graduation ceremony for those who cannot attend the ceremony in person.
Volunteers Needed
We still need volunteers to hand out programs, take up tickets and help guests with questions for commencement. If you can help, please reach out to Debbie Pike at [email protected] and let her know you’re available.
Active Shooter Situation: Response Guide
As was shared last month, members of the Averett Emergency Response Team have been reviewing all emergency response plans for the campus community. Upon completion of the updated manual, the team will work with regional and state emergency management agencies, law enforcement departments and disaster response partners to undergo a number of trainings for the team, and is exploring opportunities for students, faculty and staff to undergo some awareness training, as well.
In the meantime, we have pulled together a quick guide for faculty and staff for a lockdown or active shooter situation, which can be accessed here. This PowerPoint deck shares the structure of the Averett University Emergency Response Team (ERT); describes emergency protocols and key actions to keep your classroom or office safe upon notification; explains “Run. Hide. Fight.”; describes appropriate actions when confronted by law enforcement officers; and outlines next steps for our campus.
As a reminder, the University’s emergency procedures for a variety of situations can be found here. Please review these and remind your colleagues and students to stay abreast of these. Don’t forget to follow Averett’s LiveSafe communications. To reach Campus Safety and Security, call (434) 791-5888, or for urgent safety concerns, call 911 to reach the Danville Police Department.
Senior Grades Due for Commencement
The Registrar’s Office would like to remind all faculty that senior grades are due to our office no later than 3 p.m. today, May 3. A reminder will be sent to each faculty member as well. Thank you!
Faculty, Staff and Retiree Appreciation Luncheon in Carrington Gym
We are excited to join together for food, fellowship and a time to celebrate one another at our annual Averett Faculty, Staff and Retiree Appreciation Luncheon this Thursday, May 4.
We’ve had a fantastic response from those planning to attend, and we’re excited that so many colleagues will be joined together. Due to the increased number of attendees, we’ve decided to relocate the event to the Carrington Gym in order to more comfortably accommodate everyone. We think this larger space will better serve us moving about, catching up with colleagues and enjoying this special time together.
The buffet tables will open at 11:45 a.m., so we encourage everyone to get started with their meal at that time and the program will begin at noon. See you then!
Nurse Pinning Ceremonies
Our 2023 ABSN, BSN and MSN pinning ceremonies will be held on Friday, May 5, in Pritchett Auditorium. ABSN and BSN will start at 9 a.m., and the MSN portion will begin at 11:30 a.m.
Medicare 101
Carolyn B. Smith, president & CEO of Marketplace Insurance Agency and members of her team, will host a Zoom meeting for anyone interested in learning more about Medicare eligibility and the programs available to eligible individuals. The presentation is scheduled for Thursday, May 11, from 2:30-4:30 p.m. to allow plenty of time for questions and answers. The Zoom invitation for the program is listed below. The agency’s contact information is listed here for your reference.
Topic: Medicare 101 with Carolyn Smith and Team
Time: May 11, 2023 02:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting https://averett.zoom.us/j/91008804193?pwd=TVNqUXdUdXFTUHErY2s0UHhMMWw5UT09
Meeting ID: 910 0880 4193 Passcode: 073702
Carolyn B. Smith
President & CEO The Marketplace Insurance Agency & ElderCare Associates, Inc.
(877)433-1149
[email protected]
MarketplaceAgency.com
Virtual Book Club
Join the Averett Alumni Association as we enjoy books, lively discussion and Cougar fellowship on Tuesday, May 16, at 6 p.m.. The spring selection is “Black Hearts and White Minds” by Mitch Margo. Mitch was a dear friend to Charles Harris. Please see below for additional information.
Be Part of Averett’s Future
Come join colleagues for fellowship and brainstorming as we plan for Year Four of the Averett 2025 Bigger Dreams, Bolder Futures Strategic Plan!
The Averett 2025 Imperative Teams will meet on Wednesday, June 7, for a summer planning session to discuss progress and successes this year, challenges faced, and to begin planning for the next round of projects to continue advancing Averett 2025. We would love to have as many staff and faculty join us as possible on June 7 beginning at 10 a.m. in the President’s Suite at North Campus.
- The morning session will be devoted to hearing from Year Three Project Chairs, celebrating their work and discussing their ideas on how to shape the work of Year Four. At the conclusion, everyone is invited to join us for celebration and lunch at 12:15 p.m.
- At 1:30 p.m., we will host a couple of roundtable breakout sessions to allow for brainstorming around each our strategic areas of focus/imperatives: Enrollment Growth and Visibility, Sustainable Foundations, Strategic and Innovative Partnerships, and Transformational Learning Experiences. President’s Council members will facilitate the small group discussions and all help generate conversation and prompt project ideas.
The goal of the roundtables will be to get as much input from as many people as possible – so please sign up, bring your ideas and plan to brainstorm with colleagues!
If you plan to attend, please RSVP to Morgan Farmer by Wednesday, May 31, so that we can plan appropriately for lunch. In the meantime, please submit your Year Four Project Ideas using this link or QR code.
For questions, contact Morgan Famer at [email protected].
Round Four!
Happy Wednesday! Today begins the fourth round of the Invitational Challenge! Kudos to all the participants thus far, Averett currently has three people in the top 20 with over 120 participating. Good Job!
Next week will be the final round of the Invitational Step Challenge, so keep your eyes peeled for the next challenge updates.
Portal Link: https://www.webmdhealth.com/VPC/
