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 26, for a Wednesday, May 31, publication.

Welcome Hannah-Ireland Durando

The Traditional Admissions Office would like to welcome Hannah-Ireland Durando as a new admissions counselor. She is a native of Winston-Salem, North Carolina and a May 2023 graduate from Averett with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in design and technical theatre, with a concentration in costume design and a minor in history.

As an undergraduate, Hannah served as chair of the student conduct board and vice president of the Averett Theatre Players, and worked as a Student Ambassador. Hannah will be responsible for recruiting students from the states of Alaska, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, South Carolina, Washington and parts of North Carolina, as well as northern Virginia counties.

We are excited to welcome Hannah and believe as a recent graduate she will be a wonderful asset for our recruiting process. Stop by our office to meet and welcome Hannah.

Celebrating our Colleagues and their New Adventures 

We invite you to come by the President’s Office (419 W. Main Street) on Thursday, June 1, for a drop-in between 3 and 4:30 p.m. for a celebration in honor of Cyndie Basinger on her retirement and to welcome Mary Sullivan back to Averett University in her new role as executive assistant to the President.

PC Summer Cookout

Please plan to join us on Thursday, June 15, for the annual PC Summer Cookout. We will gather on the Student Center lawn for a time of fellowship and food. Lunch will be served by President’s Council from 11:45 a.m.- 1 p.m. Mark your calendar and join us for some good food and great company!

If you plan to join, please RSVP to Mary Sullivan at [email protected] by Friday, June 9.

Business almost as usual in Human Resources

Pam Paynter will be on leave until Wednesday, July 5, and in her absence, we will proceed with business almost as usual. Cathryn Estes ([email protected]) will be responsible for onboarding new hires; Tammy Wall ([email protected]) will be handling retirement contribution reports and HSA funding. If you have any questions, please forward them to Kathie Tune ([email protected]). Tammy Wall, Cathryn Estes and Kathie Tune are reading Pam’s emails in order to make sure your inquiries are managed as they come to Pam’s email account.

Staff Council Seeking Nominations

We need your help to find the next members of Staff Council. To ensure a balanced representation of all University departments, the council members are categorized into four (4) groups, with three (3) members serving in each group: (Please note, this year individuals from each group have vacant spaces)
Group A: Athletics – 2 Vacant Spaces;
Group B: Student Life, Residents’ life, Student Engagement, Spiritual Life, Student Success, CCECC, Health Services, Academics (Library, Aviation(FBO), Equestrian, Nursing), Registrar’s Office – 3 Vacant Spaces;
Group C: Averett Online, Admissions, Front desk – Averett Central, President Office, Communication/Marketing – 1 Vacant Space
Group D: Student Financial Aid, Business Office, IT , HR, Institutional Research, Institutional Advancement, Events, Mailroom, Compliance – 1 Vacant Space

You are allowed to nominate any person from Group A, B, C, and D who is a full-time employee of Averett University and is not classified as a faculty member or a member of President’s Council. Please make sure your nominee(s) will be willing to serve as a member of Staff Council and is also committed to the three-year term if elected. You do not have to nominate one from each group. For example, your nominees may all come from the same department. You are welcome to nominate as many individuals as you would like. Staff Council nominations for 2023-24 are due by Wednesday May 31, To submit a nomination please email [email protected].

Is playing golf not your thing? Come out after ROAR Day and join us for Cougar Golf Classic Happy Hour at 2:30 p.m. at the golf course during the tournament! Lunch, beverages and yard games are included with the $25 entry fee. Please email [email protected] to RSVP.

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].

Healthy Solutions

Happy Wednesday and good job with the water challenge. All the participants did very well, and we had two of our very own finish in the top 10 with participants from seven other institutions. These two were Morgan Farmer and Jennifer Freeze – great job!

We will have goodie bags for the top five steppers, who are (in order) Morgan Farmer, Jennifer Freeze, Jennifer Robinson, Teresa Barker and Kristi Phillips.

Our next challenge will be in Q3, and will become visible in the wellness portal on July 12.

Have a great rest of your week!