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Virginia Business
talks with Averett University President Dr. Richard
Pfau about the university and its ties to Danville
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Q.
Describe Averett University and its mission.
A. Averett University today is a comprehensive
university offering more than 35 programs and majors
including unusual specializations like aeronautics and
equestrian studies. In 1859, when many Americans questioned
the value of a liberal arts education for women, the
people of Danville founded and supported Averett as
a four-year women’s college. More recently we were
among the first in the state to offer business degree
programs to meet both the demands of business and the
schedules of working adults. Our success is evident
in our enrollment of more than 2,700 — the highest
in our 144-year history.
Averett
is in the “dream business.” We equip our students,
whether they be 18 or 55, with the skills and character
to fulfill their dreams. We take this mission very seriously
and accomplish it very well. As one of the state’s
flagship Christian universities, we pay attention to
the development of the whole person — intellectually,
socially and spiritually.
Q.
What do you see as Averett’s role as a leader in
the Commonwealth?
A. Averett leads in education, economic development
and cultural enrichment. We recently were selected by
NASA to manage the development of the Small Aircraft
Transportation System (SATS) in Virginia. We also are
partners with Virginia Tech and Danville Community College
in the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research
in Danville. This partnership, along with the introduction
of the next generation of high-speed Internet to Southside,
will attract research and technology firms to the region.
Our graduates already are filling existing leadership
positions within the state, and they will be well-prepared
to lead in the next generation of corporations that
locate in Virginia.
In
the last 15 years, more than 5,000 working adults in
Virginia have earned master’s or bachelor’s
degrees in business through Averett’s Graduate
and Professional Studies Program (GPS). As a state leader
in adult education, we offer business degree classes
in more than 25 locations throughout the Commonwealth
including our main campus in Danville and our regional
campuses in Richmond, Tidewater and the Greater Washington
area. We recently added a campus center in the Raleigh-Durham
area of North Carolina. We are able to offer these classes
on-site at area businesses or at local Averett facilities.
Averett also works extensively with the U.S. Military
offering degree programs to members of the armed services
stationed at Virginia’s military bases.
Q.
What is the Small Aircraft Transporta-tion System and
how is Averett involved?
A. The Small Aircraft Transportation System (SATS)
will revolutionize air travel creating affordable, on-demand
taxi service to all 3,500 airports in the United States.
Just as the Internet offers on-demand access to information,
SATS will provide on-demand access to transportation.
SATS reverses the paradigm of air travel so that the
traveler, not the airline, decides when and where to
go. No longer limited by airline schedules, we’ll
choose our flight times and destinations. With SATS
what was once seen as a convenience only for the very
rich will be available to everyone. Its economic implications
for places like Danville and other small markets are
enormous.
NASA
selected Averett to oversee the research and development
of the project in Virginia based on the strength of
our existing aeronautics program, the existence of a
commercial-grade airport and the commitment of local
leaders such as Rep. Virgil Goode. Averett is training
the pilots who one day will utilize the new technology.
The plan calls for the first SATS demonstration flight
in Virginia to be ready as early as 2005 or 2006.
Q.
What do you see for the future of Averett University
and the future of Southside Virginia?
A. The success of Averett and the success of this
region are closely intertwined. I believe that projects
like the SATS lab, the Institute for Advanced Learning
and Research and the strength of our curriculum offerings
in areas like business, aeronautics and teacher education
will help create a bright future for Averett and for
Southside.
Averett
began as a school for young women at a time in our history
when educating women was a revolutionary idea. We’ve
progressed with that same revolutionary spirit as a
co-educational, master’s degree-granting, church-related
university. Averett will continue to be ahead of its
time in creating innovative educational programs that
meet the needs of the region and state. We welcome the
challenges and opportunities of the future.
Q.
Small schools often talk about the advantages they offer
students. What are some of the advantages of an Averett
education?
A. The motto we live by at Averett is, “It’s
About Students.” This is not a slogan but a rule
that guides decisions. What we mean is that students
in all our programs find in-class and out-of-class experiences
that help them learn and grow. “It’s about
students” also means outcomes, because we insure
that our graduates are ready for the challenges of their
lives. Businesses that employ our graduates know they
have employees who can adapt to and lead in an ever-changing
business environment.
One
of our graduates, now a student at Duke Law School,
recently told me that at Averett he learned “efficacy,”
which means the ability to make a real and measurable
difference in the world. We encourage students to dream
and to go after what they dream. This student found
success at Averett, he is continuing to succeed at Duke
and years from now he will look back on a life dedicated
to making the world better. That’s what we mean
by “It’s About Students.”
Dr. Richard A. Pfau is president of Averett University
in Danville. Averett is a comprehensive university offering
associate, bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
The university currently has 2,700 students.
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to Virginia Business - April 2003
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