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, Oct. 27, for a Wednesday, Nov. 1, publication.
Complete Dining Survey for a Chance to Win
We are conducting a study to better understand your campus dining habits and preferences. By sharing your thoughts, we will gain valuable insight to help improve your overall campus dining experience.
This online survey will take no more than 10 minutes, and your responses are confidential. At the end of the survey, you will have an opportunity to provide your contact information if you wish to enter the drawing for a grand prize of $150 e-card, or one of three first prizes of $50 e-cards.
The survey is mobile-friendly and can be taken on a smartphone, mobile device or a computer.
Click HERE to begin the survey:
We appreciate your time and thank you for your assistance.
Medicare Sessions Coming Soon from Elevance Health
HR leaders and benefits managers,
Scott Swortzel, account management executive ([email protected]), has offered two sessions of Medicare education via webinar in the next few weeks. Audience registration links are below and may be shared with employees and family members. Please make sure to click the link and register as soon as possible to receive the follow-up emails.
Webcast Title: Medicare Education session
Webcast Date: Thursday, Oct. 26, at noon
Use this link to access the audience view of the webcast.
https://event.on24.com/wcc/r/4385361/60916D93FE82E19AE84F24ABB4DEEFA0
Webcast Title: Medicare Education session
Webcast Date: Thursday, Nov. 9, at noon
Use this link to access the audience view of the webcast.
https://event.on24.com/wcc/r/4385363/41A72415874DA2D2A5E19E3DACE1E990
Spring 2024 Registration Begins Next Week
The schedule is as follows:
Seniors (90+ Credits): 7 a.m. October 23-24
Juniors (60-89 Credits): 7 a.m. October 25-26
Sophomores (30-59 Credits): 7 a.m. October 27-28
Freshman (00-29 Credits): 7 a.m. October 29-30
If you have any questions or issues with dates, course offerings, times, etc. that have been published for your department(s), please do not hesitate to reach out to the Registrar’s Office ([email protected]).
African & African American Studies Courses for the Spring
To All Faculty Advisors:
Please alert interested advisees of the following spring semester courses in service of the African & African American Studies minor: SOC/AFAM 317: Race & Ethnicity (Brune); ENG/AFAM /WGS 405: Modernism (Clark); CRJ/SOC/AFAM 375: Corrections (Lindsey); ENG/AFAM/HON 399: Dr. King & Malcolm X: Their Writings, Speeches & Sermons (Gazda); and SOC/AFAM 299: Sociology of Health (Lellock). Contact Toni Gazda at [email protected] or 1-7101 if you have questions or send students directly to her for more information.
October Book Club Pick in Blount Library
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides has been chosen for the October book club meeting which will be held on Thursday, Oct. 26, from 5-6 p.m. in Blount Library. Please join us as we read this suspenseful story which was voted “Best Mystery and Thriller (2019)” by Goodreads Choice Awards. Visit the library website for more information. Copies are available at The Dog-Eared Page on Main Street.
https://averett.libguides.com/bookclub
Symphonic Band Fall Pops Concert
Join the Averett Symphonic Band for an evening of popular music from top radio hits to music from some of the best movies ever made. The concert will be Friday, Oct. 27, at 7 p.m. in Pritchett Auditorium. Admission is free.
Counseling Services Workshops Updates
Anna Hall in Counseling Services will be facilitating workshops on Tuesdays and Thursdays this semester. On Tuesdays from 11:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. (Bishop 302) Hall will be working with students on mindfulness techniques, distress tolerance (dealing with difficult situations), emotion regulation (managing emotions), interpersonal effectiveness (making and maintaining relationships). Oct. 31 will focus on distress tolerance, Nov. 7 will focus on emotion regulation, and Nov. 14 will focus on interpersonal effectiveness.
On Thursdays, workshops will be held from 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. in Bishop 302. The workshop topic on Thursday, Oct. 26 and Thursday, Nov. 2 will be Connecting with Others: Gaining Interpersonal Skills. This workshop series will focus on how to make more meaningful connections with others, practice interpersonal skills, and process common interpersonal relationship issues.
Relationships 101: Navigating Interpersonal Relationships will be held on Thursday, Nov. 9 and Thursday, Nov. 16. This workshop will guide students through important relationship skills such as boundary-setting, communication, and conflict resolution. Please refer your students
CANS Across the Conference Competition is Back
This initiative is held annually as a community service competition among all institutions in the ODAC. Each campus Student-Athlete Advisory Committee collects cans and other non-perishable items at their school to benefit their local community. This year, Averett University SAAC has a goal of collecting over 10,000 items to help benefit God’s Storehouse here in Danville. Drop-off locations around Main Campus include the Cougar Den and Student Success Center. These locations will be checked periodically by a member of SAAC E-Board.
For any additional information or questions please contact SAAC Advisor Ariyanna Mason at [email protected].
Faculty & Staff Halloween Party
Join us for the 2023 Faculty/Staff Halloween Party in Blount Library on Tuesday, Oct. 31 from 3:30-5 p.m. The event will feature a costume contest for individuals and groups/departments with prizes for 1st/2nd/3rd place. There will also be a pumpkin painting craft for all in attendance.
Please use this link or scan the QR on our flyer to register for the event which will ensure that we have enough pumpkins as well as refreshments.
https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=nPg-U7hac0aaGW1q90W3dRi0aW4faHNBnMlIiK5vVCZUNFBaWVI4TzE0T0Q4UTFVMTA2VEw1N1EyTS4u
Open Enrollment for 2024 Health Benefits: November 1-16
Mark your calendars for Wednesday, Nov. 1, when Open Enrollment opens for medical (health, dental, vision) benefits for eligible employees. The open enrollment window closes on Thursday, Nov. 16, for the 2024 benefit year. Contact Kathie Tune, [email protected], or Pam Paynter, [email protected] with questions.
Please note:
•Completing the Open Enrollment process is strongly encouraged for all benefits eligible employees to, at a minimum, review your current elections and payroll deductions. If you prefer to maintain your current enrollment, make sure to log into the portal to reset your FSA and/or HSA contributions as those elections will not carry into the next year.
•Benefits eligible spouses need a new election and a 2024 affidavit to remain active for another year. Those deductions and any changes in your dependent coverage, including your spouse, must be recorded.
•You will not be able to enroll again until Open Enrollment for 2024, unless you experience a qualifying life event.
Questions? Concerns? Considerations? Zoom meetings are scheduled for Wednesdays and Thursdays, 11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m. and from 3-5 p.m.
Join Zoom Meeting (11;15 a.m.-12:15 p.m.)
https://averett.zoom.us/j/93596544286?pwd=Yis1N3psRlJrRG9DTCtMREZidVBPZz09
Join Zoom Meeting (3-5 p.m.)
https://averett.zoom.us/j/94245204744?pwd=cWtGcHh6S2xrOXlmanBFKzJBelNYUT09
Best Practices to Create an Inclusive Campus Environment Webinar
As part of our involvement with Belong: An Inclusive Learning Community, all faculty, staff and administrators are invited to register (https://bit.ly/3PRvoQh) and attend the Best Practices to Create an Inclusive Campus Environment webinar on Tuesday, Nov. 7, at 2 p.m. This interactive, 60-minute webinar will provide you with ways to strengthen accessibility throughout your courses, programming, and campus environment.
We hope you will take advantage of this professional development opportunity to learn best practices for making our students feel more included on campus. Please see the attached flyer for more information.
Lunch & Learn for Averett Trustees with Students, Faculty and Staff
Please join us on Thursday, Nov. 9, in the Dining Hall for lunch from 11:50 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. Lunch is on us.
The Board of Trustees will be on campus for their semi-annual board meeting, and they will be enjoying lunch in the Dining Hall for informal time with students, faculty and staff. This is a great networking opportunity for students, and for you to introduce yourself and have informative interaction time with Averett’s Trustees.
When you arrive to the Dining Hall, please let them know you are there to have lunch with the Board of Trustees. You will see table numbers on the tables that where board members will be asked to sit. We look forward to seeing you then.
Sincerely,
President’s Office
I9 Document Verification
Just as a reminder moving forward, all new employees must meet with Cathryn Estes in HR to verify their I9 documents in order to start working. If their documents are not seen by Cathryn, they will not be able to work until she has Physically examined them. Contact Cathryn Estes at [email protected] for any questions you may have.
Have Questions about Your Retirement Accounts and Financial Planning?
Financial Advisors from Millennium are available to meet virtually to:
• Answer questions about your retirement account.
• Discuss if you should consider moving your old retirement accounts to the current retirement plan contract.
• Provide financial planning and be a resource to help you make decisions regarding your retirement accounts.
Every employee can go through holistic financial planning sessions and receive a customized financial plan based on your goals. If you have a spouse or significant other, they are encouraged and welcome to attend as well!
These planning sessions are geared to help answer questions like:
• What changes should I consider making to my retirement plan based on my retirement and other goals?
• Am I saving enough to meet my goals in retirement?
• Is my current investment strategy appropriate given what I am trying to accomplish?
You can also reach Millennium’s Scheduling Team at [email protected] or by phone at (877) 435-2489. Click HERE to schedule a virtual visit with Tom Siebers.
Contact Kathie Tune, CHRO, at [email protected] for additional information.
Fall 2023 Student Internship
Truly excited to have placed a quality intern (Cameron Dallas) from Averett University to work in collaboration with Virginia Tech and the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR). Cameron will be working with the Virginia Tech School of Plant and Environmental Sciences (SPES) and the IALR scientists and graduate students by providing support to move projects forward.
Feel free to contact Dr. Jenn Penland if you have students interested in seeking career-related internships or job-shadowing experiences. ([email protected])
https://www.ialr.org/controlled-environment-agriculture-innovation-center/
Office 365 Work Groups and Teams Training
Office 365 Work Groups and Teams Training
Join us for a one-hour training to learn how to improve your productivity, workflow and collaboration using Office 356. The training course is designed for all technological skill and comfort levels and is open to all Averett employees.
Topics include:
• What are O365 Work Groups and Teams?
• Which one should I use?
• How to create, edit, or delete an O365 Work Group or Team
• Teams interface including features, channels, Teams meetings, group file storage, and more.
Register now using the following link: https://forms.office.com/r/7SE2dkudFE. Contact Tahsha Harmon at [email protected] for any questions.
Averett 110 Dinners
President Franks and Joe Franks are continuing the tradition of hosting Averett 110 classes for dinners at the President’s House this fall. Please see some of the positive comments that were shared at recent dinners:
Art classes are great and I have already made a beautiful piece of art.- Teachers care about you.
- The schedule of classes is convenient.
- I enjoy the small town feel of Danville and the campus.
- The camaraderie on 4th Main. I have lots of friends.
- My service dog knows the residents on my hall and they like it.
- I really enjoyed the petting zoo activity.
- The support of the Student Success Center is great – especially Joy and Holly.
- I love the independence here and the ability to make decisions on my own.
- New experiences (student from Sweden) learning about Western culture.
- The horses are taken care of better at Averett than any facility I have been to.
- The opportunities for scholarships is very important.
- I really enjoyed the freshman icebreaker when we got here.
- I like the unlimited food.
- I like the opportunity for a meal equivalency at Juts Cafe.
- I am appreciative that some students already know ASL.
- Freedom to get ahead in my classes if I want.
I interact well with my professors.- I like all the trees on this campus (Student from Egypt).
- My professors are nice, helpful, and personal.
- People in the Danville community are friendly.
- I like that Carrington Gym is open late.
- The art department is interesting. I like the faculty and am considering an art minor.
- Teachers are flexible and are willing to work with you.
- I’m making supportive friends here.
Step Challenge and Biometric Screening
Today starts the fourth round of our step challenge. Don’t forget to track your steps.
Also, about that biometric screening on Thursday, Nov. 16: it is a NON-fasting screening. So, don’t worry about not consuming anything prior. If interested, email Victor Hernandez.
Keep your eyes peeled for our next wellness challenge. I will be sharing that flyer right after we finish the step challenge in a couple of weeks.
Have a great week.
