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 by 4:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 17, for a Wednesday, Feb. 22, publication.

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Averett’s women’s basketball is hosting two conference tournament games this weekend. The women’s basketball team is 17-8 (10-4 USA South) this season, and the 17 wins matches the program record for most wins in a season.The women’s basketball team earned the No. 2 seed in the USA South East Division and the right to host its quarterfinals game.

This means, the men’s basketball game for Saturday, Feb. 18, will now start at 2 p.m. (was originally 3 p.m.) due to Averett hosting a neutral site women’s basketball conference tournament game Saturday evening between Greensboro and Methodist. The first 100 students, 50 faculty/staff will receive free tickets.

Saturday’s men’s basketball game is Senior Day and also the Caring for Carrie fundraiser for the Student Athletic Advisory Committee, or SAAC. This is the third annual Caring for Carrie event. Teal hats, $15, and t-shirts, $10, will be available. All profits go to the Jimmy V Foundation. Everyone is welcome! Admission is free.

On Sunday, Feb. 19, women’s basketball will play the winner of Saturday’s Greensboro/Methodist game at 4 p.m. at the Grant Center. The first 100 students, 50 faculty/staff will receive free tickets.

Ideal Adjunct Professor Delivers Ted Talk

Averett Ideal Professor Lee Sandstead recently delivered a Ted Talk at Virginia Tech. The video, which he shares with his online students, discusses how he discovered art in his early twenties, and how this has transformed his life to this very day. Watch it here.

GPS Student Spotlight: Rebecca Doss

Throughout the month, the Graduate and Professional Studies (GPS) admissions team interviews and highlights our GPS students. We hope you will enjoy learning more about these amazing members of our Averett family!

Meet Rebecca Doss who is pursuing her bachelor’s of business administration and is expected to graduate in 2018.

What is your motivation for obtaining your degree? “After earning an associate’s degree, I was still uncertain about the career path I wished to pursue. The experience I have gained has helped me narrowed down my career focus. I am convinced that continuing my education will help me reach my personal goals for career advancement.”

Why did you choose Averett’s Graduate & Professional Studies Program? “The GPS program at Averett is different than the online courses other universities provide. The courses are designed for people like myself who are trying to find the perfect balance between work, family life and college courses. Averett truly makes the process easy! I enjoy the convenience of a predetermined class schedule and the amount of time it saves! The 5 week courses help me remain focused and excited about the course and its requirements.”

Please share one tip for your fellow classmates and future AU students. “The biggest challenge you are going to face as a nontraditional student is time management. It is imperative to have the support of your friends and family. It is perfectly acceptable to ask for help when you are feeling overwhelmed. They want your success as much as you do!”

What helps to keep you motivated while you are in the program? “The influence I am having on my children serves as my motivation. They are able to see firsthand what hard work and dedication look like when it comes to pursuing a goal. I am proud to set this example for them.”

 Student Accolades

This week Student Life would like to recognize Tyler Henley, Ivory Walton, Winston Sinclair, Sam Chandler, Clarice Ellinger, Jalen Burnett and Trevonne Thompson.

Last fall, the Student Life department began recognizing students that go the extra mile in whatever they are doing on campus. Each week, the staff meets to select students for recognition for their dedication to Averett, and they are notified they’ve been nominated for a chance to win a $50 Visa Gift Card. At the end of the semester, we put all the names in a bowl and draw the name of one lucky student. This is our way to let the students know we appreciate all that they do.

SACSCOC Corner

The time has come! This is the last CoffeeBreak before the SACSCOC team will be on campus.

Next week, Averett University will undergo its on-site peer review visit by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, or SACSCOC evaluators, who will be on campus February 21-23. During this time, all students, faculty and staff should be aware of the evaluation team, and please be welcoming if you encounter them. They may ask questions, and it’s important that you speak with them and answer their questions, while giving them a warm Averett welcome.

Let’s not forget how important this is for our students! Successful reaffirmation provides support of essential functions for students like access to federal aid, the ability to transfer credits, acceptance into graduate school and eligibility for professional licensing, among other things. Please help us to present Averett in the best way possible!

For any questions during the visit or for more information about Averett University’s Reaffirmation 2017 process, contact The Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Research at (434) 791-5618 or [email protected], or visit https://www.averett.edu/academics/institutional-research/.

Averett to host Nursing Speaker

Averett University’s School of Nursing is hosting a special inspirational speaker on campus tomorrow, Thursday, Feb. 16. After being blinded and severely injured by a drunk driver, Marcus Engel overcame unimaginable obstacles to reclaim his life. This dramatic story of survival will inspire health care professionals to reignite their passion for providing excellent patient care and give others, if ever injured, the fighting spirit to ‘take back’ their life.

Engel will speak three times throughout the day, 8 a.m., 11:30 a.m., or 7 p.m. in Blount Chapel. Contact Pam Giles at [email protected] or Debbie Pike at [email protected] with any questions. The event is free but attendees should register here.

The Pillowman

In an interrogation room in an unnamed totalitarian dictatorship, Katurian, a writer, is being interrogated by two detectives. The detectives want to know why his stories feature gruesome plots about child murder and torture, and in particular, why they seem to mirror a string of recent child murders in the area. “The Pillowman” is a dark, twisty and utterly unforgettable masterpiece. The play runs Thursday through Saturday, Feb. 16-18, at 7 p.m. in the Pritchett Auditorium.

Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for students/senior citizens (60+). This play is not recommended for children. It is rated R for adult language, onstage and offstage violence, and dark, satiric humor.

Arts@Averett: Muttville Comix and “Of Ebony Embers”

Johnny Peers and the Muttville Comix is a slapstick comedy act like no other. Johnny, playing the straight man role, leads more than a dozen dogs through challenging and hilarious tricks in this wonderful show. Johnny Peers and the Muttville Comix have appeared in Ringling Brothers & Barnum and Bailey Circus and on David Letterman as well as performing arts centers around the country! Come see the show on Tuesday, Feb. 21, at 7 p.m. in the Pritchett Auditorium.

In addition, as part of Black History Month, the CORE Ensemble “Of Ebony Embers – Vignettes of the Harlem Renaissance” is a music theatre production that explores the life and times of African Americans who helped shape the Harlem Renaissance. It examines the lives of three outstanding, but very different, African American poets – Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen and Claude McKay. Join us for this musical performance on Wednesday, Feb. 22, at 7 p.m. in the Pritchett Auditorium.

For both events, two free tickets are available at the door to each faculty and staff member with an Averett ID. All other tickets are $5.

Faculty and Staff Lacrosse Clinic

Faculty and staff are invited to participate in a lacrosse clinic hosted by the Averett Men’s and Women’s Lacrosse programs. The clinic will be held on North Campus at Frank R. Campbell Stadium on Wednesday, Feb. 22, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Come be a part of history and learn about the sport of lacrosse and our new programs. Equipment will be provided but please bring athletic shoes. Please contact Coach Kelly Ryan with any questions at [email protected].

Red Flag Campaign

Have you seen the red flags on campus? It’s part of the Red Flag Campaign. What is that you ask? The Red Flag Campaign addresses dating violence on campus. Designed with a “bystander intervention” strategy, the campaign encourages friends and other campus community members to “say something” when they see warning signs (“red flags”) for dating violence in a friend’s relationship. Do you know of any “red flags”?

The Health & Wellness Center is putting on multiple programs to go along with the campaign. Come be a part of the events throughout the rest of the month! Tomorrow, Thursday, Feb. 16, there will be a table outside the Student Center, weather permitting, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. with information on how to “help a friend in an abusive relationship & examine your relationship.” On Thursday, Feb. 23, we are asking everyone to wear red! This will be a day to show your support for the Red Flag Campaign! We will be taking pictures to post on social media. Stop by outside the Student Center from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., weather permitting. And on Tuesday, Feb. 28, all women are welcome for, Ladies Night in the Health & Wellness Center at 7 p.m. We will be talking about body image and snacks will be provided.

Southern Hills Golf Discounts

Southern Hills Golf Course located at 188 Stokesland Ave in Danville, is offering Averett faculty, staff and students a special discounted rate. It will cost $16 to play 18 holes of golf. In order to receive this discount, you must register before Mar. 1, by e-mailing Barbara Kushubar at [email protected]. If you signed up last Fall, you will not  have to register again. 

New Employee Orientation

If you were hired after our August opening, you should have received an e-vite (via Punchbowl) from Kathie Tune, director of human resources, to join her at the new employee orientation luncheon and program. Join us to hear short presentations and network with your colleagues. An optional tour is available at 1:15 p.m. provided by Shekinah Logan, campus guest coordinator. We’re looking forward to seeing you at the orientation event.

Health Care Reform and the Affordable Care Act (ACA Form 1095-C)

Organizations that employ more than 50 people are required to report to the IRS on the health insurance, if any, offered to their full-time employees. The Form 1095-C includes information about the health insurance coverage offered to you and if applicable, your family. If you are expecting to receive a Form 1095-A, you should wait to file your 2016 income tax return until you receive that form. However, it is not necessary to wait for Forms 1095-B or 1095-C in order to file.

Some taxpayers may not receive a Form 1095-B or Form 1095-C by the time they are ready to file their 2016 tax return. While the information on these forms may assist in preparing a return, they are not required. Individual taxpayers should not wait for these forms and file their returns as they normally would.

Like last year, taxpayers can prepare and file their returns using other information about their health insurance. You should not attach any of these forms to your tax return.