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, July 17, for a Wednesday, July 22, publication.

PPE Updates

Very soon, President’s Council members will be working with their teams to distribute hand sanitizer for offices and individuals, as well as cloth face coverings for each employee.

In high traffic locations, Plexiglas screens have been installed. Hand sanitizers have been placed at most entrances.

Welcome packages, containing hand sanitizers, gloves and a face covering, will be assembled for new and returning students beginning next week.

HR Reopening Updates – Two Q&A Sessions Left!

Employees (full-time and part-time) who will be physically returning to work recently received an email from Kathie Tune, director of HR, that included instructions on preparing to return to campus. The email has several attachments for employees and managers including a Return to Work Employee Questionnaire, a To-Do Checklist for Employees and a To-Do Checklist for Managers.

In order to help answer questions and clarify the process, Tune will offer a Zoom Q&A session for employees on Thursdays, July 16 and 23, from 10-11:30 a.m.

Join the meeting if you need clarification on what to do before returning to work, what to do while at work, and what to do if you need to leave work. Email [email protected] if you need information outside of the Zoom meeting. To join the Zoom meeting, click here.

Meeting ID: 921 8287 7384
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University Protocol on Face Coverings During COVID-19

Averett University adheres to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) guidelines and expects face coverings to be worn properly throughout each of its campuses by students, faculty, staff and visitors, except when:

· Employees are working alone in the office;

· In residence halls rooms unless guests beyond one’s roommate are present;

· In residence hall bathrooms, yet residents should seek to physically distance;

· During physical activity in gyms or athletic facilities;

· While eating or drinking.

Every student, faculty and staff member will be receiving a reusable face covering. In addition, face coverings will be expected to be worn by visitors to any one of Averett’s campuses including spectators at games.

For more information and for further details from our comprehensive plan, visit Alert page.

Averett Opening 2020 Format

In the spirit of the Averett University “One Averett, Together Again” efforts, we are continuing to take proactive steps to keep everyone well, adhere to the current health and safety measures and keep you at the core of our decisions. As we prepare for the Fall 2020 Averett Opening, consistent with the guiding principles of the reopening plan, we want to know how you would prefer to participate in the Opening celebration!

Please watch for a brief poll coming soon via email from Dr. Franks to help us design a program that is right for us, One Averett! Thank you in advance for your prompt participation.

Virtual Registration Day July 24

The final registration day before the fall 2020 semester begins will be held virtually Friday, July 24. Contact Jessica McConnell with any questions.

Final Virtual Visit with Dr. Franks for Summer 2020

Feel free to join me by Zoom on Friday, July 24, from 11 a.m. to noon if you would like to connect, have questions or want to visit with your colleagues. This optional time can’t make up for our informal visits in the hallways or at games or events, but it is one way we can try to keep in touch.

Email Cyndie Basinger at [email protected] for questions.

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Meeting URL: https://averett.zoom.us/j/93394656142
Meeting ID: 933 9465 6142

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Meeting ID: 933 9465 6142

Warmly,
Tiffany

Outstanding Faculty and Staff Award Nominations

The nomination process is underway for the Outstanding Faculty and Staff Awards! Please take a few minutes of your time to nominate your fellow faculty and staff members.

The criteria for the award and nomination process can be found by clicking here. The nomination form can be found by clicking here. These forms can also be found on the intranet.

The deadline to submit nominations is Friday, July 31, by 4:30 p.m. Completed nomination forms need to be sent to [email protected].

VPN Changes Coming Soon

As we continue to pursue technology modernization and continue our efforts to protect the network infrastructure, the I.T. department will be retiring our Microsoft based VPN (Virtual Private Network) service and moving to a client-based service as of July 31.

What does this mean? Instead of navigating through network settings to connect remotely to our network, you will use an installed client.

To determine if the client is installed, look to the bottom right corner, down next to the time. If you see a little yellow padlock, (if you are like me and have a lot of icons in the bottom right corner, click on the caret (^) to see more icons), the client is installed. If the mouse pointer is hovered over it, it should say “Check Point Endpoint Security”.

To have the new client installed, kindly open a help desk ticket and one of our friendly technicians will contact you to make sure your machine gets the new Checkpoint VPN client installed.

If you have any questions, contact Doug Appleton at [email protected].

RSVP Today: Best-Selling Author Ron Rash at Averett

Danville’s Friends of the Library and Averett University’s CCECC welcome you to Frith Fine Arts Center on Friday, Sept. 11, to hear best-selling author Ron Rash discuss his book “Saints at the River.” Refreshments will be available in the lobby at 5:30 p.m., and the event starts promptly at 6 p.m. Rash’s novel is the winner of the Weatherford Award for Best Novel.

Please reserve your spot by registering here.

When a 12-year-old girl drowns in the Tamassee River and her body is trapped in a deep eddy, the people of the small South Carolina town that bears the river’s name are thrown into the national spotlight. The girl’s parents want to attempt a rescue of the body; environmentalists are convinced the rescue operation will cause permanent damage to the river and set a dangerous precedent. Torn between the two sides is Maggie Glenn, a twenty-eight-year-old newspaper photographer who grew up in the town and has been sent to document the incident. Since leaving home almost ten years ago, Maggie has done her best to avoid her father, but now, as the town’s conflict opens old wounds, she finds herself revisiting the past she’s fought so hard to leave behind. Meanwhile, the reporter who’s accompanied her to cover the story turns out to have a painful past of his own, and one that might stand in the way of their romance.

Drawing on the same lyrical prose and strong sense of place that distinguished his award-winning first novel, “One Foot in Eden,” Ron Rash has written a book about the deepest human themes: the love of the land, the hold of the dead on the living, and the need to dive beneath the surface to arrive at a deeper truth. Saints at the River confirms the arrival of one of today’s most gifted storytellers.

Cougar Cares Program

The Cougar Cares Program is looking for faculty and staff members who may have electronic equipment (laptops, iPads, printers, etc.) that is usable, but no longer in use. Several students who took our Student Life survey over the past few weeks did report needing such devices to be successful in their coursework, especially if taking classes virtually. If you have such equipment and are willing to make an in-kind donation, please contact either Billy Wooten or Erin Schlauch.

August Date for Staff (Social) Distancing Lunch Hour Coming Soon

A staff social distancing lunch hour is coming soon for August!

The last social was held Thursday, July 9, via Zoom. Nearly 20 staff members participated in the virtual social event.

During the call, there was discussion about quarantine and moving back to working on campus. Staff members said they are looking forward to the transition back to campus, even if there is a period of adjustment.

Also shared during the call were recipes, self-help tips and ideas for dealing with the continuing pandemic while others popped in just to say hello. Time was also spent among participants talking about what they have experienced during the pandemic that had a positive effect on them.

Watch CoffeeBreak for the next date coming soon.

All Things Zoom

Faculty and staff may request a Zoom license as part of Averett’s Education Zoom plan. To request an account, faculty members are encouraged to contact Marietta Sanford and staff members are encouraged to contact Carly Pearce.

If you would like some additional one on one Zoom training please schedule a time with the Averett Online team by clicking on the appointment link provided, or refer to Averett’s Zoom resource website.

Want to learn more about Zoom Meeting Etiquette? Click here and learn 15 tips and best practices for online video conference meetings.

In addition, Zoom is now integrated into Canvas. The Canvas-Zoom integration allows instructors to schedule online meetings from within Canvas and is available in all Canvas sites. Instructions on how to integrate Zoom into your Canvas course can be found in the following link