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, Nov. 12, for a Wednesday, Nov. 17, publication.
Upcoming Vaccine Clinics, Booster Shots Available
The Virginia Department of Health is offering weekly COVID-19 vaccination clinics in Chatham on Mondays and in Danville on Tuesdays in November. Please find the full schedule below.
Chatham Health Department
200 H G McGhee Drive
Chatham, Virginia 24531
Every Monday
9 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. = Moderna and J&J
1 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. = Pfizer
Danville Health Department
326 Taylor Drive
Danville, Virginia 24541
Every Tuesday
9 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. = Moderna and J&J
1 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. = Pfizer
Pfizer and Moderna booster shots are available at these clinics. Boosters are now interchangeable, and the types can be mixed and matched. (For example, if you received a Moderna vaccine first, you can now get a Pfizer booster, or if you received a J&J vaccine first, you can now get a Moderna booster, and so on).
Anyone on a college campus is eligible for a booster vaccine six months after their second Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, or two months after their J&J vaccine.
On-Campus COVID-19 Testing Kiosk
The COVID-19 PCR testing kiosk is available on campus for all students and employees in the Lower Commons parking lot on Main Campus. This service is available Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Averett Professor Contributes to Book
Dr. Catherine Clark has contributed a chapter in the newly published book, “L.M. Montgomery and Gender.” The essay is an expanded study of her 2016 conference presentation at the University of Prince Edward Island, Canada, entitled “The Blue Castle: Sex and the Revisionist Fairy Tale.” As part of her ongoing scholarship on transatlantic modernisms, Clark will return to present at the upcoming 2022 conference at UPEI.
Dr. Ernest E. Pegram Presents Research at the Smithsonian Crossroads Exhibition
On Wednesday, Nov. 3, Dr. Pegram presented his research on The Great Migration as part of The Smithsonian Crossroads Exhibition on urbanization in America.
Dr. Pegram said, “I was honored to present my research on The Great Migration at Smithsonian Crossroads Exhibition and engage the community in discussion. The community discussion highlighted the importance of documenting for historical archives the personal narratives from The Great Migration. It was wonderful to hear directly from people whose families were part of The Great Migration. The event was an extended classroom of learning. It was wonderful for students to hear directly from community participants narratives, reflecting on their personal family experience of The Great Migration. The Great Migration is part of the American Experience of Urbanization.”
Best Wishes to Bri Harris, Wellness Coordinator
Please join the HR Team in wishing Bri Harris farewell and best wishes as she continues on her career journey with Danville-Pittsylvania Community Services. Bri has accepted the position of child and adolescent case manager for children under age four that are showing early signs of developmental delay or disability. She will serve as an advocate for the children and their families to guide them into their next steps and refer them to the needed specialist.
Bri has served the University as a part-time wellness coordinator since February. Her last day is Friday, Nov. 12, so please stop by to say goodbye if you have a few spare minutes. We wish you success in your new position, Bri!
Averett Family, Thank You
Thank you everyone in the Averett family for your messages, prayers and support as Lexi and I welcomed our daughter, Aria, into the world. Everyone is doing well and we are in love. Without question, she is already being spoiled by us and big brother Olen!
Again, many thanks.
Matt Bell
Marketing and Communications Specialist
November Professional Development Initiative Series Event – Now Zoom Only
Please save the date for the November Professional Development Initiative event. Dr. Jaime Stacy will present information related to creative and effective Online Learning. Join us via Zoom on Wednesday, Nov. 10, at 1 p.m. Please register for the event using this link.
If you have questions, please reach out to Staff Council at [email protected].
European Film Series
Come join us on Thursday for the second film in the 2021-2022 Averett University European Film Series!
Set in Germany at the end of World War II, Der Untergang/Downfall is the bizarre but true story of Adolf Hitler’s last few weeks before committing suicide. As the Soviet Union’s Red Army closed in on central Berlin, Hitler and the Nazi high command took refuge in a bunker system underneath the German Reichstag. Hitler refused to surrender, taking a young bride in his last days as artillery shells rained down on the city and the German people suffered some of the most extensive bombing in world history. The war was lost, but he refused to surrender, even as young children became the only remaining “defenders” of the once great Third Reich. In Hitler’s twisted mind, human existence was a struggle of race against race, and if the Germans didn’t win the war, they should perish. The film is a sobering testament to the race fanaticism and uncompromising violence of Hitler’s fascist regime, which grew out of the global economic depression and provoked the worst war in human history.
The film will begin at 6 p.m. in Blount Chapel on Thursday, Nov. 11. Pizza will be available. Feel free to contact [email protected] with any questions.
School of Nursing Fundraiser
Everyone is invited to stop by the School of Nursing (SON) on Bridge Street and vote for their favorite Christmas door decorations. This is a fundraiser for the newly organized Averett Student Nurse Association (SNA). The SNA is a club for nursing and pre-nursing students here at Averett to become part of a national and state organization. The National Student Nurses’ Association (NSNA) and the Virginia Nursing Student Association (VNSA) are student-ran organizations encouraging nursing students to become involved in education, finance, recruitment, student rights, global and community health issues on a local, state and national level.
Come by and check out the School’s decorations and vote for your favorite door by making a cash donation. The top three doors raising the most money will win the contest. All donations from the contest will go toward the SNA start-up fund.
To vote, there will be envelopes outside Debbie Pike’s office (Riverview room 228) to make your cash donation. The voting envelopes will be available from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. starting Thursday, Nov. 11, through Friday, Dec. 3. The winners will be announced the week of December 6 on the School’s Facebook page, in Cougar Connection and in CoffeeBreak.
Reception in Blount Library
Join us for a reception for Professor Robert Marsh and his artwork in Averett’s Blount Library on Thursday, Nov. 11, from 3-4 p.m. The work will be on display until November 12.
All faculty, staff and students are invited. Light refreshments will be served.
Arts@Averett: All Together Now
Hit songs from some of Broadway’s greatest musicals, featuring songs of hope for these troubling times brought to you by the Averett Theatre Department. This is an enjoyable night of music from some of your favorite musicals, and is a fundraiser for the Averett University Theatre Department.
Friday, Nov. 12. 2021 at 7 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 13, 2021 at 7 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 14, 2021 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Pritchett Auditorium in the Violet T. Frith Fine Arts Center
Tickets: $10 adults, $8 students/senior citizens (60+)
Averett students, faculty and staff receive free admission.
Engaged Showcase
On Tuesday, Nov. 16, from 5:30-7 p.m. in the lobby of the Frith Fine Arts Center, all students, faculty and community partners engaged in service-learning, internships, field research, job shadowing, study abroad, senior capstone research or any high impact practice will showcase their work. We will have light refreshments available and will be awarding our annual Engaged Awards for faculty, staff and students at the ceremony. Please join us as we celebrate learning, service and labor.
Open Enrollment for Benefits Eligible Employees continues…
Just a reminder that Open Enrollment for your health benefits (medical, dental, vision) is open and will continue through Tuesday, Nov. 16.
Questions? Register for a Zoom with Tammy Wall meeting if you need assistance with the portal, questions concerning benefits options or the Wellness Plan premium incentive.
To ensure you are registered in the portal, please open the link, click the register button and continue to follow the prompts to enter additional information and to verify your profile information already in the portal such as your mailing address. You will save time and some troubleshooting by registering now for a username and password instead of waiting until the open enrollment window opens.
Once you have registered, take a few minutes to look around the Empyrean site as it has a Resources page with Health and Welfare Contacts and a Documents Library of resources for you to learn about the programs offered through the VPCBC such as First Moms, Health Advocate, IngenioRX and LiveHealth Online, just to name a few.
Additional Information for Open Enrollment
- The Empyrean portal is new for most employees, which means that unless you have had a life event or were hired since the data conversion in February 2021, you will need to register first. Registration is directly under the user name and password section.
- If you are on the HDHP and have an HSA account, the amount shows zero because open enrollment is for 2022. If you need to see what you are contributing for 2021, you may look under current benefits to see that amount.
Questions can be sent to Tammy Wall, senior accountant/benefits coordinator, at [email protected], or by calling 434-791-5679.
Professional Headshot Workshop
Professors, the CCECC is hosting a professional headshot workshop for all students on Tuesday, Nov. 16, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in Bishop 304 A and B. Students will have the opportunity to get a FREE professional headshot for their LinkedIn profiles. Please encourage your students to attend!
Questions? Contact Ryan Taube at [email protected] or 434-791-5656.
We Want Your Christmas Photos!
Dear Colleagues,
You are invited to get involved in a new and creative way for the Averett Celebrates Christmas concert!
We’d like for each of you to send a picture to [email protected] of an image of what Christmas or the winter holidays mean to you. This can be a photograph from your personal collection (preferred) or an image you find online. These images will be displayed on the large screens in Pritchett while the music is happening. You may send more than one image if you feel torn between a couple of great ones.
Please get these submitted by Thursday, Nov. 18.
Thanks, and let’s have fun with this!
Yours,
Janet Phillips
Averett Book Club
On Thursday, Nov. 18, the Averett University Book Club will meet in person at 5 p.m. in the Blount Library. Please wear your mask! No books are assigned. We share what we are reading!
We meet for approximately one hour. The book club is open to Averett students, staff, faculty, retirees and alumni. If you have questions, please feel free to email Penny Hudson, Linda Lemery or Liz Cervantes.
Hope to see you at the library!
Averett Launches New 24/7 Mental Health Access for Students
Averett Mental Health offers a 24/7 support line for immediate support to help students manage their concerns.
Common reasons students call are:
- Feelings of anxiety, depression or stress
- Relationship problems or worries
- Grief and loss
- Help with coping skills
- Support between therapy sessions or waiting to see a therapist
Students can call 833-434-1217 to speak to a counselor for immediate support and/or connection to counseling sessions. The 24/7 support line is available at no cost through telehealth or face-to-face therapy for up to six visits per issue per year. The clinician will ask questions to get a sense of the caller’s concerns and what they are looking for (immediate support, a connection to counseling or both).
We Need Your Help! 2021 Grassroots VTAG Campaign
For 2021, we are excited to again launch our grassroots advocacy campaign to support VTAG funding for our students. With an election pending, this campaign is more critical than ever.
Each year, we ask any faculty, staff and students to write emails to their elected officials to support our student’s educational pursuits. The volume of emails is always a positive metric to show our support as a university community. If you are from out of state, you can write a letter in support of Averett or a specific student.
This year, we are asking our state government to increase the VTAG award to $4,500 from $4,000. This increase in funding will go a long way to support our students financially and allow access to a private school education. The state has the increased funding, and we are excited to show/tell them how important this program is to our students.
You can send your letters and show your support by clicking here.
As a reminder, our Virginia students receive a financial aid award, the Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant (VTAG), designed to assist Virginia residents who attend accredited private, non-profit colleges and universities in state. This award is always a point of state budget conversations, so the grassroots campaign is vital to show how much this award helps our students succeed.
Our students appreciate your support and voice!
Matthew Mann
Admissions
