AU CoffeeBreak 11-16-16

Posted on November 16th, 2016 by Cassie Jones

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, Nov. 18, for a Wednesday, Nov. 23, publication.

New Employees in Institutional Advancement

H. Lynnette Lawson and Danielle Staub both joined the Institutional Advancement team within the last week.

Lynnette LawsonLynnette is the new coordinator of conferences, camps and special events, coming to us from the Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce, where she served as the program manager for 10 years. She received her Bachelor of Arts in government and foreign affairs from the University of Virginia, and is a graduate of the Basic Economic Development curriculum at the University of North Carolina, as well as Leadership Southside. She resides in Danville with her husband, and is the proud mom of two daughters. Lynette is passionate about her family and her community and looks forward to serving everyone in the Averett community in coordination of upcoming events. She can be reached at (434) 791-5625 or [email protected] for all room reservations and event coordination.

Danielle StaubDanielle is the new marketing and communications specialist. She is the former Danville bureau reporter for WDBJ7, the CBS affiliate in Roanoke, where she worked for almost two years. Prior to coming to Danville, she worked in Parkersburg, W. Va. as the Marietta, Ohio bureau reporter for WTAP. She is a 2012 graduate of Marietta College with a major in broadcasting, minor in communications and a certificate in leadership. Originally from Boxford, Mass., she currently resides in Danville and is looking forward to becoming part of the Averett family and helping promote the work of our students and university throughout the community. She can be reached (434) 791-5681 or [email protected] for story ideas, communications needs and CoffeeBreak questions.

Please stop by Alumni Hall and say hello to Lynnette and Danielle!

Residence Life Wins Statewide Programming Award

vacuhoprogrammingawardThe Office of Housing and Residence Life RA staff has won an award for the most outstanding campus program in the Commonwealth of Virginia for the previous academic year. This award was earned during the annual Virginia Association of College and University Housing Officers RA Conference, for the “4th Main: A Haunting” program. More than 250 students, faculty and staff attended or participated in the haunted house program, which was more than 50 percent of the residential population. Multiple bags of cans were also donated to SAAC during the event for the Cans Across the Conference competition. Please help our department in congratulating the RA staff if you see them around campus!

Averett Employees Selected for Middle Border Forward Fellowship

MBFDr. Sherill Anderson, Rachel Covingon, Cassie Jones, Philip Wilson and Tia Yancey are participating in the Middle Border Fellowship Program, designed to introduce emerging leaders to the opportunities and challenges within the Middle Border region, to encourage civic engagement and to create a network of grassroots change agents. Middle Border Forward is a non-profit organization created to cultivate inclusive leadership, inspire community engagement and create equitable access to opportunities within the Middle Border region, which includes Danville, Pittsylvania County and Caswell County, N.C. The fellows meet once a month for a year and explore various topics and industries relevant to the region, finishing the program with a group impact project for the community.

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Averett Live and Learn: Women’s Health and ED – It’s Not What You Think!

WomanBeing a woman in the 21st century is certainly a high-risk profession. Navigating through this hazardous profession is not easy. In the past 40 years, we have seen a dramatic rise in female-related illnesses never seen before in history. Join Dr. Lynise Anderson today, Nov. 16, at 2 p.m. in the Carrington Conference Room as we explore the common thread in many female health complaints. Find out how estrogen dominance (ED) may be affecting your health and what you can do about it! Refreshments and door prizes will be available, so click here to register.

Sam’s Club Representative on Campus

Sams_ClubKaren Shields from Sam’s Club is on campus today, Nov. 16, and tomorrow, Nov. 17. She will be in the dining hall from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. to enroll new members and renew current memberships. Memberships can be renewed up to five months in advance.

 

Staff Meeting Tomorrow

staffDon’t forget that our staff meeting is tomorrow, Nov. 17, at 11:15 a.m. in the multipurpose room. Our Empower Hour will be focused on “Bringing in the New Year,” in which we will be asking for your ideas about future meetings. We hope to see you there!

There will be no meeting in December because of Christmas break, so our next meeting will be on January 26, 2017. Also, the February staff meeting has been cancelled. If you have any questions, email [email protected].

Celebrating the Thanksgiving Holiday

PTurkeylease join us in the dining hall for a festive lunch on Thursday, Nov. 17, beginning at 11 a.m. Bon Appétit Management Company will prepare a special meal to honor the traditions of the Thanksgiving holiday. The menu will feature carved turkey with all the trimmings, a seasonal salad bar, traditional pies and other holiday favorites. We look forward to seeing you there!

This event will have special pricing. All taxes included: adults, $8.25; children 6-12 years of age, $6.25; children five and under, no charge; $3 surcharge for faculty and staff with meal plans.

Cans Across the Conference

Food driveThe Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) is currently in a competition with the other SAAC organizations in the USA South to see which college can raise the most non-perishable food items. We will be donating any food we receive to God’s Storehouse. We are almost half-way to our goal of 13,000 cans, and we need your help!

There will be SAAC members at the staff meeting tomorrow, Nov. 17, to collect any non-perishable food items or money you would like to donate to the cause, as well as boxes placed on the third and fourth floors of Frith and at North Campus for can donations. If you have questions or would like another way to donate to the cause, contact Sam Chandler at [email protected]. Thank you so much for all of your support!

Final FLSA Workshop

USDeptLabor1Make note of your questions about FLSA and the upcoming payroll changes and bring them with you to the last discussion session tomorrow, Nov. 17, at 2:30 p.m. in the multipurpose room.

Averett Theatre and Music Departments Present “Anything Goes”

artsataverettAverett Theatre and Music departments present the latest in the Arts@Averett series, “Anything Goes,”  this Thursday-Saturday, Nov. 17-19, at 7 p.m., and Sunday, Nov. 20, at 2:30 p.m. in Pritchett Auditorium in the Violet T. Frith Fine Arts Center. Put a colorful assemblage of passengers on a boat and “Anything Goes.” Billy Crocker is a lovelorn Wall Street Broker who has boarded the S.S. American to try and win the heart of Hope Harcourt, who is engaged to another passenger, Sir Evelyn Oakleigh. Helping Billy in his quest are Reno Sweeney, a popular nightclub singer and former evangelist, and a second-rate conman, Moonface Martin.

All faculty and staff with an ID receive two free, non-transferable tickets. Students with an Averett ID are also free, as are children five and under. General admission adult tickets are $10, non-Averett students with a school ID and senior citizens are $8. For the full Arts@Averett season schedule or more information, visit https://www.averett.edu/about-us/arts-averett/averett-arts-schedule/ or call (434) 791-5867.

Nursing Students’ Research Poster Presentation

NursingThe senior nursing students will be presenting their research posters on Tuesday, Nov. 22, at the Riverview Campus. Please join us from 2:30-4 p.m. in room 242. Light refreshments will be served.

Averett Family Holiday Celebration

christmas_giftPresident Tiffany Franks and Joe Franks invite you and a guest to the annual Averett Family Holiday Celebration on Thursday, Dec. 8, from 4:30-7 p.m. at their home. Please RSVP to Cyndie Basinger by Monday, Dec. 5, at [email protected] or (434) 791-5671. For more information, click here.

 

 

First notice: December 9 Paycheck

PaydayPer the new biweekly payroll schedule, your December 9 paycheck is half of your total December pay. You will receive the other half on December 21. Remember to budget accordingly. For questions, contact Lisa Stewart at [email protected].

New Job Posting

jobs1A position for a staff accountant is now open on campus and has been posted online. For more information, or to apply for this position, click here.

 

 

 

FLSA and Paying for Overtime

MoneyEvery year the financial team works hard to balance the University budget. A sustainable budget means having a healthy spending plan where your normal expenditures are aligned with your normal revenues and extraordinary income is used for extraordinary expenses. So, what’s the connection to the changes we’re implementing in response to changes in the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)? Just like in your personal budget, you need to offset your normal costs for housing, food, utilities, etc. with your normal income. The ‘extras’ in life, such as the golf trip to Pebble Beach or remodeling your house, require you find extra sources of funding such as loans, saving up over a period of time, or taking a second part-time job.

Overtime is an ‘extra’ at Averett. If you need to work paid overtime to achieve goals, we will need your department to find ‘extra’ money to cover the cost.  Let’s say you need to have two non-exempt employees work 10 hours of overtime each to help with graduation. That is important and there may be no other way to get the necessary work done to honor our students and families the way they deserve to be honored. If your budget does not appear to be able to handle the overtime costs, you do have options. First, see if you can give the employees a day off (or a partial day off) in the same week (flex schedule). If you need the overtime worked on Monday, let them have part of Friday off.  If you need the overtime worked on Saturday, let them have the previous Monday off. Second, if there is just no way around the overtime, you’ll need to cut other costs. Limit travel and look into online continuing education options instead of offsite conferences.

Overtime must be approved in advance by the department manager. The old adage of “it’s easier to get forgiveness than permission” will not work with overtime. Department managers are held financially responsible for their budget money; do not spend that money without their knowledge or permission. It would be easier if we could just focus on doing the work well and not think about the budget. But just like in our personal lives, it is important for every department to live within its means (budget). If there just is no way to cover needed overtime, supervisors should talk with their area vice president for assistance. Pre-planning for projects is critical.

Averett is one team with a budget to maintain, and we must have a sustainable business model. Let’s work together to adjust to change and find ways to thrive in the future.