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, Jan. 15, for a Wednesday, Jan. 20, publication.

Last Chance to Register: COVID-19 Campus Testing Event

We are partnering with the Virginia Department of Health and the National Guard to hold an on-campus COVID-19 testing event on Friday, Jan. 15, in Pritchett Auditorium. This event is free and available to all Averett students and employees.

The times for this event have been finalized. Testing will be available for those who pre-register from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. In order to participate, you must fill out the quick registration form at this link by noon todau, Jan. 13.

If you have already registered but not yet selected a time, you will hear from COVID-19 Case Manager Lynsey Corriher very soon regarding setting a time.

The test is a PCR nasal swab, and results will take two to three days to return. All Averett health and safety protocols will be followed during this event, like the proper use of face coverings, social distancing and limited occupancies in spaces at once.

We hope you will take advantage of this great opportunity.

Assisting Professors with Student Illnesses, Quarantine

Nia Johnson, currently serving as one of Averett’s COVID Case Managers, will be working with the Student Success Team to assist with professor communication in regard to student illness and quarantine, along with mentoring and helping students throughout their academic journey. Previously, Nia worked for two years in the Student Success Center as a coach, mentor, proctor and tutor. Please feel free to reach out to her for questions regarding quarantined students.

Help keep our campus community safe! Don’t forget to wear your face coverings, keep your distance and to complete a quick health self-check each day before work. Daily self-health checks will continue during the spring semester as they did during the fall, and are now more important than ever. Be prepared to share your green check mark with others as you share spaces as a courtesy to help make everyone feel comfortable.

As a reminder, if you receive a green check, you are clear to work on campus. If you receive the red X, please notify Human Resources and your supervisor, department or division chair immediately and forward the email you receive from LiveSafe to your supervisor, department or division chair. You should not report for in-person work if you receive the red X. For any questions or concerns, please contact Kathie Tune at [email protected].

We also continue to track the latest campus COVID-19 student and employee information and update it daily on our dashboard, which is accessible from the COVID-19 Alert webpage.

Finally, for questions on any COVID-19 matters, Kathie Tune will soon resume weekly virtual meeting on Wednesdays from 4-5:30 p.m. More details will follow soon.

Welcome Adam Moore to the SSC!

Please welcome Adam Moore to the Student Success Center team. Adam is the new math specialist, graduate assistant. Adam has over 13 years of experience teaching K-12 mathematics, and he has years of mathematics tutoring expertise.

Adam brings to this new position a devotion to helping all students fundamentally understand math, from algebra to statistics to calculus. When Adam is not tutoring, he enjoys golfing, woodworking and hanging out with his wife. You can reach Adam by email at [email protected]. His tutoring schedule will be posted in the coming days.

Dr. Sergey Samoilenko Publishes Latest Work

This pandemic-related unfortunate turn of events is not a reason to stop being productive and Dr. Sergey Samoilenko continued his work on the international project focused on socio-economic impact of information and communication technologies in Africa.

His latest research in this area, titled “ICT Capabilities and the Cost of Starting Businesses in Sub-Saharan African Economies: A Data Analytic Exploration,” has been published in the Journal of Global Information Technology Management.

A link to the online version can be found by clicking here. The access to the full version requires a payment, but experts in data analytics and data mining, as well as inquisitive souls without expertise in those areas, are welcome to contact Samoilenko to request a pre-production copy of the article.

Meet & Greet: Vice President of Philanthropy Finalists

Three finalists for the position of vice president of philanthropy will be on campus for interviews January 17-26. There will be a “meet and greet” open session for all interested faculty and staff who are not involved in the interviews to virtually meet and have an opportunity to ask questions following brief remarks with each candidate. The dates and times are as follows:

Peter Mathias – Monday, Jan. 18 (Register for Zoom Meeting)

Has over a decade of experience in development and marketing. He currently serves as Director of Development, Medical University of South Carolina. In this role he manages a portfolio of major and potential gift donors, leads strategic and marketing teams to promote philanthropy, works collaboratively with other development departments to cultivate and secure top gifts, led direct mail campaigns, organized fundraising events, and worked with Alumni Relations to improve the network.

Melissa Wohlstein – Wednesday, Jan. 20 (Register for Zoom Meeting)

Has nearly 17 years of experience in fundraising and sales. She recently served as the Associate Vice President of Development for the Hollins Fund at Hollins University. In this role she developed operating procedures and policies for all fundraising activities, managed gift processing, revenue operations, strategic direction, and financial projection and analytics for prospecting revenue goals. She was responsible for prospect management, marketing materials for stewardship of donors, and oversight of the advancement team.

Wendell Snodgrass – Monday, Jan. 25 (Register for Zoom Meeting)

Has 23 years of experience in advancement for academic and health organizations. He currently serves as Vice President for Institutional Advancement at the University of Texas Permian Basin, a regional university within the University of Texas System. In this role, he leads a team in advancement, development, planned giving, corporate relations, alumni relations and business development for the university.

This is a wonderful way for the finalists to experience the people of Averett and for our campus community to get acquainted with them. If you would like to review each candidate’s resume, please let Cyndie Basinger know. Dr. Franks is hopeful that many of you will be able to attend the open session via Zoom, and welcomes you to email her with your impression of each candidate.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Week

Due to COVID-19, events for Martin Luther King, Jr. week will be held a little differently this year.

America’s Sunday Supper-Sunday “From Chaos to Community”- Sunday, Jan. 17, from 3-4:30 p.m. (via ZOOM)
This year, America’s Sunday Supper will be held virtually with former Georgia House Representative and Minority Leader Stacey Abrams as our keynote speaker. We are excited to have additional influencers speaking about diversity, equity, inclusion and community building within the Dan River Region. Register for the virtual Zoom event by clicking here.

MLK Day of Service – Monday, Jan. 18
CCECC staff are volunteering at Caswell Parish. For other opportunities throughout the region, visit Campusengage.org.

God’s Storehouse One-Stop-Shop Care Packages – Tuesday, Jan. 19
Stop in the front of the MPR from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. to pack hygiene packages for those in need. Donations of deodorant, soap, feminine products, toothpaste, toothbrushes and lotion will be accepted at the CCECC through Wednesday, Jan. 13.

Civil Rights Trolley Tours – Wednesday, Jan. 20
Join us for Civil Rights Trolley Tours of Danville from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Space is limited to eight people per one-hour tour due to social distancing. Please complete this form to register. During the tour, learn about Danville’s diverse history, including the June 10, 1963 Bloody Monday demonstrations, segregation and Jim Crow era laws, Holbrook-Ross neighborhood and black-owned businesses along North Union Street.

Inmate Care Packages – Thursday, Jan. 21
Stop in the front of the MPR from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. to pack care packages for those in need. Donations of deodorant (no aerosols), white socks and full-sized chocolate candy bars will be accepted at the CCECC through Wednesday, Jan. 13.

Averett in Ireland Info Session

New year, new opportunities! There’s still time to register for Averett’s faculty-led trip to Ireland! Averett alumni, staff and current students are welcome. Drop by our information session with Dr. Aimee Brenner, Study Abroad’s Dr. Catherine Clark, and our CAPA partner in Ireland to find out how you can make it happen. Join us Thursday, Jan. 14, at noon.

University Book Club

The Averett University Book Club will continue to meet in 2021 and we would love for you to participate! Our first meeting of the year will be virtual on Thursday, Jan. 21, at 4:45 p.m. Join us by clicking here. We meet for approximately one hour. The book club is open to ALL faculty, staff and students. There is no assigned book as we each share what we are reading. If you have questions, please feel free to email Penny Hudson, GPS student success coach; Linda Lemery, circulation manager at Blount Library; or Liz Cervantes, assistant director of GPS student services.

Annual Safety Report Now Available

Each year, the University is required to prepare and publish a report that contains information about policies relating to the safety of the campus.

It contains statistical information about crimes and certain types of fires reported on and adjacent to campus. Known as the “Clery Report” it is to be made available to all employees, students, applicants (for admission or employment) and any interested member of the public.

The report containing information for calendar years 2017, 2018 and 2019 is available on the University website under “Campus Security,” “Title IX” and under the Campus Security section of the consumer disclosure page under Financial Aid. It is also linked here.

Averett Counseling Updates

The Averett Counseling Center is continuing to serve the mental health needs of our students this semester in a variety of ways.

We will continue offering one-on-one telehealth counseling sessions by email request at [email protected]. Students will be scheduled with either Jessie Henderson, our resident in counseling, or Dr. Jenny Wagstaff, our new director of counseling. If you have any questions on how to refer a student to the Counseling Center, please reach out via email and Jessie or Jenny would be happy to provide support!

Additionally, we encourage students, faculty and staff to follow @averett_counseling on Instagram for daily mental health resources. Lastly, if you would like Jessie or Jenny to speak to your class or department regarding mental health education, reach out to [email protected] to schedule an educational presentation.

Have Questions about Your Retirement Accounts and Financial Planning?

Advisors from Millennium are available to meet virtually to answer questions like:

• What is the 403(b) Multiple Employer Plan (MEP)?
• What options do I have going forward for help make decisions regarding my retirement accounts?

Every Averett University employee has the opportunity to go through holistic financial planning sessions and receive a customized financial plan based off your goals to and through retirement. Your spouse or significant other is also encouraged to attend. These planning sessions are geared to help answer questions like but not limited to:

• 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?

Schedule a virtual meeting with an advisor today. You can also reach Millennium’s Scheduling Team at [email protected] or by phone at 877-435-2489 and select option 1. For additional questions concerning the Averett University retirement plan, or the Millennium Financial Advisors, contact Kathie Tune, Director of HR, 434.791.7106 or email [email protected]

Millennium Advisory Services | 877-435-2489 | [email protected] | www.mas-edu.com

Help us Promote Averett Online

Help us promote Averett Online by mentioning the five key points below when talking to prospective students!

1. No application fee
2. Transfer credit evaluation
3. No ACT/SAT or GMAT/GRE required
4. The affordability and flexibility of our programs.
5. Market-ready curriculum

Stay tuned for a special gift in your mailbox soon from Averett Online!