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. 8, for a Wednesday, Jan. 13, publication.
Spring Semester Health and Safety Reminders
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 cleared 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 will also soon continue to track the latest campus COVID-19 student and employee information and update it daily on our dashboard, which can be accessed 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.
COVID-19 Campus Testing Event
We are working with the Virginia Department of Health to coordinate having the National Guard on campus on Friday, Jan. 15, in Pritchett Auditorium for a free testing event available to all Averett students and employees. Details around timing of this event will be coming very soon.
The test is a PCR nasal swab, and results will take two to three days to return. Anyone wanting to participate will need to fill out the registration at this link by noon on Wednesday, Jan. 13.
Spring 2021 Check-In Dates for Students
The spring 2021 semester is here! Check-in dates are staggered, as they were for the fall 2020 semester. Click here to learn more about when check-in will be held for all students.
2021 Founders’ Day Rescheduled
Our annual Founders’ Day event scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 21, is being rescheduled for later this spring. Due to COVID-19 statewide restrictions, we know we must reimagine this event while still making it as meaningful as possible. We will update with new plans as they come available.
Join Us for a Send-off Honoring Dean Villarose
The campus is invited to drop by Jut’s Café between 3:30-4:30 p.m. today, Jan. 6, to express gratitude to Dean Lesley Villarose and wish her all the very best as she transitions to her new position at Gardner-Webb. Please know we will need to adhere to the Governor’s guidance and only have 10 people at a time in the space.
Saying Goodbye
Erin Schlauch has accepted a position as the director for the TRIO Student Support Services program at Arkansas State University/Mid-South in West Memphis, Ark., where she worked before moving to Danville. In addition, her husband, John, will be an instructor for the diesel maintenance and logistics program at the same school. This opportunity allows the Schlauchs to be closer to their families, and for John to work in teaching and training which is his passion.
We greatly appreciate Erin’s work as director of the Galesi Student Success Center over the last two-and-half years, and wish her and her family well. Her last day at Averett will be Wednesday, Jan. 13.
Save the Date: Buddy Bash
Join us via Zoom on Friday, Jan. 22, at 3 p.m. as we honor Vice President for Philanthropy Buddy Rawley as he transitions into his retirement from Averett. More details to follow soon.
Averett is Keeping Lights Up for Health Care Heroes
This January, Averett will be keeping its holiday lights up throughout the month to honor local health care heroes. As part of the “Keep Your Lights Up for Healthcare Heroes” campaign launched by HCA Virginia, the University’s Christmas ball lights lining the Averett stretch of West Main Street and Woodland Drive will continue shining, as well as the other lights around campus and in the windows. More details will follow soon at averett.edu.
“We are calling upon every citizen, business and community to keep their holiday lights up through January 31 to recognize those working in healthcare. As they drive to or from their shift, the holiday lights will express support to our healthcare heroes,” said the HCA Virginia website.
During their first holiday season at Averett in 2008, Averett President Dr. Tiffany M. Franks and her husband Joe wanted to brighten the community with the now popular Christmas ball lights that have since spread beyond campus and into the community. The number of balls on campus has grown to more than 120 over the past 12 years.
“Every one of us is indebted to our health care heroes who tirelessly serve our communities, especially during this historic time,” said Franks. “Our health care partners have worked with us and guided us through every step of this pandemic, and we are grateful to them for their continued service to this community. We are delighted to continue shining our lights in their honor as a small token of our appreciation, and hope it helps to brighten their nights.”
If you would like to join the initiative, post pictures of your home or business lit up using the hashtag #LightsUp4Heroes and tag your local health care facility.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Week
Due to COVID-19, events for Martin Luther King, Jr. week are being 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.
Coming Soon: Branding Workshops
We need YOU! Carnegie Dartlet, the branding firm that facilitated the campus-wide survey in November, is continuing to help us with important research and to better clarify and define the Averett brand. A series of workshops will be conducted Tuesday and Wednesday, Feb. 2 and 3, via Zoom at various times throughout the day, and we will need participation from students, faculty and staff. Feedback from these workshops will provide opportunities for Averett’s growth in enrollment, awareness and reputation.
Stay tuned for more details to follow on workshop times and how to register. Sessions will be limited. For questions, contact Katherine Bishop at 434-791-5826 or [email protected].
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.
