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. 4, for a Wednesday, Nov. 9, publication.

Director of Residence Life Appointed

The Division of Student Life is proud to announce the appointment of Rodney Countryman as the Director of Residence Life, effective November 1.

Countryman will provide strategic leadership for programs, services and operations that will continue to enhance the Averett residential student experience. In addition, as one of the primary catalysts in facilitating a vibrant on-campus living environment, he will also serve as the student accountability conduct officer.

Countryman previously served as the assistant director for Residence Life, and as campus guest coordinator in Undergraduate Admissions here at Averett.

“We are excited about the restructuring in the Office of Housing and Residence Life. I believe Rodney’s strengths, experience and business acumen will continue to elevate our ability to meet students “where they are” while impacting residential student success,” said Dean of Students Dr. JL Porter.

Please join us in welcoming Rodney to his new role.

Welcome Kim Losee

Alumni Hall is excited to announce we have hired Kim Losee as the Coordinator of Alumni Relations and Annual Giving. Kim comes to Averett from the Danville YMCA where she served as the Annual Campaign Administrator and Personal Trainer. Please give Kim a warm welcome to the Averett family!

Learn More about Dalrada, Averett Partnership

Join us on Wednesday, Nov. 2, at 2:30 p.m. in Blount Chapel to learn more about the exciting initiatives Dalrada Corporation is bringing to campus this spring.

Dalrada Chief Strategy Officer and President Jose Arrietta will lead us through a demo video that depicts a view of how we will facilitate the transfer of digital bearer cash or Averett Tokens throughout Averett, and more broadly, through Danville.

Arrietta will explain how personalized experiences will be created for students, professors and the Danville region. For the individual, this includes creating individual ownership of digital assets, data sets and behavioral data throughout the university campus and the surrounding city.

In the future, individuals will be able to own their data and transact in a low-cost manner where data is valued. For the region, campus or city, this includes digital data sets that represent carbon emissions reductions and carbon tokens in real time, happiness of the campus, region and broader city, aggregated to reflect the impact of the happiness living standard on the individuals that reside in Danville.

Open Enrollment for Benefits Began This Week!

Each year, Averett University and other member institutions in the Virginia Private College Benefit Consortium (VPCBC) conducts an Open Enrollment process. Open Enrollment allows benefits eligible employees to decide which medical, dental and vision benefit plan they elect for health insurance coverage the upcoming calendar year. This years’ time frame is scheduled for now through Thursday, Nov. 17. Take a look at the 2023 Averett University Benefits Guide that incorporates all of the programs available to you through our consortium plan by clicking here.

For additional information, contact Pam Paynter and remember to Zoom in with Pam this week if you have questions or simply need more information to enroll in your benefits! Email Pam with any questions.

Lighting Upgrades

Beginning Wednesday, Nov. 2, lighting upgrades will begin at Averett. This is being made possible through the partnership with Dalrada Financial Corporation. Bishop and Danville Halls will be the first buildings to be upgraded to LED lighting fixtures. For questions, please email Director of Facilities/Chief of Campus Safety and Security Bruce Devlin or call 434-791-5780.

Volleyball Tournament Begins This Week

Averett Cougars Band Fall Pops Concert

There’s something for everyone in this program of popular music from the 1950s to today. It will be presented Thursday, Nov. 3, at 7 p.m. in Pritchett Auditorium in the Violet T. Frith Fine Arts Center. Admission is FREE.

Lunch & Learn for Averett Trustees with Students, Faculty and Staff

Please join us on Thursday, Nov. 3, in the Dining Hall for lunch from 11:50 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. Lunch is on us!

The Board of Trustees will be on campus for their semi-annual board meeting, and they will be enjoying lunch in the Dining Hall for informal time with students, faculty and staff. This is a great networking opportunity for students, and for you to introduce yourself and have informative interaction time with Averett’s Trustees.

When you arrive to the Dining Hall, please let them know you are there to have lunch with the Board of Trustees. You will see table numbers on the tables that Board members will be asked to sit. We look forward to seeing you then!

Sincerely,

President’s Office

Faculty Development Reminder

Requests for funding for faculty development activities need to be submitted through Canvas by Friday, Nov. 4, to be considered at the November Faculty Professional Development Committee meeting. Professional development activities often include conducting research, attending conferences, and presenting at conferences. The November meeting is the last one scheduled for the fall semester, so if you have an activity planned for 2022 or early 2023, please be sure to submit now. The next submission opportunity will be in February 2023.

If you have questions about the Faculty Professional Development Committee, please contact co-chairs Richard Breen or Anna Kautzman.

Football Celebrates Seniors and Military Appreciation Day Next Week

Schoolfield Booksellers Hours

Schoolfield Booksellers will be closed Saturday, Nov. 5. Hours for Saturdays, Nov. 12 and 19, are 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The bookstore will also be open Wednesday, Nov. 23, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and closed Thursday, Nov. 24, through Saturday, Nov. 26.

Visit the bookstore anytime Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The bookstore is closed on Sundays.

Meet & Greet Next Week – Vice President for Enrollment Management and University Marketing Finalist

Dear Colleagues,

There will be a “meet and greet” open session for faculty and staff for the position of vice president for enrollment management and university marketing from 3:30-4:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 10. The session will begin with brief remarks by the candidate followed by an open time for Q&A. The meet and greet will be held in the Student Center Multipurpose Room with Dr. Samuel Beaumont.

Dr. Beaumont is currently the vice president for student affairs & support services and former vice president for enrollment management at Hallmark University, San Antonio, Texas. He has managed traditional and online enrollment services, marketing, career services, academic advising, registrar, facilities, tuition forecasting and budget management.

This is a wonderful way for the finalists to experience the people of Averett and for our campus community to get acquainted with him. If you would like to review Dr. Beaumont’s resume, please let Cyndie Basinger know. I am hopeful that many of you will be able to attend the open session, and welcome you to email me with your impression of the candidate using this candidate comment sheet.

Thank you in advance for your participation in this very important process and thank you to the search committee – led by Dr. Venita Mitchell and includes Ms. Desiree Driver, Ms. Pamela Harris, Dr. James Hodgson, Mr. Joel Nester, Ms. Shannon Stone, Mr. John Vigouroux, and Mr. Josh Williams – who have done such great work to bring these wonderful candidates to our campus.

Gratefully,

Dr. Tiffany M. Franks

Dr. Sergey Samoilenko to Present on Digitalization

Averett University Computer Information Systems Professor Dr. Sergey Samoilenko has published his latest book titled Digitalization: Contexts, Roles, and Outcomes. The book is a contemplation and analysis of the socio-technical system that is known as digitalization. It considers the context of digitalization as well as the ways by which digitalization offers value to the context within which it operates.

On Thursday, Nov. 10, from 4:45-5:45 p.m., Dr. Samoilenko will be in the Mary B. Blount Library to talk about digitalization – what it is; what it does; and its significance, impact, and outcomes. Please join us to learn more about digitalization and its role in society and our lives!

Career & Graduate School Expo

Please share the following information with ALL of your students.

The fall 2022 Career & Graduate School Expo is coming up on Tuesday, Nov. 15, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Carrington Gym. This year’s fair has 59 organizations attending with more on the waiting list. Of the 59 organizations, 15 are graduate schools from across Virginia and North Carolina and representative are eager to meet Averett students to discuss continuing education beyond the bachelor’s level. A total of 44 attendees are hiring organizations, and there are more than 300 jobs (full & part-time) and internships up for grabs. There will be something there for ALL Averett students of all levels in their educational career. This event is the largest career & graduate school expo in Averett’s recent history! Employers and graduate schools want to meet our students and they want Averett students become part of their organization!

Students should click this link to view participants and anyone with questions should contact Angie McAdams, our Director of Career Competitiveness, at [email protected]. Don’t miss this exciting event!

Entrepreneurship Speaker Coming Soon

Join Averett University’s Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation Thursday, Nov. 15, at 4:45 p.m. as they host Dr. Iulian Bobe, chief technology officer and co-founder of CIRC. Click the image for more information.

Volunteers Needed for Late Night Breakfast

As we near the end of this semester, we gain another opportunity to fellowship with our student body. On Wednesday, Nov. 30, from 10 p.m.-midnight we will have Late Night Breakfast in the Cougar Den. As you know we have a new dining service so this may look a little different this year, however, we will need volunteers as always. Email Nate Lake if you wish to volunteer that night or if you have any further questions.

Averett 110: In the Eyes of First Year Students

President Franks and Joe Franks are continuing the tradition of hosting Averett 110 classes for dinners at the President’s House this fall. Please see some of the positive comments that were shared at recent dinners:

“AU is a close community.”
“Service-learning opportunities.”
“Teachers are outgoing and friendly.”
“The closeness of students here at AU.”
“Great campus environment.”
“Opportunity for everyone – students and staff.”
“There is an emphasis on success – I feel like people really want me to succeed.”
“Social and educational opportunities.”
“I’m making best friends here.”
“Reading Cougar Connection.”

Dining Services Survey

We are conducting a study to better understand your campus dining habits and preferences. By sharing your thoughts, we will gain valuable insight to help improve your overall campus dining experience.

This online survey will take no more than 10 minutes, and your responses are confidential. At the end of the survey, you will have an opportunity to provide your contact information if you wish to enter the drawing for a grand prize of $150 e-card, or one of three first prizes of $50 e-cards.

The survey is mobile-friendly and can be taken on a smartphone, mobile device, or a computer.

Click HERE or copy/paste the URL below into your Internet browser to begin the survey: www.DiningStylesSurvey.com

We appreciate your time and thank you for your assistance!

Flu Season is Upon Us

Flu season is upon us much earlier than what we have seen in past years and is predicted to be worse this year than we have seen through Covid-19 as well. We have three confirmed flu cases on our campus and expect many more in the near future.

Here are a few reminders:

• If you have any cold symptoms, please wear a mask around others; this will help protect those around you.
• If you have a fever, you are not permitted to attend class. You must be fever free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medications to return to class.
• Please contact health services if you start with cold symptoms, especially a fever. You can do this by email, calling 434-203-3781, or stopping by the health center.
• If you are emailing a professor that you are sick and cannot attend class, you should also contact health services.

What you can do to help prevent yourself from getting the flu and prevent its spread:

• Get your flu shot as soon as possible. It would be best to get the flu vaccine this month for the greatest protection.
• Keep yourself hydrated, and drink at least 64 ounces of water daily.
• Rest!! Make sure you get as close to 8 hours of sleep a night. Listen to your body; if it is asking for sleep, give it what it needs.

WASH YOUR HANDS! Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially before eating. Use hand sanitizer when you cannot wash, but soap and water are preferred.

The Water Challenge Has Commenced!

Today is the LAST day to sign up for the Water Challenge, if you need help, please reach out to me. I want to ensure everyone gets a chance to participate. Remember all of the reasons why we need to stay hydrated!

Coming up on Thursday, Nov. 17, from 11:15 a.m. to 3:15 p.m., we will be hosting a biometric health screening and flu shot clinic. This gives one a chance to obtain points for not one, but TWO events at one time! A great opportunity to get closer to those gift card rewards. The biometric screening can also serve as a miniature annual physical and help you save time and money, by dodging things like having to take time off for appointments and co-pays. And the flu shot, well that is one more defense against that dreadful virus. Register sooner than later!

To register for the portal, you can download the app “Wellness at Your Side” or visit this link.

Once you are in the portal in the center of the screen it will give you the option to join the “rethink your drink water challenge.” Click on the “sign up today” option and from there it will give you instructions.

Also, feel free to reach out via email or stop by my office in the Student Success Center, room 116B, if you need help.

Don’t forget to track your water!

Until next time,

-Victor

Blood Drive Coming Soon

Protect Yourself & Stay Healthy: Register for your Free Biometric Screening and Flu Shot Appointment

If you are a benefits eligible employee, you are eligible for a free biometric health screening and flu shot by registering for an appointment on Thursday, Nov. 17. If you register and attend the clinic, you will receive a $10 Subway Gift Card or a free lunch ticket for the dining hall and earn rewards points in your WebMD account. This screening requires no fasting!

Since this event requires a minimum attendance, register by the end of day Monday, Nov. 7.

Log in or register at HealthAdvocate.com/members.
Click the Schedule Your Health Screening tile.
You will see the option to attend an on-site health screening event and click “Schedule.”
Select the site, service, date and time you’d like to have your screening and click “Submit” to finalize your selection.
Repeat steps to schedule your Flu Shot.

You’ll receive an email to confirm your appointment and add it to your calendar. You may complete your screening consent now or at the event.

For more information, contact Kathie Tune [email protected] or Victor Hernandez [email protected]