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, Feb. 17, for a Wednesday, Feb. 22, publication.

Tree Trimming on Main Campus this Week

Tree trimming on Main Campus will begin today and likely continue throughout the week. Please pay close attention and use caution to stay out of marked off restricted areas.

Advising Training

There will be two mandatory advising meetings to ensure everyone is using the same approach when advising students. The first training is on Thursday, Feb. 16, for all faculty and for interested staff at 11:15 a.m. in Bishop 304 A&B. The next will be held on April 20 at the same time and location. Both sessions are mandatory for participants.

Black History Month Events

Keep an eye out during February for events celebrating Black History Month and help spread the word to our students. Here are the events happening for the rest of the month.

Thursday, Feb. 16
6 p.m. – TRUTH Talk – The Truth, The Whole Truth, and Nothing But The Truth: My Black Experience by Dr. Yemaja Jubilee

Monday, Feb. 20
6-8 p.m. – Kuumba Dance Ensemble, Inc.

Tuesday, Feb. 21
9 a.m.-2 p.m. – Racial Equity Institute (REI) Training

Tuesday, Feb. 21
7-9 p.m. – CAB Crank & Paint

Monday, Feb. 27
7-9 p.m. – BSU Spoken Word Event

Tuesday, Feb. 28
SAAC Scavenger Hunt

For more information about Black History Month events, contact Tia Yancey at [email protected].

TRUTH Talk | Dr. Yemaja Jubilee

An internationally praised Life Coach, poet, author, songwriter, media personality and inspirational speaker, Dr. Yemaja Jubilee is devoted to spreading her message of love and inclusivity with everyone she encounters. She embraces every moment of her life and embodies the belief that each day is a great day to be alive, which are common threads in her beautiful tapestry of work. Join us to hear her experiences from over the years.

Kuumba Dance Ensemble

Kuumba Dance Ensemble, Inc., (KDEI) was started in Lynchburg  for dancers and drummers. It is dedicated to increasing self esteem in youngsters and educating the children and community members of the greater Lynchburg area about the rich cultural traditions of Africa and the African diaspora and to provide them opportunities for joyful performance.

Mary Blount Library Celebrates Black History Month

All members of the Averett community are invited to Mary Blount Library to view and interact with displays in honor of Black History Month. The national theme for Black History Month 2023 is “Black Resistance: Building Bridges and Navigating Barriers.” Come and see what students in African and African American Studies courses have experienced related to the national theme.

From the archives, we have a display of Civil Rights era pamphlets alongside images from “Bloody Monday.” Books and DVDs are available for checkout.

On Tuesday, February 21, 2023, from 4:45 – 5:45 p.m., Associate Professor of History Dr. Andrew Canady will be giving a presentation entitled, “Robert Russa Moton High School (Farmville, VA) and the Civil Rights Movement.” This presentation will discuss student activism at the Moton High School in the early 1950s, and the school’s relationship to the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision of 1954, which ruled segregated schools were unconstitutional. A small reception in the Library to celebrate Black History Month will follow.

Racial Equity Institute Groundwater Training

This participatory presentation examines characteristics of modern-day structural racial inequity using stories and data. The groundwater metaphor is designed to help practitioners at all levels internalize the reality that we live in a racially structured society, and that is what causes racial inequity. With this in mind, the groundwater metaphor shifts the focus away from the view of racism as personal bigotry and bias and to a historical, cultural and structural analysis of racism. Participants will leave the training with an understanding of how systems produce unjust and inequitable outcomes, and will thus be better prepared to work for change. The groundwater metaphor is based on three observations: racial inequity looks the same across systems; socio-economic difference does not explain racial inequity; and inequities are caused by systems, regardless of people’s culture or behavior. This workshop will consist of a beginning informational session and a subsequent discussion session. Lunch will be provided. Click Here to reserve a spot today.

This event is a collaboration between the Dan River Region Health Collaborative’s Health Equity Task Force, the Dan River Nonprofit Network, the Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Southside, and the Center for Community Engagement and Career Competitiveness.

Summer Facilities Projects Reminder

Does your space need an overhaul or maybe you just have a large project for our facilities team that’s going to need a little extra time to complete? Our hard-working team is gearing up for summer projects and they need to know your requests now in order to plan their time.

Here’s the process: Talk with your direct supervisor for approval. Then, email your request directly to Director of Facilities Bruce Devlin at [email protected].

Please continue to use NETfacilities for day-to-day maintenance requests (https://system.netfacilities.com/).

February Bookstore Hours

Here are the Bookstore hours for the month of February 2023. Questions can be directed to [email protected]

Monday- Thursday 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Friday 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

Saturday Hours
February 11th – CLOSED
February 18th – 11am-2pm
February 25th – CLOSED

Online Discrimination, Harassment and Title IX Training

Averett has partnered with Get Inclusive to provide an online discrimination, harassment and Title IX training for all employees. Employees should have received an email from [email protected] with a link to training. Training must be completed by March 1.

1095 Forms Now Available

You can view, save, and/or print your document(s) at any time. Log in to https://compass.empyreanbenefits.com/vpcbc navigate to the Main Menu, and select ‘1095 Forms Management’ under the ‘Your Profile’  or under ‘Additional Items to Explore’. If you choose, you may use this opportunity to also opt-out of receiving a mailed IRS Form 1095 via the electronic consent process going forward. If you do not update your consent status, you will receive your 1095 Forms both electronically and by mail.

Reading Across America Day | Thursday, March 2

In partnership with Danville Public Schools and Head Start Preschool, we would like to invite you to read a book to preschoolers for Read Across America Day. Please plan to read an entire book. If there is an overflow of readers at your available time, you may be assigned another activity.

When you arrive at your chosen preschool, please visit the main office to get a visitors pass. YOU MUST BE SCREENED BEFORE ENTERING A CLASSROOM.

Below is an opportunity to choose a time and preschool you would like to visit. The options include Northside Preschool, 121 Gloucester Ave, or Head Start Preschool, 540 Holbrook St.

Sign up for a time and location by clicking here.

Save the Date! On Campus Passport Drive

Averett Study Abroad is hosting a passport event on campus for students and staff! An official from the USPS will be available to process passport applications. Register here.

When: Thursday, March 23, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
Where: MPR

Visit the U.S. State Department’s site for required forms due when you apply in-person: travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports.html

Passport photo services will be available on-site and will be FREE for students!

Need financial support? Contact [email protected] for information on our Passport Grant (students only).

New Employee Orientation (NEO Spring 2023) is just under a month away!

Spring New Employee Orientation (NEO) will be held on Tuesday, March 7, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Make plans to join your new colleagues and network with faculty, staff and friends. Lunch will be available as part of the program. If you were hired since the Fall 2022 NEO in August, or if you could not make the August program, look for the evite via Punchbowl from HR Director Kathie Tune. We will host this year’s program at the President’s Suite of the Frank R. Campbell Stadium on our E. Stuart James Grant North Campus.

More Challenges Await!

Great job eating those fruits and veggies during the Nutrition Challenge! Many of you are neck-and-neck, so make sure you are logging it on the Averett Wellness Portal. Keep being great! WebMD ONE – Login (webmdhealth.com)

If the Nutrition Challenge is not your cup of tea, do not worry! In March, we will have our Invitational Step Challenge. Stay tuned for further updates on that coming soon.

If the Nutrition Challenge is your cup of tea, feel free to stop room 116B in the Student Success Center  and grab a pack of nutritious snacks!