Averett CoffeeBreak 2-2-22

Posted on February 2nd, 2022 by Matt Bell

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

Reminders and Updates: Averett Health and Safety Protocols

Dear Colleagues,

Thank you for your flexibility during these first few weeks back to campus. It has been a challenging time with many students not on campus at the start of the semester. We are very grateful for all of you who have made accommodations and provided support.

Here are a few reminders and updates regarding our health and safety protocols, based on questions we have received.

Symptom Reporting

With the current COVID variants, we are seeing much milder symptoms; however, it appears to be much quicker to spread. If you are experiencing any symptoms at all, even those very mild symptoms like a scratchy throat or nasal congestion, you should contact the Office of Health Services right away by calling the Health Triage Line at 434-203-3781. Delaying could cause more exposures. Please continue to do your part to keep everyone safe and report your symptoms.

Face Coverings

We have received questions regarding the type and quality of acceptable face coverings on our campus. We recommend the use of N95, KN95 and surgical masks, when possible. Acceptable face coverings on our campus, whether disposable or reusable, must
• Be made with at least two layers of breathable material;
• Fully cover the nose and mouth and secure under the chin;
• Fit snugly but comfortably against the side of the face; and
• Be secured with ties or ear loops, allowing one to remain hands-free.

Based on the guidance of health authorities, the following are not acceptable face coverings:
• Open-chin triangle bandanas;
• Face coverings containing valves:
• Mesh material or holes of any kind;
• Single-layer gaiters; or
• Face shields unless coupled with a face mask.

Quarantine and Isolation Guidelines

Many have inquired whether we will shift to the CDC’s new recommendation for a five-day quarantine instead of our current 10-day quarantine. Like many residential schools, we will transition to a seven-day quarantine in order to continue to protect our campus community. This change will become effective February 1, 2022.

Our decision to adopt a seven-day quarantine is based on recent studies in which the CDC reported that, on day five after infection, there is a 40% chance that the person is still testing positive on an antigen test and can potentially be transmitting the virus to others. However, on day seven, this number dropped drastically and those who tested positive on day five were negative on day seven. Therefore, our students and employees will be able to return to campus after seven days of isolation, so long as they are fever-free for 24 hours and their symptoms are resolving.

The Core Campus COVID Team appreciates all you continue to do to keep our campus community safe and healthy. This information is also being shared with students today. For any questions regarding these matters, please email [email protected].

Vaccine Clinic Schedule

A COVID-19 vaccination event is set for Saturday, Feb. 12, from 9-11 a.m. at Schoolfield Elementary School in the City of Danville for Moderna, J&J and Pfizer shots. First, second and booster shots are being administered.

Want to get a shot at another time? Find specific times and locations for the vaccine of your choice below. Click the image at left to find a clinic, or to obtain more information.

Moderna and J&J
Chatham Health Department – Every Monday from 9-11:30 a.m. Walk-ins accepted. 
Danville Health Department – Every Tuesday from 9-11:30 a.m. Walk-ins accepted.

Pfizer
Due to a rotating schedule with pediatric patients, and individuals 12 and older, the Virginia Department of Health advises those seeking the Pfizer vaccine to please schedule an appointment. Note, all pediatric clinics require an appointment. Click the image above for more information.

Get Your COVID-19 Test On Campus

The on-campus testing kiosk is available weekdays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. You can access the QR code to register here: Averett QR Flyer Updated. Appointments are strongly encouraged for faster service.

As a reminder, anyone with an approved COVID-19 vaccine exemption is required to continue testing weekly. Please submit test results to [email protected] by every Wednesday.

 

Employment Changes

You may notice some familiar faces in different spaces!

Tammy Wall

The business office is pleased to announce that Tammy Wall has been appointed assistant controller. Tammy has been with Averett since 2011 and has held various positions in human resources, in the business office and most recently served as senior accountant and benefits coordinator. She has been instrumental in the implementation of the payroll features of our new Paylocity system. Tammy’s number is 434-791-5679, email is [email protected] and office is in Main 102. Please welcome Tammy to her new role and bear with all of us as we give everyone a chance to switch gears and get up to speed!

 

Pam Paynter

You may also notice a familiar face returning to campus as we welcome back Pam Paynter, former payroll specialist, who is returning to Averett as the human resources operations manager and benefits coordinator. Pam is excited to return to campus as Tammy Wall assumes her new responsibilities as the assistant controller in the business office. Pam looks forward to working with old and new colleagues. She brings with her over 30 years of experience, most recently as the office services supervisor for the Department of Juvenile Justice (Halifax County). Pam spends her spare time with her three grown children and five grandchildren, the youngest of whom is less than one week old.

Pam will be located in Main 12, and her phone number is 434-791-7184. Email her at [email protected].

Please come by or send your warm wishes to Pam as she assumes her new duties and responsibilities, where her immediate focus will be on implementing the HR-related modules of the Paylocity system.

Campus Safety and Security’s New Faces and Protocols

The University has engaged Securitas as our new campus safety and security partner. Please welcome Kristal Emerson, account manager, and her team of officers. Bruce Devlin, Director of Facilities Management and Chief of Campus Safety and Security and Kristal are eager to provide best practice safety and security services to the University community. Effective immediately, Kristal will have the campus staffed with two officers. The office is located in the entranceway of the Galesi Family Student Success Center. For non-emergency matters, please stop by the office, or contact them by:

  • Dialing 15888 from a on campus desktop phone, or 434-791-5888 from your cell phone;
  • Using the LiveSafe app by clicking on the Emergency icon, followed by the Call Campus Safety icon; or
  • Dial 434-441-8037 to reach an officer on the AU Campus Safety mobile phone.

In the case of an emergency, please dial 911 immediately and then contact Campus Safety and Security.

We will be distributing material with the above contact information.

Please take the time to welcome and get to know the new Averett Campus Safety and Security team and let Bruce or Kristal know if you have any questions. Kristal can be reached by email at [email protected].

Thoughts and Prayers for Bridgewater

Averett Family,

We are all deeply saddened by the events at Bridgewater College yesterday. I know you will join me in sending continued thoughts and prayers to their entire campus community, as well as the families of the fallen police officer and security officer.

Today, we join Virginians across the Commonwealth in lowering our United States and Commonwealth of Virginia flags to half-staff to honor the two victims who were killed in the tragedy.

This is yet another reminder to express our appreciation for one another, and I want to thank you for all for your continued efforts to serve our students every day.

President Tiffany Franks

W2’s Now Available

W-2’s are now available if you approved to receive them online at My E-Stub by clicking here. Paper versions were mailed Monday, Jan. 31, for those who did not choose to get them electronically.

 

 

President’s Task Force on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

In summer 2020, we established a President’s Task Force on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. As we know, diversity is one of our University’s greatest strengths, and we are committed to the core values of inclusion, diversity, equity and anti-racism. Inclusive excellence is foundational and is vital for helping our University be the best it can be for everyone.

I am grateful to Dr. Wooten and Dr. Lewis – with input from many others – who are helping chart key areas of focus for ensuring we are doing our very best for one another and for our students. We are excited to welcome two new members to the task force, Amanda Estabrook and Dr. Tonitta McNeal.

Please join me in thanking the task force for all their efforts:

Co-chairs Dr. Melanie Lewis and Dr. Billy Wooten, Dr. Adrienne Brune, Liz Cervantes, Rodney Countryman, Amanda Estabrook, Toni Gazda, Dr. Tonitta McNeal, Emma Olsson, Kathie Tune, Les Waller, Tia Yancey and students Shane’ya Snipes and Faith Bowlin.

President Tiffany Franks

Founders’ Day Tomorrow

Founders’ Day is tomorrow, Thursday, Feb. 3, at 11:15 a.m. in Pritchett Auditorium in the Violet T. Frith Fine Arts Center, and will be livestreamed. Watch the broadcast by clicking here.

The speakers for Founders Day this year include James Contreras ’18, Libby Westphal ’01 and Dr. Roberta Thayer-Smith ’74.

Those attending in person will wear masks and be socially distanced.

Black History Month Events

Click the image at left for a full list of events happening at Averett during Black History Month!

 

 

 

 

 

 

An Opportunity to Say Thank You to Private Scholarship Donors

We are asking you to encourage your students and advisees, if they are a recipient of an Averett private scholarship, to please submit their thank you notes for this academic year by Saturday, Feb. 5, to Marion Breen in the Institutional Advancement Office inside Alumni Hall. If students are uncertain if this pertains to them, those who received a scholarship received several emails during the fall semester encouraging their participation.

Student participation is imperative and greatly appreciated. The donors are always pleased to see their donations assisting our scholars in earning their degrees. We are grateful for those students who have already submitted their thank you notes.

If there are questions or concerns, please contact Marion Breen at [email protected], 434-791-5675 or stop by Alumni Hall, 174 Mountain View Drive (the brick house between Frith Hall and the Grousbeck Music Building).

Alumni Hall Repairs

Repairs in the basement at Alumni Hall are scheduled to begin Monday, Feb. 7, and last two weeks. Alumni Hall will be closed during the repairs with staff working remotely during that time.

 

 

Racial Equity Institute Training

In this lively and participatory presentation, Racial Equity Institute organizers will use the groundwater metaphor, along with stories and data, to present a perspective that racism is fundamentally structural in nature. By examining characteristics of modern-day racial inequity, the presentation introduces participants to an analysis that most find immediately helpful and relevant. Join us Tuesday, Feb. 15, from 9 a.m. to noon via Zoom.

Click here for more details. Use this link to register.

Arts@Averett: Peter and the Starcatcher

Don’t miss the Averett Theatre’s performance of Peter and the Starcatcher February 17-19 in Pritchett Auditorium in the Violet T. Frith Fine Arts Center. Click here to view show times.

From marauding pirates and jungle tyrants to unwilling comrades and unlikely heroes to star stuff, a celestial substance so powerful that it must never fall into the wrong hands, “Peter and the Starcatcher” playfully explores the depths of greed and despair… and the bonds of friendship, duty and love. Come enjoy this Peter Pan foundation story as we follow a nameless orphan boy on his journey to becoming the boy who will never grow up.

 

 

Averett 2025 Soaring to New Heights Luncheon and Tours

Averett Faculty and Staff, please join us for the Averett 2025: Soaring to New Heights Luncheon and Tours at the Danville Regional Airport on Tuesday, Feb. 22. We are excited to share the 2025 Strategic Plan Year One accomplishments and unveil the take-off of Year Two projects!

Learn more about some important Averett 2025 updates, and check out Averett’s growing footprint at the airport. Enjoy a round-trip tour of the University’s Flight Center and airplane hangars, as well as AU Aviation Services’ location and maintenance hangar, all led by flight instructors and students. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to explore our new FBO and all our Aeronautics program has to offer while you hear how strategic planning projects – like the FBO – are evolving and elevating Averett! Dress warm and wear your walking shoes!

Register here for a timeslot between 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. For the health and safety of all employees, tours are restricted to a maximum of 25 people per group, and we ask that you wait to arrive until your allotted timeslot. At the end of the tour and program, lunches will be provided in the hangar and you can either take it to-go or remain and enjoy fellowship with colleagues over lunch.

For questions, contact Katherine Bishop at [email protected].

Community and Justice in the 21st Century Speakers Forum Series Continues in February

Community and Justice in the 21st Century Speakers Forum Series continues in a virtual setting Wednesday, Feb. 23, from 6-8 p.m. Students, faculty and staff can register for free to participate in this virtual event by emailing [email protected].

This month, the topic is Bigger than Black and Blue: Candid Conversations about Race, Equity and Community Collaboration. Our keynote presenters will be Danville Police Chief Scott Booth and the City of Danville’s Youth and Gang Violence Prevention Coordinator Robert T. David, Sr.

This topic has significant impact on all of us and will provide many tangible strategies operationalized by Chief Booth and David to keep our communities safe and healthy.

Spring Career Fair

Our Spring Career Fair is quickly approaching! Encourage students to join us Thursday, Feb. 24, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Carrington Gym. We have 40 employers coming to meet students! Please encourage students to attend, and they may just find their dream job, an internship or just network. Open to ALL students and majors. Click here for more. Contact the CCECC with any questions.

Surplus Furniture

Averett has a lot of furniture and cabinets in storage. If you need replacement furniture or additional furniture for a space on campus please take a look at the PDF document and see what we have available. We do have classroom furniture based on requests, and a review of the requests will be made and the classroom that needs it the most will be chosen. The office furniture is first-come, first-served. Please fill out the link here to request any of the furniture.

Completed Facilities Projects

Facilities is pleased to report 444 work orders were completed in January.

 

 

Dine in Averett’s Dining Hall

For faculty and staff who wish to dine with us in the Dining Hall, check out all the meal plan options for faculty and staff by clicking here.