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. 8, for a Wednesday, Nov. 13, publication.
November Faculty and Staff Appreciation Gathering
As we enter the season of gratitude, please know you are at the top of our “thankful” list! Please join us on Tuesday, Nov. 12, at 8:30 a.m. for fellowship in the President’s Office (419 West Main St.) with coffee, cider and donuts. Let’s take a cozy moment to savor some treats and celebrate the heart of what makes Averett so special—you!
With warm appreciation,
Dr. Tiffany Franks
Residence Hall Fire Drill
Dear faculty and staff,
There will be a fire drill scheduled for tonight, Wednesday, Nov. 6, for Fugate Hall and Main Hall. We appreciate your support in reminding residents that their safety and preparedness are our top priorities.
Thank you for your cooperation and assistance.
Parking Notice
The Student Center Parking lot will be blocked off beginning at 6 p.m. tonight, Wednesday, Nov. 6 through Thursday, Nov. 7 at 3 p.m.
Please do not move any cones or signage. A LiveSafe message will be sent later afternoon. Thank you for your understanding.
Connecting Through Conversations Webinar
The new webinar, Feeling Welcome: Connecting Through Conversations, is today, Wednesday, Nov. 6, from 2-3 p.m. ET. Through our campus involvement in the CIC Belong community, all faculty and staff are welcome to attend at no cost. Can’t make the event but still want to receive the content? If you register, you will receive the webinar recording following the live event.
This interactive 60-minute webinar, led by Dr. Teresa Nance, Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion & Chief Diversity Officer at Villanova University, will explore how to facilitate classroom conversations that incorporate diverse perspectives, encourage respectful disagreement and guide discussions toward meaningful closure. We hope you will take advantage of this professional development opportunity to enhance your dialogue strategies with students.
Open Enrollment for 2025 Benefits Now Available
Each year, Averett University and other member institutions in the Virginia Private College Benefit Consortium (VPCBC) conduct an Open Enrollment process for benefits eligible faculty and staff. To learn more about the consortium, go to www.vpcbc.org.
Open Enrollment allows employees to decide which medical, dental and vision benefit plan(s) they elect for insurance coverage for the upcoming calendar year, including FSA and HSA options. The Empyrean health benefits enrollment portal will be open for the two-week enrollment window scheduled for Friday, Nov. 1 to Thursday, Nov. 14.
Plan 8 is another option this year that offers the same coverage as Plans 4 and 7 but carries a lower premium for employees and employers. It is a High Deductible HMO plan that uses the HealthKeepers network of providers for Virginia and the PPO network for all other states. The Anthem HealthKeepers network flyer for out-of-state coverage is provided in this article. HealthKeepers PPO Wrap Flyer 04 24.
For a quick view of Plans 4, 7 and 8 and instructions to locating providers in Virginia and outside of Virginia, see the charts below. If you are looking for additional information to prepare for Open Enrollment 2025, please refer to the 2025 benefits guide available at this link: https://cloud.3dissue.net/8688/8697/8701/119586/index.html?10564. Questions concerning the upcoming Open Enrollment period? Connect with Pam Paynter, benefits coordinator, at [email protected] or Kathie Tune, chief HR officer, at [email protected].
Thank You, Averett Family
Thank you so much for your heartfelt cards, emails, hugs, thoughts and prayers following the loss of my brother Jack. We are truly blessed to have this network of support at Averett University and have appreciated such a circle of friendship surrounding us during this challenging time. Thank you all.
Richard and the Breen family
Tuition Remission forms for Spring 2025 Registration
It’s that time of year again…registration for spring 2025 classes. If you or your dependents are planning to use the Tuition Remission (TR) benefit for spring coursework, make sure to complete (yes, one is required for each and every semester) the TR form for your respective division. The form links are on the AU Intranet SharePoint drive. For any business partner staff, please complete the form under the CFO division if you have access to the AU Intranet. If not, email Kathie Tune [email protected] and the form will be sent to you. If Averett faculty and staff need access to the SharePoint drive, please contact Katy Anderson, [email protected], in IT.
Annual Engaged Showcase
It is time for our annual fall Engaged Showcase on Monday, Nov. 11, from 5:30-7 p.m. in Carrington Gym (see attached invitation). The Engaged Showcase is a time to celebrate our community’s engaged learning accomplishments. If you are a community partner, taught a service-learning course, engaged in an internship or workplace experience or teach an IDS 110 class, we would like to invite and encourage you to set up a table to showcase and celebrate this accomplishment.
Awards will be presented to our Engaged Student, Engaged Intern, Engaged Faculty Member and Engaged Community Partner. We will have light refreshments available.
Worship Together at Averett University
In the midst of the week, find a moment of peace and renewal at our Thursday Prayer Service at Averett University. Let us come together in prayer and fellowship, lifting our hearts and voices in unity.
Every Thursday
Time: 11:15 a.m.
Location: Blount Chapel
Whether you’re seeking strength, guidance, or a quiet time to connect with God, this service is the perfect space for you. Everyone is welcome to join—bring a friend, and let’s find comfort and community through prayer. We hope to see you there this Thursday. Stay connected with https://www.instagram.com/Averettspirituallife/ on Instagram for more details. Looking forward to worshipping with you all.
For further details, contact Sean Timmons – University Chaplain at [email protected]
ACA Employee Consent Forms (IRS Form 1095) Available
The site opened on Friday, Nov. 1. As you progress through the portal, please note that you may access electronic copies of your IRS Form 1095 from this enrollment site.
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires employers to report health insurance coverage as well as health insurance offers provided to full time employees each year. IRS Form 1095 demonstrates the employer’s compliance with the ACA requirement.
If you choose, you may also opt-out of receiving a mailed IRS Form 1095 via the electronic “consent” process.
You must submit your consent before December 1 to opt out of receiving a mailed IRS Form 1095 for the current calendar year. Click the “Consent to Online Only Forms” button for details.
Entrepreneurship: Gong Show Pitch Competition for Averett Students
The Department of Business Administration is sponsoring an entrepreneurship competition called the Gong Show Pitch Competition during Global Entrepreneurship Week, Nov. 14, 2024. The time will be 7-9 p.m. and it will be held in the multipurpose room in the Student Center.
Any student at Averett University may enter the competition and compete before three judges for cash prizes. To register, click HERE.
On Display from the Averett Archives
In recent years, November has become the time of year when writers engage in “National Novel Writing Month” – challenging each other to write the entire first draft of a novel in a single calendar month. In honor of the aspiring novelists among us, the archival display in Blount Library for the month of November will be on the publication process, as seen through a collection of materials donated by alum Sam Patterson, Jr. (class of 1948).
In 1966, Patterson released his only published novel, “A Nickel’s Worth of Ice” – a story about a boy growing up in a small town in Virginia in the 1930s. Late in Patterson’s life, the remaining materials related to this experience were donated to the Averett Archives. On display until the end of the semester are numerous items from across Patterson’s publishing experience, including: rejection letters, revision requests, galley proofs, the final contract, and responses both from the press (reviews) and friends and acquaintances (private letters).
All staff and students are welcome to visit Blount Library during operating hours to view the display. You are always welcome to contact the archivist ([email protected]) if you would like to explore the collections further.
To access the Blount Library Blog, click HERE.
Important Links
Driver Certification Form – Driver Certification Information
Drug and Alcohol Policy or Drug-Free Workplace Policy – 855-Employee-Drug-and-Alcohol-Policy-2024 (2)
Service-Learning Intent Form – Fall 2024 Service-Learning Intent Form (office.com)
Tuition Remission Form – Click HERE
Tuition Exchange Websites – tuitionexchange.org & cic.edu
Part-time Employment Form – Part-time-Employment-Form-2024.docx (live.com)
To Schedule A Virtual Meeting with A Retirement and Financial Planning Advisor – Select a Date & Time – Calendly
Wellness Portal – www.healthadvocate.com/AverettUniversity
Averett Employee Assistance Plan (Telus Health One)
Averett Fringe Benefits Fact Sheet – 2024-Fringe-Benefits-Fact-Sheet-1.pdf (averett.edu)
Virginia Private Colleges Benefit’s Consortium, Inc. (VPCBC) – https://www.vpcbc.org
Reach out to an EAP counselor, which is available to all benefits-eligible employees and their eligible household members (details below).
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- To set an appointment with a licensed EAP counselor, call 1-888-319-7819 and select “Employee Assistance Program” when prompted to be connected to a counselor. There is no cost to the employee for the first three phone or video consultation sessions.
- For the online chat option, visit one.telushealth.com, user name: metlifeeap and password: eap. There is a chat feature that allows users to talk directly with a consultant to guide you to the information you are looking for or help you schedule an appointment with a counselor.
- Employees on the Averett health plan can go to “Find Care” on their Sydney App or Anthem dashboard and locate counseling services that would be available to us through our CICV plan. Go to Anthem.com and locate Find Care or go to https://www.sydneyhealth.com/.
Screening Postponed
The Biometric Screening scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 13 will be rescheduled to the spring semester due to scheduling complications. Stay tuned for further details regarding our next biometric screening in Spring 2025.
Need anything regarding the Wellness Portal? Reach out.
Have a great rest of your week.
-The Wellness Guy