School of Arts and Sciences

As part of the development of the curriculum for the Community Engaged Scholars Program, we are asking for your assistance in identifying courses that include community engagement* as a main component of their pedagogy. Specifically, we are seeking to identify courses that center collaborations with the community (local, regional/state, national, global); this might include doing a community engaged research or creative project (i.e., projects – in any discipline - that address questions, issues, and/or priorities of a community partner); placing students in internships with community based organizations; bringing students off campus for field trips, site visits, or events; providing opportunities for students to engage with the policy making process (including legislative advocacy at any level of government); and/or, inviting community partners to class to share their expertise and insights.

If you teach a community engaged course please complete this Google form no later than May 16, so that we can be in touch with you about listing it as an elective in the Community Engaged Scholars Program.

If you have any questions about the Community Engaged Scholars Program, please reach out to compact@brandeis.edu

*Brandeis has adopted the following definition of community engagement from the Carnegie Foundation: Community engagement describes collaboration between institutions of higher education and their larger communities (local, regional/state, national, global) for the mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge and resources in a context of partnership and reciprocity. The purpose of community engagement is the partnership of college and university knowledge and resources with those of the public and private sectors to enrich scholarship, research, and creative activity; enhance curriculum, teaching, and learning; prepare educated, engaged citizens; strengthen democratic values and civic responsibility; address critical societal issues; and contribute to the public good.

In order to enhance support and efficiency in communications and events for CAH and the Social Sciences, we have merged the events teams in the three divisions. Jazz Dottin, Senior Communication & Events Administrator, is leading this team (congratulations, Jazz!). Reporting to Laura Woolf, Jazz is tasked with ensuring excellent delivery of events and communications for Creative Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences in a newly-merged Events and Communications Group.

In this merged group, administrators will specialize in specific areas while maintaining flexibility to assist in other duties as needed:

• Mangok Bol will focus on event operations/logistics and support for website edits as time permits.
• Alix Brandon will concentrate on promotional materials, website edits, and social media.
• Andrea Luna will continue to work on a range of assignments.

In addition, we welcome our new Concert and Events Administrator Natalie Sciallo. In this newly-created role, Natalie will be the point person for all Creative Arts events, and will pitch in across the three divisions as time allows. Natalie will also spearhead the Festival of the Arts.

If you need assistance with event planning, website edits, or marketing support, please complete the forms listed below to initiate the request, or you may reach out to Jazz (jasminedottin@brandeis.edu) directly.

• Event Planning Form
• Website Edit Form
• Event Marketing Support Form

The Events and Communication team looks forward to supporting a rich array of events and communications across the three divisions.

ENACT: The Educational Network for Active Civic Transformation is pleased to announce a grant opportunity for the Brandeis University faculty, staff and/or students. Grants will support undergraduate student-focused events that seek to educate our community and advocate for positive change on important current public policy issues, such as healthcare equity, reproductive justice, immigration reform, criminal justice, and voting rights. Proposals that value collaboration between student organizations, and/or between undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and staff are encouraged. Proposals that are part of a Brandeis course are eligible.

Read More

The Vic ’63 and Bobbi Samuels ’63 Center for Community Partnerships and Civic Transformation (COMPACT) offers grants to support both Community Engaged Pedagogy and Community Engaged Research; our website provides detailed descriptions of these opportunities, including upcoming application deadlines, links to application forms, and examples of previously funded projects. COMPACT also has a fund for event co-sponsorship. We are reviewing mini-grant applications on a rolling basis.

Have you been thinking about how you might include community engagement in your research and/or teaching? COMPACT staff would be very happy to brainstorm with you! There are also useful resources on our website, and we welcome you to sign up for our monthly newsletter.

Rolling Deadlines for Funding Opportunities

• Democracy in Danger Humanities Grants: In a national and global context of rising authoritarianism and attacks on human rights, what role do the humanities, humanities methods, and humanistic inquiry have to play in the defense of democratic values? The new Democracy in Danger Humanities Grants from the Mandel Center for the Humanities fund humanistic projects that respond to pressing, immediate concerns in local communities.
• Mandel Community Fellowships: The Mandel Center for the Humanities seeks to foster collaboration between humanists at Brandeis and the greater Waltham community, by offering a series of Mandel Community Fellowships to facilitate engagement with institutions across Waltham.
• Subscribe to the MCH Newsletter to stay updated on the latest events and opportunities!

Please consider submitting any relevant courses you teach for the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Studies in the United States (DEIS-US) and Difference and Justice in the World (DJW) designation. Please contact the Chair of the committee, Ilana Szobel, or Brynn Sibley. 

• Submit a DEIS-US proposal

• Submit a DJW proposal

The Posse Scholars Program is currently seeking two continuing graduate students who are exceptional communicators, enjoy working with undergraduate students, and have time to devote to this important work. The Mentor role is a 2-year commitment, and Mentors are provided extensive training and support.

Please share with any graduate students who might be interested. Questions can be directed to Lori Tenser, Dean of Academic Support and Advising. Details and access to the application in Workday are available below:

• Posse Mentor
• STEM Posse Mentor

With the spring semester underway, we encourage you to review your course rosters. If you have students who have not been attending (or who have significant attendance concerns), please complete Academic Services's Academic Alert Form, designed to identify and support students who exhibit behaviors that could possibly lead to academic difficulty. Please do not assume that students have - or will - drop your class. Your participation provides students with timely feedback and personalized academic intervention strategies. Effective early alert systems have been proven to identify at-risk students and improve retention and graduation rates.

When you submit this form, an email will be immediately generated to your student letting them know that they have an alert for your course. It will share opportunities for academic resources and support, along with any recommendations you provide. A copy of the email will be sent to you and the student’s academic advisor. If you choose to share any additional comments through the form, those will be seen only by the student's academic advisor.

At this time, we encourage you to submit academic alerts for any attendance or performance concerns you have for your students at this point in the semester. If you have a number of alerts to submit, you’re welcome to send a spreadsheet with relevant information to Brian Koslowski, Director of Academic Advising.

As a reminder, academic alerts may be submitted at any time during the semester. You are encouraged to bookmark the link above, which can also be found on our Resources for Faculty page.

Students are assigned a professional staff academic advisor in Academic Services based on the first letter of their last name. Students in cohort programs (Student Support Services Program and Myra Kraft Achievers Program) work with staff advisors in those respective programs. Academic advisors work in partnership with students on topics of academic exploration (course planning, major selection, graduation requirements, academic policies), academic support (connection to campus resources), and personal growth (goal setting, identifying strengths). Students can connect with academic advisors over email, through 20- and 30-minute appointments.

For emergencies, contact Public Safety at 781-736-3333 (on-campus issues) or 911 (off-campus issues).

For urgent mental health concerns, contact the Brandeis Counseling Center (BCC) at 781-736-3730 (24/7 consultation available).

For student behavior concerns that can wait at least one business day, submit an I Care Form to the Care Team to evaluate and coordinate resources of the university and provide necessary support. Also, please submit an I Care Form after calling Public Safety, 911, or the BCC to ensure follow up for student wellbeing.

These resources may also be helpful: Top Ten Care Practices, Care Team Tips, Campus Resources, Resilience Guide, and Campus Connection Points (list of ongoing, drop-in or scheduled times for students to have casual or structured connections through conversations).

For a decrease in academic engagement with no evidence of distress or concerning behavior, reach out to the student and ask for a reply within two business days. If no reply, try again with a note that if you do not hear back, you may need to engage other options for support. If you still receive no reply, submit an Academic Alert Form or contact Academic Services at 781-736-3470 (undergraduates only).

Consistent with past semesters, students will be emailing accommodation letters in the coming weeks. Additionally, students may send their letters at any point during the semester as a number of factors can be at play, such as a new diagnosis. When received, please reply to confirm delivery. It is important to note that accommodations do not apply retroactively.

If you have any questions regarding the implementation of accommodations, SAS is glad to be available and can be reached directly at access@brandeis.edu. Further, the following guides have been created to support faculty:

• Process for determining if an accommodation creates a fundamental alteration
• Audio recording
• Limited extensions on assignments

SAS is pleased to support faculty whose courses include exams and quizzes for students with related accommodations, such as extended time, low distraction testing environment, and separate testing environment. To request proctoring from SAS for students with exam accommodations, complete the SAS Exam Proctoring Request Form. We ask that this form is filled out at least seven days before the scheduled exam, so that SAS can coordinate and recruit a proctor. More information about this process can be found on the SAS Exam Proctoring Request Information (login required). If you have any questions, please reach out to the SAS Exam Team at SASExams@brandeis.edu.

Library Research Excellence Prizes: From working with students throughout the year, Brandeis librarians know that many students work on great research papers and projects! The Library's Research Excellence Prize recognizes students who apply sophisticated information literacy skills to the selection, evaluation, and synthesis of sources for a research project. Please encourage your students to apply! The application deadline is May 13, 2025.

Senior thesis submissions: Senior thesis writers have the option to submit their work to ScholarWorks or the University Archives–please encourage your senior thesis advisees to submit their work! The Library guide includes more information about this process.

Brandeis Author Book Talks: The Library is excited to announce a Book Talk Series, an opportunity for Brandeis authors to showcase their recent book publications, engage with the community, and share insights from their work. If you're interested in participating in a future book talk, please reach out to Matthew Sheehy, University Librarian. We aim to host these book talks multiple times each semester and look forward to celebrating and amplifying the work of our faculty authors.

Wondering what to do with all your files, whether they are paper or digital? All Brandeis staff have a responsibility to help ensure proper management of university records. All records are subject to the Brandeis Records Retention Schedule, and some records may belong in the University Archives. Marren Sanders, the Program Director for University Records Management, can advise you on how to store and maintain the records you create. Kate Neptune, the University Archivist, can help you evaluate what should be transferred to the archives for long-term preservation. For more information, please reach out to records@brandeis.edu or archives@brandeis.edu.

Save the Date: You are cordially invited to a 'meet-n-greet' with Brandeis professor Colleen Hitchcock (ENVS/BIO) and a group of educators from Strathclyde University in Glasgow who are creating a Virtual Exchange project in their respective courses as part of the US-UK Fulbright Global Teaching Challenges Awards (GCTA) on May 13th, 10 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Please RSVP to help us plan.

The GCTAs showcase innovative Virtual Exchange / Collaborative Online International Learning (VE/COIL) collaborations designed to address pressing global challenges. These projects bring together faculty, staff, and students across disciplines and borders, fostering cross-cultural understanding, and real-world problem-solving. You can find out more about the Brandeis-Strathclyde project and VE/COIL here.At this ‘meet-n-greet’, you will have an opportunity to learn about VE/COIL and to engage with our Scottish colleagues to help them learn more about Brandeis. 

New GIS Librarian: Kevin Martyn, Librarian, is available to support classes working on GIS and mapping projects, as well as to support faculty with their own research projects. You can email Kevin at kpm@brandeis.edu or schedule an appointment.

American Society for Microbiology Subscribe to Open (S2O) agreement: Any Brandeis University faculty, staff, or student can now publish open-access articles in eligible American Society for Microbiology journals at no cost to themselves.

New journal publishing agreement with American Chemical Society: The Library has entered into a new journal publishing agreement with the American Chemical Society that allows any Brandeis University faculty, staff, or student to publish open access articles in eligible ACS journals at no cost to themselves.