This event, part panel discussion and part open forum, will gather community feedback and engage the campus in discussions about climate change. The discussion will focus on the central questions; What should be Brandeis’ role and responsibility in the face of the climate crisis? What is within Brandeis’ power to do? Community members' comments will inform Brandeis' climate action plan, which the sustainability task force is in the process of updating. Attendees will also be able to contribute to a participatory art project on the topic. Open to the Brandeis community. Snacks will be served. Sponsored by the President's Task Force on Campus Sustainability.

If you are not able to attend, please consider providing feedback to the task force (anonymous entries are allowed) through our online form.

FB event: https://www.facebook.com/events/223546198681737/

President Liebowitz has approved the following President's Discretionary Days this calendar year.

• Friday, May 22 — the university closes at 2 p.m. in advance of the Memorial Day holiday.
• Monday, December 28, through Thursday, December 31. This is in addition to the existing Christmas and New Year holidays of Friday, December 25, and Friday, January 1.

Staff members who are required to work these holidays are entitled to take other days off and should check with their supervisors regarding scheduling.

For a complete list of staff holidays please visit the Human Resources website.

The International Business School is now offering part-time options for its master’s programs. Students may pursue the MBA, Master of Arts in International Economics and Finance, Master of Science in Business Analytics or Master of Science in Finance by completing one or two classes at a time. An Employee Information Session will be held March 2 at noon in the Alumni Common Room, Lemberg Academic Center, for Brandeis employees who want to learn more. Lunch will be served. RSVP now and contact the Admissions Office at globaladmissions@brandeis.edu with any questions.

As we use technology in our day-to-day lives, information security is even more critical in both our professional and personal lives. In an effort to protect university computing resources and data against malicious activity, Information Technology Services is working to ensure that all university-owned machines meet the security protection requirements outlined in the Written Information Security Policy. To date, ITS has deployed a suite of security tools and services to approximately 40% of all desktops and laptops. As a reminder, ITS is partnering with technology liaisons in the various schools, departments, and centers and institutes to deploy security protection software to all machines across campus. The suite of tools includes endpoint protection (enSilo; replaces Symantec and Malwarebytes), data backup and recovery (Code42 CrashPlan), and identity data protection (Spirion) software. The process has minimal-to-no-impact on you and your computer. No action is required on your part as the installation will run silently in the background, will not affect computer software or performance, and a computer reboot will not be required. To learn more, visit the Understanding Your Security Tools page on the ITS website. If you have any questions, please contact security@brandeis.edu.

The City of Waltham has a Tree Setback Program where any citizen may request a shade tree be planted on their property at no cost. Setback plantings allow public tree managers more flexibility in working with residents to plant “the right tree in the right place” and can provide trees with more “growing space” and better conditions under which to survive, thrive and achieve their full potential. The city will provide consultation for all the above conditions at no cost to the homeowner. Once the tree is planted, the homeowner will assume duties such as watering, fertilizing, pruning, etc. to ensure the tree’s long-term survival. If the tree does not survive its first year for reasons beyond anyone’s control, the city will undertake all costs for removal. If this program is of interest to you or you would like to learn more about Waltham’s Tree Setback Program, visit the city's website.

The Office of Human Resources will be offering the following professional development workshops:

Living Off Your Paycheck on Wednesday, Feb. 26. This seminar will provide "no-nonsense" advice for making ends meet, and strategies for financial goal setting.

Communicating Professionally on Monday, March 16. Participants learn how to present information and interact with others more professionally.

Time Management, Thursday, April 9. In this session, participants will learn proven techniques for managing time effectively.

For more information and to register, and for a complete list of scheduled training sessions, please visit the Office of Human Resources Training and Professional Development Webpage. Please contact Cynthia Farquhar with any questions.

The Dean of Students Office is seeking nominations from faculty and staff of undergraduate students who have made outstanding contributions to the Brandeis community, including contributions of leadership, social consciousness and activism, community building, and service. While special attention will be paid to graduating seniors, several prizes will go to students in other class years.

Please complete the nomination form by Monday, Feb. 24.

The selected students will be honored at a ceremony on May 1st and will be listed in the Commencement program. Please direct all questions to the Dean of Students Office at deanofstudentsoffice@brandeis.edu.

The Brandeis Varsity Swimming and Diving team is hosting its bi-annual youth swim lesson program for all children of faculty, staff, and the surrounding neighborhood. This program brings children ages three and older together with experienced instructors for private (one-on-one) instruction. The goal of the program is to provide quality instruction geared to the individual needs of the child in a safe, supportive, and enthusiastic environment. A package of six lessons is offered for $220 or a pay-as-you-go flex plan for $40 per lesson.

For more information please visit the Athletics website. For questions, email Aquatics Director, Ian Reardon with any questions. For registration please complete this form.

Learn how to create well-written e-mail messages, memos, reports and other materials. Review ways to enhance the “readability” of your messages and tips to help make e-mail writing faster and easier. Special focus is on seven principles of effective business writing and how to approach a writing task. The workshop will also review aspects of punctuation, grammar and word usage, and you will learn about Web resources that can help you further develop your writing skills. Please visit the Office of Human Resources website for more information and to register.