It is important to know that while the suspension of the university 403(b) match is in effect, you can still continue or begin to make pre-tax deferred contributions to the retirement plan up to the IRS annual limits. For details on how to access your account, calculate your maximum contribution, meet with a Retirement Planner and access Financial Well-Being Webinars, please visit the Retirement Savings webpage.

Waltham Group is inviting the Brandeis Community to participate in a Mask Making Initiative to provide needed masks to our community during the COVID-19 pandemic. Gather your sewing supplies to create masks for The Family Van. The Family Van is a non-profit mobile clinic working to combat and reduce health disparities and inequities in the Boston area by providing free health screenings and resources to underserved communities. Many Boston residents still lack access to simple cloth masks and therefore every mask made by a volunteer goes a long way towards protecting our community. You do not need to have previous sewing experience to make a mask and a sewing machine is not required. We are also encouraging those who make masks to engage in a fun competition to win Amazon gift cards and other prizes. Prizes will be given for: most adult size masks made, most child size masks made; and most creative/artistic mask. 

If you are interested, please fill out this Google Form. We will be hosting a Zoom meeting on Thursday, July 9 at 8 p.m.  We will give a short tutorial on one way to make a mask and invite others to share their ideas as well. More information about the initiative and future tutorial meetings will be posted. All questions can be directed to Supriya Jain and Claire West. 

Representative from Fidelity Investments and TIAA are ready to help you manage your retirement savings goals, review investment choices and build a plan that is easy to put into action.

To register and for more details please visit the Retirement Savings Plan webpage on the Human Resources website.

Looking to hone some new skills this summer? The Library is offering an exciting slate of workshops over Zoom. We hope you’ll consider signing up for workshops to learn more about:

• Data Services & Software, including R, Python, and Atlas.ti 
• ArcGIS Online and Story Maps
• LaTeX for Science & Math
• Library Research Skills
• Citation Styles
• Arduino Electronics

The library is also happy to provide group workshops on a variety of topics. If you'd like to request a workshop for a group, please fill out our request form.

As we approach our fiscal year-end on June 30, the Division of Business and Finance would like to remind everyone of the important deadlines related to financial transactions and reports. Please refer to the year-end close memo provided on the Division of Business and Finance website, which lists various milestones and deadlines for fiscal year end 2020. 

Budget managers and others with financial transaction responsibilities should regularly review their department’s financial reports. Any adjusting entries pertaining to fiscal year 2020 should be submitted via Workday no later than July 17. For questions, please do not hesitate to e-mail any member of the Division of Business and Finance team. Thank you for your cooperation and assistance.

Financial Well-Being Webinars through Fidelity Investments and TIAA are offered both live and on demand this summer. Visit the Human Resources website for a comprehensive list and registration details of upcoming webinars.

All managers and supervisors who need to update a job description, should now use the new Job Profile Template found on the Human Resources website. If you have any questions regarding the new form, please contact Lori Dougherty or Erika Chin.