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| IN THE SPOTLIGHT | Additional Presidential Discretionary Days | In the August 25 community check-in for faculty and staff, it was announced that staff will receive an additional five (5) discretionary days off to be used on days agreed upon by the employee and the employee’s supervisor. These discretionary days have been approved by President Liebowitz in recognition of the significant efforts made by our staff to support the University’s response to COVID-19 and our scaling up plans.
These additional discretionary days will be provided to all benefits-eligible staff who accrue sick, vacation and personal time and will be pro-rated for part-time employees. These days can be used together or separately and must be used, in all cases, before August 31, 2021. These discretionary days are not intended to replace other discretionary days approved by President Liebowitz, including those that have been approved between the 2020 Christmas and 2021 New Year’s holidays.
Unlike accrued vacation time, discretionary days do not have cash value and will not be rolled over from year to year or cashed out if an employee leaves the University. Additional instructions for use and documentation of these discretionary days will be included in the next issue of InBrief. If you have questions or need guidance, please contact the Office of Human Resources at 781-736-4474 or humanresources@brandeis.edu. |
| Exploring Waltham: Resources for Research, Teaching, and Learning | The “Exploring Waltham: Resources for Research, Teaching, and Learning” Library Guide is an online repository designed for students, faculty, and staff who want to learn more about and engage with the City of Waltham. The site showcases a collection of literature, search engines, sociodemographic data, geospatial data, maps, videos, student and faculty projects, and other resources about Waltham and its surrounding areas. We hope that this Library Guide will serve as a springboard to spark further community-oriented projects and research in the future, as well as be used as tool for both learning and teaching at Brandeis and beyond.
For suggestions or questions please contact Sara Shostak or Wendy Cadge. |
| Brandeis Emergency Notification (BENS) Registration | Every day, there are events in the news that remind us how important it is to receive timely information about emergency situations. For those who live and work at Brandeis University, registering to receive updates from the Brandeis Emergency Notification System (BENS) is one important way to get such messages. This system is used not only to inform the Brandeis community of an emergency situation affecting campus, but also to inform the community about severe weather delays and closures.
Using the BENS system for delays and closures notifies students, faculty and staff that the university’s schedule is affected by severe weather events more quickly. As in the past, some employees may be required to report to work in severe weather. If you have questions about whether you need to report to work during a weather issue, please contact your supervisor for clarification.
University email addresses will automatically be notified in the event of an emergency or severe weather. To receive notifications via text message or a non-Brandeis email address, you must provide us with your mobile phone number, and check the box authorizing Brandeis to send texts, and personal email address. Go to go.brandeis.edu/alerts for complete information and instructions. |
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| IN MEMORIAM | Four Long-time and Treasured Campus Operations Staff | It is with deep sadness that we share the news of the passing of four long-time and treasured Campus Operations staff over the course of the long break between spring and fall semester 2020. Between them, they served Brandeis University for a total of nearly 70 years. They will be dearly missed.
Patricia Conboy worked for Sodexo at Brandeis for twenty years in both dining halls and Louis’ Deli. Pat was loved for her sweet, caring nature and was passionate about serving the Brandeis community. Mrs. Conboy passed away on April 29. Obituary
Nerva Nazaire worked for Sodexo in Brandeis’ The Hoot C-Store for nine years. Nerva’s presence in the Hoot Market and caring attitude brought joy to students at the wee hours of the morning for years. Mr. Nazaire passed away on May 25. Obituary
James Adams was an HVAC technician for Facilities Services Operations and Maintenance group for five years. He brought amazing customer service skills to light in every work order and through his infectious smile. Mr. Adams passed away on June 4. Obituary
Michael Carbone was an avid hockey fan who enjoy reminiscing about the "good ol' days" of the Boston Bruins. He was a custodian in Facilities Services for thirty-three years, following in the footsteps of his father, David Carbone, also a Brandeis custodian for 40 years before retiring in 2014. Mr. Carbone passed away on August 17. |
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| IN OTHER NEWS | Webex Web Conferencing Now Available | ITS is pleased to announce the availability of Webex to all Brandeis faculty, staff, and students. Webex is available for free to the community as an alternative web conferencing tool; Zoom will continue to be the primary method for remote instruction. Webex is a collaborative meeting tool - similar to Zoom - where you can meet, collaborate, present, and share content remotely. Features of Webex include access to online whiteboards to make annotations and joining on the go with your mobile device.
Visit the ITS website to get started using Webex. For questions or more information about video conferencing at Brandeis, please contact the Help Desk. |
| Brandeis Counseling Center (BCC) | This semester, the Brandeis Counseling Center (BCC) will be following the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Psychological Association by continuing to care for Brandeis students through telehealth services whenever possible. BCC will provide counseling, group therapy, and psychiatry over a confidential Zoom platform. Telehealth allows for accessible and effective care during this pandemic, as we protect our students, ourselves and our community from COVID-19 transmission.
Students who are interested in working with the BCC for individual or group therapy should contact the center by calling the front desk at 781-736-3730 (Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET). If a student has an urgent need after 5 p.m. ET or on the weekend, they can call the front desk and be connected to an on-call clinician.
The counseling center is in the process of evaluating the possibility of providing treatment for students outside of Massachusetts. The center is encouraging students, regardless of location, to contact them. Currently BCC offers phone consultations so that they can understand the student’s needs and provide them with local resources. BCC will remain in contact to help the student successfully connect with referrals. The center is also in the process of developing workshops and programming that will be available to students outside of Massachusetts.
BCC will continue to provide urgent care via Zoom at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. ET Monday-Friday. Students should call the front desk for an urgent care appointment. If you are with a student in crisis and you wish to help them arrange an urgent appointment, please do not walk them to the Counseling Center. Instead, encourage them to contact BCC by phone so that they can schedule to see them via telehealth. |
| PPE and Cleaning Wipes | Facilities Services is providing cleaning kits to departments for self-cleaning of dedicated spaces like offices/workstations and department shared spaces like equipment areas and kitchens. Those supplies can be replenished through the Facilities work orders system.
Custodial staff are supplying and refilling cleaning supplies such as sanitizing wipes and hand sanitizers located in common spaces (classrooms, conference rooms, lobbies, atria, etc.).
Per university policy, all staff, faculty and students must provide their own masks. The university only supplies masks to essential frontline workers.
In case of circumstances where an individual temporarily does not have a mask, such as forgetting to wear one or losing it, you may pick up a free disposable mask at the Information Booth located at the campus entry. Masks are also available for purchase at the Brandeis Bookstore and Hoot C-Store.
To ensure quality and good pricing Procurement Services is assisting in sourcing masks and other PPE, as required for certain work, for departments, labs and studios.
Please visit the Health and Safety: A Personal and Shared Responsibility web page for information on face masks and more. |
| Office Cleaning Protocol | All offices have been equipped with a door hanger that says "Full Service" or "Vacuum" along with instructions. Please put the door hanger on the outside of your door handle/knob with the service you would like performed facing out. Within 24 hours of seeing the sign the custodial staff will perform the desired service. After the service is completed the custodian will sanitize the door hanger and place it on the occupant’s desk chair. If you did not receive a hanger or misplaced it, please submit a work order to request one.
A "Full Services" cleaning of the office including: high dust, sanitizing vertical & horizontal surfaces including touch points and vacuuming or sweeping/mopping. “Full Service” cleaning will only be provided once per week. If the "Vacuum" sign is on the door the custodial staff will simply vacuum the office.
Occupants are responsible to bring all trash and recycling to a public area or hallway bin. The public area and hallway bins will be emptied daily by the custodial staff.
Please visit the Campus Health and Safety webpage to see multiple preventative measures the university is taking to prevent the spread of COVID-19. |
| Online Supply Drive for Waltham Mutual Aid Fund | Registration open until Oct. 1 | Waltham Mutual Aid is a community network which aims to help Waltham community members cope with the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak and the likely impending economic recession, based on the mutual aid structure historically set forth by black and brown communities. As a fully grassroots, volunteer-run organization, Waltham Mutual Aid works to facilitate the reallocation of resources in the Waltham community by connecting those who can give with those who are in need of support. Brandeis Waltham Group, in partnership with the Waltham Mutual Aid fund, is organizing a virtual supply drive for Waltham residents impacted by COVID-19. Waltham residents are in need of groceries, hygiene products, household items, etc. The Waltham groups hope to provide the Waltham community with all of the items on this registry. Please consider purchasing items from this Amazon registry; each item you purchase will be sent directly to Waltham Mutual Aid, which will distribute amongst those in need. Registration is open until Oct. 1. Thank you so much for your support. Please email wgsummerfundraising@gmail.com with any questions. |
| ISSO Open Doors Host Program | The International Students and Scholars Office (ISSO) invites you to participate in this year's Open Doors Host Program as a host. Open Doors offers incoming international first-year students the opportunity to pair up with a "host" (Brandeis continuing students, staff, faculty, alumni, or other Brandeis affiliates) to learn more about U.S. culture, the Brandeis community, and the Waltham/Boston area.
Please note, Open Doors is not a homestay program. Rather, it is an opportunity to gain insight into another culture and to build a friendship.
It’s more important than ever to help our incoming international students feel connected to the Brandeis community during these difficult times, whether they’re attending courses in person or virtually. As a host, you will receive your new student's information shortly after signing up to begin making a connection with them. There will be a virtual orientation in September for hosts and students to formally meet. It is okay for hosts to not be present at Brandeis during the fall semester.
Throughout the fall semester, the ISSO will reach out with ideas for activities that you and your student can do together. If you are both in Waltham, you could participate in safe, socially distanced activities such as taking a walk in the local area, exploring Boston together, exchanging your cultures and languages, or simply checking in with your student via email to cheer them on as they settle into their new home at Brandeis. If you or your students are physically distant, ISSO will be sharing ideas for virtual activities you can take part in. The commitment is only for the Fall 2020 semester and contact with your new student after that is optional, although we encourage you to keep in touch with your student.
If you are interested in joining the program as a host, please see the Host FAQs page and sign up as soon as possible. ISSO will match hosts and new students on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Please contact the ISSO if you have any questions. |
| Waltham Group Virtual Showcase | Thursday, Sept 3 6:30 p.m. | The Waltham Group Virtual Showcase is a compilation of clips from talented members in the Waltham and Brandeis communities that will be accessible for all to enjoy online. In times of COVID, when we all feel so distant, finding community can be so important. What better way to highlight the togetherness of Waltham and Brandeis than by tuning in to see stellar appearances from your friends and neighbors to support the Waltham Partnership for Youth (WPY)! Funds will be collected leading up to and throughout the duration of the show, which will be aired on September 3 at 6:30 p.m. EST. To learn more about the incredible work that WPY does, please visit the Waltham Partnership for Youth website. Stay tuned for more information about this incredible event soon. To stream the event, please follow the Waltham Group Virtual Showcase Facebook and Youtube. Contact Waltham Group Coordinator Jess Daniels with questions. |
| Tent Reservation | During fall semester 2020, there will be eight tents located across campus available for use by the internal Brandeis community. Tents are set as unenclosed spaces with tops and pathways, but no sides, and with lighting but no teaching technology unless arrangements are made.
Class requests under tents are managed through the Office of the Registrar. Event requests will be managed by Conference and Events Services (CES). Tents will be available for various uses from 7 a.m.-10 p.m., Monday-Sunday between now and when students leave campus at Thanksgiving.
For more information please visit the Tent FAQ webpage. |
| The Waltham Public Library Wants Your Stories | How is the COVID pandemic affecting you? How has it changed your daily life? During COVID, have you wondered how peoples' lives changed during the 1918 influenza? Future Waltham citizens will be wondering what life amid a pandemic was like for us, and we want to add your stories to the record. The Waltham Public Library is collecting stories, photos, artwork and other entries that show how the people of Waltham are living life during a pandemic and how daily lives have changed during these times.
Your stories matter. Contribute and submit them here or by email. If you have questions, please email Emory Peng, Waltham Group Coordinator. |
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| FRIENDLY REMINDERS | Zoom Security Changes - Action Required | Sunday, Sept. 27 | Effective Sept. 27, Zoom users will be required to have a Passcode or Waiting Room enabled for all meetings. This is the latest in security improvements to ensure your Zoom meeting remains secure against unwanted participants. You will have the ability to control your meeting security selections by choosing either a Passcode (previously referred to as password) or enabling the Waiting Room feature. If neither security option is enabled on Sept. 27, Zoom will automatically enable a Waiting Room for your meetings. You will have the option of enabling a meeting password and updating the meeting link to avoid the waiting room feature from becoming enabled. To learn more about these changes, review this Zoom FAQ article.
ITS strongly recommends users check to make sure they’re using the latest version of Zoom. The update applies only to the installed application on your computer, not the web login. For some users, Zoom may automatically prompt you to update. To apply the update manually: open the Zoom desktop application, click on the user icon on the top right then select 'Check for Updates' from the drop-down menu. If new updates are available, you will be prompted with an 'Update Available' message; click 'Update' to install. Visit the Zoom website to learn about updates for Windows and Mac.
To learn more about protecting your Zoom meetings, visit the ITS website. If you have any questions, please contact the Help Desk at help@brandeis.edu or 781-736-4638. |
| Workday Student Changes Coming Soon | This fall, the first piece of Workday Student functionality will be live in our Workday environment. The first of four major milestone releases will result in the debut of an automated process for adding new, approved courses for the 2021-22 academic year to our student information system.
Over the next year, Brandeis will transition all remaining Sage functionality to Workday Student, integrating seamlessly with our current HR and Finance system. Workday will provide a comprehensive, single system of record for the Brandeis community. Students will be able to access their personal information, academic progress, and student employment records in one place. Faculty will manage grades, find course schedules, check enrollments, view information on advisees, and view class rosters in a modernized system. Staff, where appropriate to their role, will be able to view student information, view degree progress, review student financial accounts, manage account holds, and approve timesheets of student workers. Workday HR, Finance and Student will be accessible to the community from anywhere and at any time.
The project team will continue to provide updates about the transition from Sage to Workday, how it will impact our campus community, and how to learn more. Training for the upcoming milestone will be announced in the forthcoming weeks. To learn more about the project including a timeline, an organizational chart, and FAQs, visit the Workday Student project website. Contact us at workday@brandeis.edu with any questions. |
| BJ's Wholesale Club Discounted Membership | BJ's is offering a discount to new and renewing members.
New Members Only Offer is:
$25/12 months for BJ's Inner Circle (regular $55/12 months) $50/12 months for BJ's Perks Rewards (regular $110/12 months)
Renewing Members Only Offer is:
$40/13 months for BJ's Inner Circle (regular $55/13 months) $80/13 months for BJ's Perks Rewards (regular $110/13 months)
Please contact Renee Relerford or Kim Sbrogna for an application.
Applications are due by September 5, 2020. |
| Help Desk Fall 2020 Schedule | Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-5 p.m. | Have a technology question or issue? No matter where you may be - on or off-campus - the Technology Help Desk is available to help. Brandeis faculty, staff, and students should continue to direct all tech-related inquiries by submitting a help request, sending an email to help@brandeis.edu, or calling 781-736-4357. Knowledgeable, friendly desktop systems specialists will help resolve the issue. In conjunction with the opening of Goldfarb Library on Aug. 26, the Help Desk will scale up on-site support. For technology issues that can’t be resolved remotely, a support specialist will work with you to schedule a 30-minute in-person appointment. In addition, the computer repair shop is scaling up operations. All hardware issues will be evaluated through the Help Desk intake process.
The Help Desk staff is committed to providing high-level technology support and service to the Brandeis community this fall. The team will adhere to university and health guidelines to ensure the safety of both the team and the community. To learn more about the Help Desk schedule and support process for the fall semester, please visit the ITS website. |
| Guide to Take-out Packaging | The Office of Sustainability and Brandeis Dining Services have created a guide to take-out packaging that answers questions about items available in campus dining and whether they are compostable, recyclable, or trash. The page will be updated frequently to include new items. Please follow us on Facebook and Instagram for the latest updates. |
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Office of Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration fin-admin@brandeis.edu MS 111 | 415 South St. | Waltham, MA 02453 Visit Our Website for more information. Give feedback for InBrief.
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