At the Community Check-in on Tuesday, February 23, President Liebowitz announced a new administrative and academic holiday, Juneteenth, as recommended by the Brandeis University Staff Advisory Council (BUSAC). Juneteenth is a 155-year-old holiday celebrating the emancipation of African-Americans from slavery in the U.S. It is celebrated on June 19 because on that date in 1865, Major General Gordon Granger of the Union Army landed in Galveston, Texas and informed slaves that the Civil War had ended and slavery had been abolished. Juneteenth has always been both a day of remembrance and an opportunity for African-Americans to honor their history and celebrate Black culture. It is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States.

This virtual workshop will provide strategies for intervening when witnessing potential or actualized violence, focusing primarily on sexual violence, dating/domestic violence, and non-physical violence (such as discrimination and harassment) both in and out of the workplace. The workshop will also cover how to respond with support if someone tells you they have experienced violence.

Register here. Please email parc@brandeis.edu with any questions.

Calling all instructors - did you know you can use Echo360 to manage, host, and record academic video including Zoom recordings? Take advantage of the recent integration between Echo360 and LATTE which makes posting videos to LATTE quick and easy. Also, Zoom cloud recordings are automatically copied to your Echo360 library for extended storage, management, and sharing. Echo360 is also available to students and is a great solution for submitting course video assignments.

• Why should you consider using Echo360 for teaching?
• Manage and store your video lectures including your Zoom recordings
• Quickly and easily post videos to LATTE
• Make your videos accessible with editable auto transcripts
• Add interactive quizzes to your videos
• Edit your videos with the integrated editing tool
• View analytics to see how your students are engaging with the content


Want to learn more? Check out the Echo360 resources on the ITS website for more information about key features including the Echo360/LATTE integration or email help@brandeis.edu for assistance.

The end of March is full of religious celebrations, with March 28 being celebrated within three faiths:

Passover
Jews will observe Passover March 28-April 4 this year. The eight-day celebration marks the liberation of the children of Israel from bondage and their subsequent exodus from Egypt. A Passover Seder - a meal following a specific ritual order retelling the story of the exodus, and including prayers, songs, and special food - is one of the most commonly observed Jewish practices. Travel restrictions due to the pandemic will make this the first year in Brandeis’ history that Passover will be celebrated on campus. Information on Seders catered on campus and other ways that Passover will still be meaningful and memorable is on Brandeis Hillel’s webpage.  

Holy Week
The Christian observance of Holy Week this year begins with Palm Sunday on March 28 and ends on Saturday, April 3, the day before Easter Sunday. Holy Week commemorates the last days of Jesus’ life, from Palm Sunday when he entered into Jerusalem greeted by people waving palm branches, through Maudy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter, the day Christians commemorate the resurrection of Christ. More on those observances will appear in next month's InBrief.

Holi
The Hindu observance of Holi also begins on March 28 this year, which is the Hindu Festival of Colors. Celebrated close to the vernal equinox, the two-day Holi festivities include throwing colored powder over participants dressed in white. More information on religious observances at Brandeis can be found here.

At the end of December 2020, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 was passed, and it included important changes to the rules governing Health Care and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts. The changes affect plan years 2020 and 2021. The provisions are optional for employers/plan sponsors to adopt. Because they provide significant benefits for participants, Brandeis has informed Health Equity WageWorks that we will adopt the following provisions, which are listed below. This is a prospective notice and we will provide a detailed update to employees in the next two weeks as to when these changes are fully implemented in WorkDay and at Health Equity WageWorks.

• Midyear Election Changes Permitted: This will allow employees to enroll or make a one-time change to their FSA elections prior to Oct. 15, 2021 without a qualifying event.
• Expanded Grace Period: The Grace Period to incur expenses for the Health and Daycare Flexible Spending Accounts will be expanded from March 15 to Dec. 31 for both the 2020 and 2021 plan years.
• Increase of Maximum Age of Dependents: This will allow dependent care claims for children turning 14 to be covered during the plan year they transition from age 13 to 14.

Join the Brandeis Gender and Sexuality Center for a session on housing options and assistance for LGBTQ+ students at Brandeis. Learn about campus housing options for first-year and upper class students including the Gender Inclusive Housing Policy. Facilitated by Timothy Touchette, Assistant Dean of Student Affairs, and Melody Smith, Associate Director of Community Living. Sponsored by the Brandeis Gender and Sexuality Center. All faculty and staff are welcome.

Register for Zoom session at www.eepurl.com/hbmZP5 (The Queeries Newsletter) or email GSC Director Julián Cancino.

The Workday Student team is excited to share that the second milestone of the Workday Student implementation is fast approaching. Watch this short Intro to Workday Student video to learn more about the phased transition from Sage to Workday as the university's student information system. This spring, students will begin using Workday to view and manage personal information and register for fall 2021 courses, while faculty will be able to view student records and information about their advisees. 


The project teams are working together with partners from functional offices, academic departments, and the community for the upcoming rollout. The team will be using multiple approaches and communication channels to prepare the community for the upcoming transition including video tutorials, virtual training, and drop-in sessions. More information will be provided in the upcoming weeks. Visit the Workday Student project website to learn more including project overview, upcoming milestones, and functionality. Please contact the Workday Student team at workday@brandeis.edu with any questions.

The Academic Technology Advisory Committee receives, proposes, prioritizes, and submits recommendations related to the acquisition and use of technology in support of the academic mission of the University including the areas of teaching, learning, research, and scholarship. 

The IT Governance web page lists the products approved for this academic year including Gradescope, Prism, BeyondLabz, MacMillan Achieve and LaunchPad, Sapling Plus, and PsychLearn. Overleaf has recently been approved as well, and more information regarding the university-wide license for the product will be available soon. For additional information regarding these products, please contact library@brandeis.edu.

With tax season well underway, ITS Security wants to remind the community to be aware of tax-related scams. Thousands of people have lost millions of dollars and their personal information to tax scams. The IRS does not initiate contact with taxpayers by email, text messages, or social media channels to request personal or financial information. As a reminder, never give out your social security number, credit card, or other personal information to telemarketers or in response to emails or text messages requesting this information. Watch this helpful video to learn how to spot a possible tax scam. Additionally, beware of any emails related to your W-2. Brandeis employees can download their electronic W-2 from Workday. 



Visit the IRS website to view a current list of known scams. Report all unsolicited emails claiming to be from the IRS or an IRS-related function to phishing@irs.gov. For more information or questions, contact the ITS Security Office at security@brandeis.edu.

The Library is offering the following workshops for faculty, staff, and students:

• Monday, March 1, 10-10:30 a.m., Using the Jamboard software for Teaching
• Tuesday, March 2, 12-1:00 p.m., Regression Analysis with Stata
• 
Wednesday, March 3, 9-10 a.m., Intro to 3D Scanning
• 
Wednesday, March 3, 12-1:30 p.m.,  Introductory Module of Arduino Electronics Workshop
• Thursday, March 4, 9-10 a.m. Brandeis MakerLab, Automation Lab and Digital Scholarship Lab VIRTUAL Tour!  

• Friday, March 5, 11 a.m.- 12:30 p.m., Advanced Arduino Electronics Workshop
• Friday, March 5, 12-1 p.m., Survey Research: Intro to Qualtrics
• 
Monday, March 8, 10-10:30 a.m., Using the Jamboard software for Teaching
• Wednesday, March 10, 10-10:30 a.m., Learn about Brandeis History and its archives
• 
Wednesday, March 10, 12-1:30 p.m., Introductory Module of Arduino Electronics Workshop
• 
Thursday, March 11, 1-2 p.m., Excel with Excel: Overview, Tips and Tricks. Part I
• Monday, March 15, 11 a.m.-12 p.m., Find Funding Opportunities using Library Databases

This year’s Brandeis University Staff Advisory Committee (BUSAC) nominations and elections are coming up. We will send all staff who are eligible to be nominated and vote in elections an individual email confirming their eligibility and a nomination form. To be eligible you must be a benefits eligible staff member or post-doc, who started before Sept. 1. If you have not received this email by the end of the day on March 5 and think that you are eligible, please email BUSAC@brandeis.edu so that we can investigate and include you in as part of the elections process. Nominations of members of underrepresented groups are strongly encouraged.

The purpose of the BUSAC committee is to improve the work environment for Brandeis University staff through discussions and actions that influence policy; develop and enrich staff; and promote ongoing, meaningful and deliberate improvements to the staff experience. All interested staff members are welcome to attend an open BUSAC meeting on March 4 from 2-3 p.m.

The financial aid renewal application deadline for the 2021-2022 academic year is March 1. Students receiving need-based scholarship funds must submit the 2021-2022 CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE , the 2021-2022 Free Application for Federal Student Aid, and copies of 2019 student and parent Federal Income Tax Returns. Students who wish to apply only for federal sources of financial aid need only complete the FAFSA (taxes will be requested upon receipt of this application only if necessary). An e-mail detailing the renewal process was sent to students and parents in early December.

The Office of Student Financial Services is currently operating remotely. If you have questions about financial aid, billing or student employment/I-9's, please contact us at 781-736-3700 or sfs@brandeis.edu from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., M-F. The lobby is now open on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays for in-person I-9 completion/financial aid document appointments. Please schedule your lobby appointment here.

Sign up for one of our new one-on-one financial literacy sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The Office of Student Financial Services hopes that you will take advantage of this great opportunity to ask questions about budgeting, managing debt, understanding your paycheck, W-2’s etc. Please click here to book a 20-minute appointment today.

Please join the Office of Student Financial Services for a financial aid webinar on Friday, Feb. 26 from 3 -4 p.m. (EST). Topics will include:

• 21-22 Financial aid renewal application process (including what to do if your family's income has been affected by COVID)
• The cost of attendance, including how housing choices (on-campus, off-campus, and studying remotely from home) affect financial aid

• The financial aid package and how it is determined 

• The financial aid appeal process

• How to pay the bill (payment plans, private loans, etc.)
• Emergency funds
• iGrad financial literacy tool and one-on-one literacy sessions

Students can sign up for the webinar and ask questions ahead of time. To register, please visit this link.  Live chat will be available during the webinar.

Human Resources is offering the following three-hour virtual workshops in Spring 2021 presented by Skill Path:

• Thursday, March 1, 9 a.m.-12 p.m.– Building More Effective Work Relationships
• Thursday, March 25, 1-4 p.m. – How to be an Effective Virtual Team Member
• Tuesday, April 27, 9 a.m.-12 p.m. – Returning to the Workplace: An Employee’s Guide
• Tuesday, May 11, 9 a.m.-12 p.m. – Managing Conflict and Confrontation

A series of trainings for managers detailing how to implement specific Brandeis policies and procedures in light of COVID-19. Trainings will be presented virtually via Zoom.

• Wednesday, March 17, 10-11 a.m. – Conducting One-On-Ones
• Tuesday, March 30, 1-2 p.m. – Intro to Leaves Policy
• Tuesday, April 6, 10-11 a.m. – Legal Considerations of the Supervisor
• Monday, April 12, 10-11 a.m. – Performance Reviews: Coaching and Counseling

Additional Workshops presented via Zoom:

• Thursday, March 18, 10-11 a.m. – Leading Employees Through Change
• Friday, March 26, 9-11 a.m. – Improving Business Writing
• Tuesday, April 13, 10-11 a.m. – The Road to Resiliency
• Thursday, May 13, 10-11 a.m. – Un-clutter to De-stress: Simple Steps to Simplify Your Life

Please visit the links for more information and registration. For questions please email Cynthia Farquhar.

The spring semester may be off to a wintry start, but you can be technology smart! The Technology Help Desk would like to remind the Brandeis community to keep their computer—whether university-issued or personal— up to date with the latest software updates and security patches. Don’t forget to restart your computer after applying an update. In fact, a weekly restart is a must to keep your machine updated and running smoothly.

It’s equally important to review and remove outdated software, including the old antivirus software (Symantec); users with university-provided Windows machines are directed to follow these uninstall directions. Mac users should contact the Help Desk for assistance.

A friendly reminder to check out this helpful checklist and resources for working remotely. The Help Desk is available to provide technology support and services no matter where your “office” may be - contact the team of computer support specialists via help@brandeis.edu or 781-736-4357.

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, March 8.

The selected students will be honored at a ceremony on May 6 and will be listed in the Commencement program. Please direct all questions to the Dean of Students Office at deanofstudentsoffice@brandeis.edu.

New Direction is offering a series of webinars with sessions at both 12-1 p.m. and 3-4 p.m. ET on Wednesday.

• Wednesday, March 17 – Work-Life Harmony
• Wednesday, March 24 – Shaping Your Workplace Culture
• Wednesday, April 21 – Substance Use and Your Loved Ones
• Wednesday, May 19 – Overcoming Loneliness

For a description of each webinar and directions to register please visit the Office of Human Resources Training and Professional Development webpage.

Want to learn how to get the most out of Zoom to engage with students in a virtual classroom? Visit the new Teaching with Zoom webpage for helpful FAQs addressing the most common questions about using Zoom’s interactive features such as solutions for taking attendance, using breakout rooms, virtual whiteboard solutions, and tips for keeping your class secure. Be sure to review how to keep your meeting secure and using the new live transcription feature.

To learn more about Zoom features, how-tos, training, and support, visit the ITS website or contact the Technology Help Desk.

In December 2020, Brandeis joined the National Grid Energy Efficiency (EE) Program. This program provides incentives for energy efficiency projects that reduce our consumption of natural gas. Brandeis joined the EE program as part of a major project on campus, the replacement of a 50-year-old boiler in Brandeis’ central heating plant. The new, more efficient boiler will realize up to a 4% annual reduction in our campus natural gas use. Brandeis will receive a significant rebate through the EE program as a result.

The rebate Brandeis receives from the EE program will, beginning in 2021, kick off a new funding strategy for improving campus energy efficiency. The new strategy will aim to use utility incentives primarily for energy-efficiency projects on campus, many of which also address deferred maintenance. For more information, please see the Office of Sustainability webpage.

The creation of new work is a key part of the Leonard Bernstein Festival of the Creative Arts. This year we invite Brandeis students, staff, faculty and alumni to create something--a drawing, a song, a poem, etc.—to give to another Brandeisian. We will pay for materials and shipping, and we will coordinate a virtual catalog of works for the community to choose from.

Why give it away?

Because art can support community care. Because making art can guide us in making sense of our lives.

Because at this moment in time, we need and want connection, comfort and hope. Because generosity is an expression of caring, as is the joy of gratitude.

Collaborations are welcome and the gift can come from a student club or an administrative or academic department.

The Festival of the Arts website has more information and a registration form. Please register by Feb. 28.

Questions? Email Ingrid Schorr, Director of Arts Engagement.