The University is deeply appreciative of the continued efforts made by our staff to support the University’s mission, our students and each other. We recognize the importance of work/life flexibility and time away from work to focus on yourself, your family and friends and to return to the workplace with renewed energy.

As we approach summer, we believe strongly that continued flexibility is important to support our staff. We are happy to announce that departments/units may offer a flexible or compressed schedule for staff this summer beginning June 7 through August 13.

It is important to note that many staff may have significant unused time off balances as a result of the vacation carry over exception and the issuance of special discretionary days. Staff with large time off balances must use this time off in lieu of the flexible schedule during all or parts of this summer to avoid losing time in August 2021. Weeks in which staff utilize time off cannot be combined with a flexible schedule.

Brandeis University’s priority is to provide effective and efficient services to internal and external constituencies during all normal working hours, Monday through Friday. Flexible or compressed work schedules must be approved by the department’s appropriate supervisor (Department Chair, Director, Dean, Vice President or Senior Vice President) and some departments may be unable to implement the program due to operational needs. Please visit the Human Resources site for additional information or contact Human Resources.

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 2021.

Budget managers and others with financial transaction responsibilities should regularly review their department’s financial reports. Any adjusting entries pertaining to fiscal year 2021 should be submitted via Workday no later than July 16. 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.

It's fresh, it's fun, it’s customizable.

Sign up today through Warner Farm's CSA share program, and receive a personalized box of fresh, delicious, locally-grown vegetables, delivered right to the Brandeis campus. Our CSA program offers the option to customize your shares and your delivery schedule, which means that you’ll receive all the produce you love and nothing you don’t! Choose from 3 sizes of vegetable shares, as well as fruit, flower, mushroom and egg shares.

Deliveries take place on campus from 3:30-6:30 p.m. every Thursday from June through October. It's the best way to eat healthy and local this season without breaking the bank! Visit www.warnerfarm.com/csa or email csa@warnerfarm.com to learn more.

The intercollegiate edHealth Walking Challenge is back. Brandeis, edHEALTH and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care are proud to invite you to take part in the fourth annual walking challenge. All employees are eligible to participate, regardless of your health insurance carrier. Participants connect their fitness tracker or device app to the Limeade app via Harvard Pilgrim's wellness account.

For every week of the walking challenge, three winners from each school will be part of the “Walk This Way” gift card raffle. Participant eligibility for corresponding prizes:

• 5,000 steps per day or 35,000 steps per week - $50 gift card
• 7,500 steps per day / 52,500 step per week - $75 gift card
• 10,000 steps per day/ 70,000 steps per week - $100 gift card
• Top Stepper wins a $500 grand prize gift card

For more information visit the Office of Human Resources website.

Facilities Administration is excited to announce the launch of an updated interface for Maximo; Brandeis’s computerized maintenance management system on campus. The new interface will be implemented campus wide on June 14.

The new interface will be visible to anyone on campus that submits a service request for work coordinated or performed by Facilities Services. Campus partners can submit a service request from the Facilities home page or via go.brandeis.edu/workrequest

• Key benefits of the upgrade include:
• Submit service requests right from your phone or tablet
• Modernized, user friendly interface
• Add comments to your request after it’s been submitted
• Select from preloaded selections of the most common work types
• Improved location identification

Zoom training sessions will be available prior to the launch of the new interface. A reference guide will also be available on the Facilities Services home page. Please visit the Facilities Services website for a list of scheduled training sessions.

Nelnet Campus Commerce has been managing Brandeis' monthly payment plans for two years since they purchased TMS and Brandeis has been able to keep our service on the TMS Platform through the 2020-2021 academic year. Brandeis is actively in the process of transitioning to Workday Student as the new university system of record. In conjunction with this transition, we are also moving to the Nelnet Platform and services. Here is a summary of key items to note for 21-22 monthly payment plans:

• Beginning in Fall 2021, when you enroll in a Nelnet monthly payment plan, you will be required to set up a recurring payment method. You can either select a credit card or automatic draft from a bank account. Payments will be charged to your card or withdrawn from the bank account automatically on the 15th of each month. Note: You can no longer pay each month by check or call in to make your payment each month.
• If you are using a 529 Plan to pay all or part of your student account balance, it cannot be sent in monthly installments as Nelnet requires all monthly payment plans to be set up with a method of automatic payment.
• Payment plans are only offered for the Fall and Spring semesters.
• Brandeis does not offer an in-house monthly payment option or accept payments for the payment plan directly.

Enrollment in the monthly payment plan will be through the Nelnet Student Account Portal and will be available when the Fall 2021 bill email notification is sent out in early July.

For questions, please contact Student Financial Services at sfs@brandeis.edu or 781-736-3700.

The Committee for Teaching, Learning, and Assessment has approved the use of the Fall 2021 LATTE Shell for Arts and Sciences and Heller faculty. The LATTE Shell refers to the general course outline or framing template that gives a blank LATTE course some structure and design. This updated LATTE shell incorporates many improvements based on faculty input and has received positive feedback from students. Instructors can make any changes so it fits their class needs, opt-out of the shell, and/or fully restore a LATTE course from a previous semester. You can view examples of possible adjustments to the shell by self-enrolling into the sample course that shows various course organization formats. Workshops are currently available through the Library to get an overview of the new shell.

There is support available through the Library for the Shell:

• Check out the new LATTE shell website
• Explore the LATTE Shell Library Guide
• Sign up for a LATTE Shell Workshop
• Contact the Library team for support
• Make an appointment with an Instructional Technologist

Students can now use Workday Student to manage personal data (e.g., names, pronouns, addresses, emergency contact info, and BENS contact data). Students should continue to use Sage for all academic activities related to the spring and summer semesters. Also, students should continue to view degree audit information in Sage, as the project team is continuing to adjust and transfer data to the new system. The Registrar's Office will reach out in June when students' full academic information is ready and available in Workday. Additional fall semester functionality (e.g., registration, advising) and student financial information will be rolled out incrementally between June and September.

Additional training opportunities including online-based, self-directed training for faculty, students, and staff will be available in the upcoming weeks; detailed information to be shared in the next InBrief. The project team is actively working with the various schools and departments to hold targeted training sessions via Zoom. Visit the Workay@Brandeis website to view the library of helpful resources including job aids, instructional videos, and FAQs. For questions, email workday-help@brandeis.edu.

Vaccination information can now be added to your Campus Passport. Once you have received both of your shots (Moderna/Pfizer) or a single Johnson & Johnson you are able to upload an image of your vaccination record card by following these steps:

1. Go to Campus Passport LINK:
2. Select Preferences
3. Select yes from the drop-down menu indicating you have received all required doses of COVID-19 vaccine
4. Once you have indicated yes you will be asked to upload an image of your immunization card.

The information will be reviewed by a Brandeis medical provider, and upon approval, vaccinated community members will notice a COVID-19 vaccine sticker appear in their Passport.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently announced a program to help those struggling to pay for internet amid the pandemic, stating that a household is eligible to receive the benefit if one member of the household received a federal Pell Grant during the current award year (20-21), among other possible criteria for eligibility. Under the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program, eligible households can receive up to $50 per month to help pay for broadband internet service. Eligible students can begin applying for, and enrolling in, the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program on May 12, 2021. The program will end when the fund runs out of money, or six months after the Department of Health and Human Services declares an end to the COVID-19 health emergency, whichever is sooner. To apply for this benefit, please visit the Emergency Broadband website.

The Office of Human Resources is offering two workshops for returning to the workplace:

• For Managers: Supporting Employees’ Return to the Workplace
  Thursday, June 24, 10-11 a.m.
• For Employees: Support for Returning to the Workplace
  Thursday, July 15, 10-11 a.m.

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

As the University continues its planning for the fall 2021, it is important for our faculty, staff and managers to be aware of the limitations and regulations regarding remote work. Critical to the process are the governmental regulations on where that remote work may be conducted from.

Brandeis is only registered to do business in the United States. Hiring employees who currently reside (are domiciled) within a country’s borders is considered doing business in that country. This means that we are not registered to have employees who reside outside of the United States and working for Brandeis. As such, Brandeis has always taken the position that we do not hire or retain employees who work in another country.

For additional information please visit the Fall Planning 2021 website. Please contact Cherie Sadeli if you have any questions or need clarification.

As announced in President Liebowitz’ letter “Update on FY’22 Budget” on April 27, 2021, the university matching retirement contribution will be reinstated for faculty and staff on July 1.

Your previously elected 403(b) Employee Basic contribution (3% nonexempt or 5% exempt) will automatically be reinstated if you discontinued it during the suspension period. This ensures your university matching contribution will resume on July 1.

Please visit HR website for additional information and a related Question & Answer section.

Employees are reminded that Vacation Carryover Exception Time and Special Time Off balances must be used by August 31 to avoid losing them.


Employees may view their Vacation Carryover Exception Time and Special Time Off balances in WorkDay under Absence > Time Off Balance. This time is also reflected on the payslip accrual summary in WorkDay. 


The Vacation Carryover Exception time and Special Time Off balances should be used as a first priority over regular vacation time and personal time balances leading up to August 31.