The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) has announced Brandeis as a finalist for a 2021 AASHE Campus Sustainability Achievement Award. The award recognizes outstanding progress in higher education sustainability. Brandeis is being recognized for our achievement in sustainable dining. Over the past year, we have made significant improvements resulting in groundbreaking progress: a lower carbon “foodprint”, more New England-sourced and plant-based foods, a new food waste reduction process, fewer single-use disposable items, and more. Winners will be announced in December. Subscribe to the Office of Sustainability newsletter to be the first to know if we win.

Finance and Administration held its 5th Annual Town Hall meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 17. Thank you to the almost 200 members of our community who were able to attend, either in-person or virtually. Senior leaders from the Finance and Administration team reported on developments in their areas. Questions and answers can be found on the EVP for Finance and Administration website.

Payroll will process the payroll for the week ending 11/21 on Tuesday, 11/23. Normally, we process the weekly payroll on Wednesdays. As a result of the Thanksgiving Day Holiday we have to process one day earlier. Please make sure all time is entered and approved no later than the end of the day Monday, 11/22. Managers, please make sure you communicate with your employees when you expect time to be submitted, so you are able to approve by the end of the day Monday, 11/22. If you have any questions, please email payroll at payroll@brandeis.edu.

Starting Wednesday, Dec. 1, all Workday-related support inquiries should be directed to help@brandeis.edu or 781-736-4357. The Workday@Brandeis team and Technology Help Desk will continue to collaborate on issue resolution to ensure timely response and service. Please visit the Workday@Brandeis website to view the full library of resources for HR/Finance and Student including job aids, instructional videos, and FAQs.

The Council of Data Trustees met monthly from March through August to discuss our Data Governance Program’s goals, objectives, roles and responsibilities, and the approach moving forward. As part of their work, they drafted a foundational Data Governance Policy which includes guiding principles and policy statements to ensure university data is accurate, accessible, and secure. The Policy is currently being reviewed by the University Policy Committee and will be shared with the community once approved.

The Data Trustees also identified Data Stewards within each of their domains, and a Data Stewardship Council has been formed to lead the definition and classification of data within their domains. They will continue to meet regularly throughout the fall and spring semesters.

For questions or more information about the program, please contact Anne Marando or Ian Rifkin.

The Payroll Office has issued the annual memo regarding important calendar year-end paycheck and tax information for 2021. This includes requests for duplicate W-2 forms and changes in tax filing status.

The memo is available on the Payroll website, under Payroll Year-end Memo 2021. If you have any questions, please email payroll at payroll@brandeis.edu.

There is still an opportunity to purchase Celtics tickets. There is one pair of tickets for each of the following games:

• Sun, Jan 2 Magic, 6 p.m., $200.00
• Wed, Jan 5, Spurs, 7:30 p.m., $130.00
• Mon, Jan 10, Pacers, 7:30 p.m., $130.00
• Wed, Jan 19, Hornets, 7:30 p.m., $160.00
• Tue, Jan 25, Kings, 7:30 p.m., $130.00
• Wed, Feb 2, Hornets, 7:30 p.m., $160.00
• Wed, Feb 16, Pistons, 7:30 p.m., $130.00
• Tue, March 1, Hawks, 7:30 p.m., $200.00
• Thu, March 3, Grizzlies, 7:30 p.m., $160.00
• Fri, March 11, Pistons, 7:30 p.m., $160.00
• Wed, Mar 23, Jazz, 7:30 p.m., $160.00
• Sun, Mar 27, Timberwolves, 6:00 p.m., $160.00
• Wed, Mar 30, Heat, 7:30 p.m., $160.00
• Fri, Apr 1, Pacers, 7:30 p.m., $200.00
• Sun, Apr 3, Wizards, 1:00 p.m., $200.00

Seats are located in Loge, Section 16, Row 23 seats 5 – 8. The price listed is for the pair of tickets. To purchase tickets please email Gail Jordan (gmcjordan@brandeis.edu). First come, first serve.

Faculty Workshops - Open to all members of the teaching community.

• LATTE Drop-In Hour: Rubrics, Fri., Nov. 19, 10 - 11 a.m. 
• LATTE Drop-In Hour: Grading & Exporting Grades, Fri., Dec. 3, 10 - 11 a.m. 
• Dive into Backup & Restore, Thu., Dec. 9, 10 - 11 a.m.
• LATTE Drop-In Hour: Course Page Design, Fri., Dec. 10, 10 - 11 a.m. 
• LATTE Drop-In Hour: Course Page Design, Fri., Dec. 17, 10 - 11 a.m. 
• Using the Jamboard software for Teaching, Wednesdays, 10 - 10:30 a.m.
• Teaching with Archives, Fri., Dec. 10, 3 - 3:30 p.m.

Archives & Special Collections

• The Beginnings of Brandeis: a History in Pictures, Mon., Dec. 6, 10 - 10:30 a.m.
• Teaching with Archives, Fri., Dec. 10, 3 - 3:30 p.m.

This year November 28th marks the beginning of two religious seasons. The Christian faith spends four weeks in preparation for Christmas, the birth of Jesus Christ, who is sometimes called the Light of the World. This preparation time is called Advent, and always begins on a Sunday. It may be celebrated by scriptural readings from the prophets, lighting candles, caroling, and reaching out to those in need. The evening of November 28 marks the beginning of Hanukkah for Jews. Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple, and is celebrated over eight days and nights. Hanukkah observances include lighting a Hanukkiah (Hanukkah menorah with eight branches) each night, eating special foods, and saying special prayers. For more information on these and other holidays, visit the Center for Spiritual Life’s Guide to Religious Observances.

Employees are reminded that Vacation Carryover balances must be used by December 31 to avoid losing them.

Employees may view their Vacation Carryover balances in Workday under Absence > View - Absence Balance - use as of date 01/01/2022. This time is also reflected on the payslip accrual summary in Workday.

Vacation carryover is based upon years of service and applies to all employees. The carryover cutoff is Dec. 31. Carryover amounts are prorated for part-time employees. If you have any questions, please contact Human Resources.

The financial aid renewal application deadline for the 2022-2023 academic year will be March 1, 2022. Students receiving need-based scholarship funds must submit the 2022-2023 CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE, the 2022-2023 Free Application for Federal Student Aid, and copies of 2020 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 will be sent to students and parents during the intersession.

The free webinar series has been expanded to offer several programs each week, including regular sessions of guided mindfulness, Zumba, yoga and rotating health and wellness topic. For a list of topics and registration information, please visit the Tufts Health Plan Living Well at Home page.

Students and families should have received the spring 2022 bill electronically via Nelnet earlier this week. The due date is December 15, 2021. Students should access the Nelnet Student Account Portal, using the link provided in their Student Account worklet in Workday, to view e-bills and account transactions, make payments and manage monthly payment plans.

If students have not already done so, please complete the following steps to ensure account access:

1. Set-up Nelnet account - Students should log in to the Nelnet Student Account Portal to set up their student profile. Refer to the Nelnet - Account Access job aid for detailed instructions.
2. Add parent or authorized parties access - Students who would like parents, sponsors, or other third parties, to view their student account and make payments will need to set these individuals up as Authorized Parties in Nelnet. Refer to the Nelnet – Manage Payers job aid for detailed instructions.  Students should not share their Nelnet log-in credentials with their parents. They must set up parents as Authorized Parties with their own log-in credentials.

All Brandeis makers and artists are invited to sell their handmade goods at the Create@Brandeis Holiday Craft Market on Thursday, December 2. There will be two locations:

• 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. in Shapiro Campus Center atrium
• 6 - 9 p.m. in Chum's

You can sign up for either or both locations. All are welcome and there is no cost to participate. Please submit this registration form by November 21 to secure a table. If you have any questions, email Ingrid Schorr.