Staff and Faculty are invited to join President Liebowitz and other senior administrators on Thursday, November 17 from 1 – 2 p.m in the Levin Ballroom or via live-stream. We are eager to share our appreciation for all you have done and continue to do as we return to our full on-campus programming. This community gathering will include campus updates and answers to questions. Refreshments will be served after the discussion, from 2 – 2:30 p.m.

Please use our form to RSVP so we can plan accordingly for refreshments. Using the same form, you may also submit questions in advance of the event. While we will not be able to address every question, we will aim to cover the themes and issues we are hearing from community members.

The traditional Thanksgiving lunch will be served in the Faculty Club on November 15 or 16. From freshly carved turkey to all of the sides and fixings, this Brandeis tradition cannot be missed.

The Faculty Club will be accommodating two seatings each day at 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Reservations are required by emailing fcreservations@brandeis.edu. Please indicate your date and seating time preferences, and the number of individuals in your party.

We’ve seen an uptick in phishing emails to the Brandeis Community — some are quite sophisticated and look like actual Brandeis websites and login pages.

In a recent phishing incident, individuals were prompted to provide their username and password on a “fake” Brandeis website and then authorized a DUO prompt. As a result, accounts were compromised — even leading to an unauthorized change to payment elections in Workday.

Attackers will often disrupt your notifications, as part of their scheme, leading to delays in users recognizing compromised accounts. Although ITS Security continuously monitors our systems for suspicious activity, exercising caution to prevent phishing is our best defense!

Remember to stop and think when you get an email you are not expecting, even if it appears to be from someone you know. Checking the actual “from” address of an email is a smart step to avoid scams. If you receive a DUO notification from an unknown website or one that you were not expecting, please notify ITS Security at security@brandeis.edu.

For additional tips on identifying and avoiding phishing messages, please visit phishing awareness on the ITS website.

Sonja Catano, Events Manager for the Center for German and European Studies, competed in the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in St. George, Utah last weekend. She qualified at a race in Maryland this past June, which was a pretty big surprise for her since she only started racing these longer distance races (half Ironmans) last year. There were about 6500 athletes racing last weekend from all over the world. She raced against former World Champions and the 2020 Olympic gold medalist in triathlon. This meant starting with a 1.2 mile swim, straight into a 56 mile bike ride, and finishing with a 13.1 mile run for a total of 70.3 miles. Athletes try to go from each discipline as quickly as possible and usually only take seconds to head out to the next sport.

Sonja has been a swimmer since she was very young, and swam competitively through college. After college she did triathlons to stay in shape, and with some more structured training and a coach, she earned an elite license in 2017 to race as a professional.

She has been racing professionally since then, and only recently jumped back into the workforce this past January when the CGES role came up. She really enjoys having something that is not triathlon-related and being able to speak German and be involved in organizing events on Germany is a dream job for her. She trains about 20-25 hours a week and works part-time with CGES, and she really loves the balance between both her jobs.

Sonja had a great day on Friday!  She placed 17 in the world and was the 3 overall American. 

It’s also that time of year to nominate two outstanding Brandeis staff members for The Lou Ennis Staff Award (exempt staff) and The Louis and Helen Zirkel Staff Award (nonexempt staff).

This is your opportunity to nominate an individual who excels in the performance of his/her job responsibilities and goes above and beyond to contribute to the well-being and the vitality of the University and the Brandeis community. Nominees must be full-time employees and in good standing.

Nominations of staff members for both the Ennis and Zirkel awards should include significant contributions made during calendar year 2021 and/or 2022 (YTD). The winners of each award, and their supervisors, will be invited to attend the Employee Service Awards ceremony on January 9, 2023.

All nominations for the Ennis and Zirkel Awards are due to Human Resources on or before November 18, 2022. For more information and to access the nomination forms, please go to the employee recognition page.

If you have questions, please contact Human Resources.

The Office of the President and the Office of Human Resources are pleased to announce the university will be hosting the Employee Service Awards ceremony on January 9, 2023. During this event, we will honor faculty and staff who have achieved a 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35- or 40-year service milestone during calendar years 2021 or 2022. The event will include lunch and refreshments. Invitations to this event will be sent to eligible faculty and staff, and their managers, in early December.

In advance of the spring bill coming in mid-November, which will be due on December 15, new students should access the Nelnet Student Account Portal to set up an account and add authorized parties. 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 - Refer to the Nelnet - Add Authorized 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.

We will send a notification to students and authorized parties when the information is ready in Nelnet.

The academic calendar for 2023-2024 has been approved and the dates have been posted by the University Registrar at Future Academic Calendar Highlights. In Fall 2023, Indigenous Peoples Day will continue as a class holiday, and please note that Spring 2024, due to the late Passover break, has an earlier start date (January 10, 2024) and end date (April 19, 2024) for classes than usual.

The staff calendar for 2023 has been updated and is available on the Human Resources website.

Reminder - all contributions will be directed to Fidelity this week.

Effective November 4, 2022 Fidelity Investments will be the sole provider of administrative services. All contributions (both yours and the University's) made after October 31, 2022 will be directed to the plans at Fidelity. TIAA will no longer be an option for future contributions in the 403(b) Retirement Plans. It is important to note that current balances at TIAA are not automatically transferring to Fidelity.

For up to date Transition information or to schedule a one-on-one consultation with a Fidelity representative visit the Transition website.

Google Groups have now replaced Sympa Listserv — improving the security and reliability of Brandeis mailing lists!

As part of this transition, ITS created a Google Group for each Listserv list used after January 1, 2019, with Owners, Editors, and Members automatically added. Impacted Owners and Editors were notified by email. If your Listserv has not been used since January 1st, 2019, a Google Group was not created, and you will need to take action to retain your information.

To retain an older list created before 2019, please create your list in Google Groups by November 18, 2022 — when Listserv lists and servers will no longer be available.

For additional information, please visit the ITS Google Groups website or reach out to the ITS Help desk at help@brandeis.edu.

• The Beginnings of Brandeis: A History in Pictures, 11 - 11:30 a.m., Thursday, Nov. 17
• Teaching with Archives, noon - 12:30 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 17
• Researching in Archives, 1 - 1:30 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 17
• Intro to 3D Printing with Flashforge, Weekly on Tuesdays at 10 a.m.
• Introduction to Arduino Electronics Workshop, 4 - 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 9
• Introduction to Arduino Electronics Workshop, 4 - 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 16

Whether walking to class or driving around the campus, each setting presents challenges to pedestrian safety. Brandeis University and the Brandeis Public Safety Department take pedestrian safety very seriously. Neither the driver nor the pedestrian can assume that right of way is implied. The responsibility is shared.

Through collaborative efforts, we should all take responsibility for pedestrian safety. The following are some suggestions on how your actions can help Brandeis become a safer community for pedestrians and drivers. We also want you to know that as a member of the Brandeis community, we would like to hear from you if you have recommendations or concerns about pedestrian safety. Contact the Chief of Public Safety: mrushton@brandeis.edu

• Only use designated crosswalks
• Only use marked crosswalks to cross roadways. If a designated crosswalk is not delineated, cross at an intersection with a traffic control device (stop sign, traffic light) when feasible. Please use the designated crosswalks by the Epstein Building, the Linsey Pool, or the Squire Bridge when crossing South Street.
• Do not assume drivers can and will stop
• It is the pedestrian's responsibility to ensure it is safe to cross the roadway. Stepping in front of oncoming traffic can cause an accident. Look left, right, and left again before stepping into a marked crosswalk.
• Use good judgment
• Be mindful of traffic conditions at all times. Having the right of way will not prevent you from being struck by a motor vehicle.
• Be predictable
• Make it easy for drivers to see you—dress in light colors and wear retro-reflective material. Brandeis Public Safety offers reflective traffic vests free of charge and are distributed by the parking office.

• Be attentive
• Drivers should monitor speeds, especially when traveling in and around intersections or where there is heavy pedestrian traffic.
• Be alert
• Be aware that some pedestrians may challenge you to stop since they have the right of way at a crosswalk. Failure to yield to a pedestrian could within a marked crosswalk is a violation of Massachusetts state law.
• Never pass
• Never pass vehicles stopped at a crosswalk.
• Use caution at night.
• Drivers should use extra caution when driving at night or during poor weather conditions.

Time off is an important benefit, and we encourage all staff to use their available time to rest and re-energize. Vacation time is meant to be restorative, is important for our well-being and can help improve productivity and creativity. It also can help reduce stress, help prevent burnout and promote work-life balance.

Brandeis offers a comprehensive benefits package, including a generous time-off program for staff. As we approach year end, it is important for managers and staff to review vacation time balances. Managers should actively balance the needs of staff time off, with the operational needs of their department, and help staff find time to use available vacation days before the end of 2022.

While the University does provide a service-based vacation carry over policy, there are limits on the number of days that can be carried over from one calendar year to the next. Staff with high vacation balances may lose time, not including carry over amounts, if they do not use their available vacation days before December 31.

As a reminder, managers can review individual employee's time off balances in Workday under ‘Time Off’ and also review an absence calendar under ‘Team Absence’ that shows each employee's planned vacations and other absences (approved and unapproved). Eligible staff time off categories are included here: Workday Time Off Categories.

Open Enrollment closes tomorrow, November 4. Please make your elections in Workday (Job Aid).

This is the once-a-year opportunity for benefits-eligible employees to evaluate and make changes to benefits absent a qualifying event. Changes made during the open enrollment period will take effect January 1, 2023.

If you are not making any benefit changes for 2023, no action is required. Your 2022 medical, dental and vision benefit elections(coverage and tier) will automatically be reinstated for calendar year 2023. A key exception to this is that ACTION IS REQUIRED if you wish to renew or set up a health care or dependent care (day care) flexible spending account for 2023. Because of the pre-tax nature of these programs, regulations require that an active election be made each year and that flexible spending accounts DO NOT renew automatically.

For detailed information, visit the Open Enrollment page on the Human Resources website.

Apply for a Festival of the Arts grant.

Grants from Arts Engagement are available to support original creative work by Brandeis students, staff, faculty, and alumni for the Leonard Bernstein Festival of the Creative Arts, April 21-30, 2023. Proposals for works of music, theater, performance, and visual art are all welcome. We especially encourage interdisciplinary proposals. Grants range from $50 to $500 and are to be used for materials and services needed for the creation of new work.

Grant applications for this year's festival are due on November 30, 2022. Guidelines and the application form are at brandeis.edu/arts/festival/grants. To receive early feedback on your proposal, please submit the interest form by November 15.

This year, the Festival of the Creative Arts celebrates Art in the Year of Climate Action.

We seek proposals for works that center the artist as an agent of climate action and that honor, compel, or imagine positive change. Artworks can be interactive: a place where the public can learn or create. They can be solutions to design needs, creative solutions to problems, or calls to action.

Please visit brandeis.edu/arts/festival/grants for complete guidelines.

Chief Matthew Rushton announces that the Brandeis Police Department is once again participating in the Home Base No Shave initiative to benefit veterans and their families.

Officers can be exempted from facial hair restrictions during the month of November once they donate $100 to Home Base and work to raise awareness in support of Home Base’s mission of assisting veterans and their families in healing from invisible wounds such as post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injuries.

Those interested in donating can visit the BUPD on the No Shave website.

Home Base No Shave, which was formerly known as No Shave November, was created in 2015. It has raised more than $1.2 million to date to fund critical mental health and brain injury care. More than 130 police departments across the country, representing more than 2,500 first responders, have participated.

For more information, visit www.homebase.org or email Sergeant Nicholas Beltz.

The Finance and Administration leadership team will be hosting its annual town hall on Tuesday, Nov. 29 at 2 p.m. in the International Lounge and via Zoom. This is a wonderful opportunity to hear directly from some of our senior managers on a wide range of topics. Registration is required. Questions may be submitted in advanced or during the town hall. The event will be recorded and posted on the EVP for Finance & Administration website for those who are unable to attend.

Chief of Public Safety Matthew Rushton cordially invites the campus community to a promotional and swearing-in ceremony on Monday, November 7, at 5 p.m. The ceremony will be held in the Admissions presentation room and will celebrate the promotions and onboarding of our newest members. If you have any questions, please contact Matt Rushton.

Institutional Advancement invites staff and faculty to join us for the second of a series of informal sessions about the upcoming campaign. No prior knowledge of campaigns is needed. Bring your questions and ideas and join us for a conversation about what's happening behind the scenes with campaign planning. These sessions will be held monthly, with different topics featured in future sessions. The next one will be held from 11 a.m. - noon on Thursday, November 17, via zoom. Please RSVP to Lauren Wilson for the link.

Please note that IA is happy to provide a dedicated campaign info session and Q&A for any individual university department. Please contact Lauren Wilson, Senior Director of Development Operations, with any questions or to schedule a session.

Veteran’s Day is Friday, November 11. The University is deeply appreciative of all who have worn the uniforms of the U.S. armed forces and we thank all members of our military, in all branches, past and present, living or deceased, for your service to our country. We encourage all members of our community to take this moment to say thank you to the service members and veterans who are your colleagues, your family, your friends and your neighbors.

The BRAVE Act, signed into law by Governor Charlie Baker in July of 2018, allows Veterans who request, with reasonable notice, to take Veterans Day off using either unpaid time or by using available personal or vacation time.

If you are a Veteran and elect to participate in a Veterans Day activity or take Veterans Day off entirely, please notify your supervisor/manager. We support our Veterans in this endeavor.

Brandeis University is committed to the health and safety of our faculty and staff. This is a reminder that our final vaccination clinic for 2022 will take place on Wednesday, November 9, from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. We welcome employees and their adult family members to register for the flu vaccination as well as the age/series appropriate COVID booster. The clinic will take place in Hassenfeld, Levine Ross rooms 1 and 2.

For additional information and to register, visit the Human Resources webpage.

This past August, the Biden-Harris Administration announced a plan to provide targeted student loan debt cancellation to borrowers with loans held by the Department of Education (ED). The application for this federal student loan debt relief program is now available online at https://studentaid.gov/debt-relief/application and will remain open until December 31, 2023.

President Biden has capped the loan cancellation at $10,000 for single borrowers making less than $125,000, or households earning less than $250,000, during the pandemic. The relief includes current students and borrowers who have federally-held undergraduate, graduate, and Parent PLUS loans where the first disbursement was on or before June 30, 2022. (Borrowers who were dependent students in the 2021-22 year will be eligible for relief based on parental income, rather than their own income.) Borrowers who fall under the income caps, and also received Pell Grants, will receive an extra $10,000, totaling $20,000 in forgiveness. Current Brandeis students can view their loan and Pell grant information by going to Workday and selecting Student Financial Aid and then the link for the Financial Aid Portal.

Please visit the Federal Student Aid debt relief website for more information.

We're asking the entire Brandeis community to share suggestions for Brandeis' 75th anniversary tagline by November 4. If chosen, your tagline will be incorporated into the branding for the celebration.

For more information regarding the on-campus 75th anniversary celebration (happening October 13-15, 2023), or any other inquiries, please visit our FAQ page or email brandeis75@brandeis.edu.

Managing at Brandeis: Nuts & Bolts Series (presented via Zoom):

• Thursday 11/17 - 10 – 11:30 a.m., Intro to Leaves Policy register
• Thursday 12/8 - 1 – 2:30 p.m., Performance Coaching and Counseling register
• Monday 12/12 - 2 – 3:30 p.m., Legal Considerations of the Supervisor register

Virtual Workshops presented by New Directions (presented via Zoom):

• Tuesday 11/15 - 10 – 11 a.m., Essential Leadership Skills register
• Monday 12/5 - 10– 11 a.m., Respect at Work register

FREE Live Webinars offered by New Directions

For more information please visit the HR Training Website or email us at farquhar@brandeis.edu.

As we have been communicating, Brandeis is implementing the Talent Advancement Program (TAP) for staff. TAP is a positive step forward in our commitment to foster a culture of engagement and to support staff professional development and career growth at Brandeis. At the core of TAP will be a robust, continuous and collaborative performance management process between staff and managers with a focus on frequent and ongoing development conversations, supported by a mid-year and annual review.

Training for staff and managers is underway. If you have not attended TAP training, please sign up for an upcoming session.

Please visit and bookmark the TAP website for more information including a TAP overview, training registration, program timing, FAQS, support resources and other useful links for managers and staff.

If you are a full-time staff or faculty member, you can choose how you want to receive Brandeis Magazine — in print, mailed to either your home address or your campus mailstop; by email, with a link to the online edition; or both in print and online. Please visit Workday to select your preferences. If you do not select your preferences, the print magazine will be sent to your campus mailstop, and a link to the online magazine to your Brandeis email address. 

Note that changes to your delivery preferences for the Winter 2023 issue of Brandeis Magazine can be made through noon on Wednesday, November 16, 2022. The magazine delivery preferences will again become available for adjustment in Workday in time to make changes for the next issue. As always, please send comments, suggestions, and story ideas to magazine@brandeis.edu.

This fall, the Workday team is offering new sessions to help users navigate Workday. We will be offering a session on “Managing Period Activity Pay” on November 9 and “Managing Academic Appointments” on November 16. Zoom information and link to suggest more topics is available on the Workday Wednesdays website.