The week leading up to Commencement is rich with celebration- recognizing special achievements and celebrating one last time before the big day.

This year, to ensure adequate space and times are available for the high volume of requests anticipated, Sherman, Faculty Club Dining Room, International Lounge and Levin Ballroom will be set starting from May 15, with Reception start times of 10:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. daily through May 19. Carefully appointed furniture ( linened cocktail tables with chairs, and a small stage) will be set in each space - all that’s left to arrange is the menu! To notify University Events that your department is interested in hosting a celebratory reception please, complete this CMT Reception Request Form and our UE staff will start the planning with you. Kindly note due to the high volume of requests we can not guarantee everyone will have their first choice date or space; please also offer alternatives. Form submissions are due January 27, so don’t delay! 

New Help Desk Schedule:

• Mondays -Thursdays, 8 a.m. - 8 p.m.
• Fridays, 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.
• Weekends, 1 - 5 p.m.

The Technology Help Desk is pleased to share Spring 2023 support hours for all technology-related issues. Beginning January 17, 2023, the Help Desk will be open for support at the following times:

• Mondays - Thursdays, 8 a.m. - 8 p.m.
• Fridays, 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.
• Weekends, 1 - 5 p.m.

The Help Desk staff is committed to providing high-level technology support and service to the Brandeis community this Spring. We continue to adhere to University and health guidelines to ensure your safety and that of the team. 

Our team of technology support specialists is located in the Goldfarb Library, Level 1. Community members can also get support by sending an email to help@brandeis.edu or calling 781-736-4357. For more information, including a detailed support schedule, please visit the ITS website.

Spring 2023 Professional Development Workshops (presented via Zoom) :

• Wednesday 2/8 – Actively Managing Conflict, register, 10 – 11 a.m. - For a manager, being equipped to treat conflict as an asset instead of a liability is a true measure of leadership. In this session, supervisors acquire the essential tools, skills and processes to help them achieve healthy and responsive conflict resolution.
• Tuesday 3/28 – Manager as Coach, register, 10 – 11 a.m. - Coaching empowers people to do their best work through collaboration, engagement, and growth. In this session, participants will learn the advantages of being a manager-coach and how this approach will help them develop productive, high performing, committed
 teams.
• Wednesday 5/3 – Work-life Harmony, register, 10 – 11 a.m. - Our lives are busy, and different responsibilities can pull us in many directions. In this season learn how to flow with those responsibilities to find the harmony and happiness in your life.

Free live webinars offered by New Directions

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

On January 1, 2023, MA minimum wage increased from $14.25 to $15.00. All student employees who were below $15.00 have had their wages increased to the new minimum.

The IT Governance Program includes committees, processes, and communications that engage the Brandeis community to ensure the appropriate Brandeis stakeholders guide IT-related decisions and investments in support of institutional objectives and priorities. 

The Academic Technology Advisory Committee (ATAC), led by the University Librarian, Matthew Sheehy, guides technology decisions to support the University's academic mission for teaching, learning, research, and scholarship. ATAC membership is role-based to ensure representation across all academic areas. Members meet regularly to evaluate academic-related technology software and products requested by the Brandeis community, as well as policy and standards related to academic technology, including the learning management system.

For more information about ATAC, to sign up for IT Governance ATAC communications, or to learn about your committee representatives, please visit our updated IT Governance website.

University Events is rolling out a new Event Planning Timeline to assist departments and students in planning ahead for their upcoming events. The chart is meant to act as a guide to help you determine what resources will and will not be possible, within each time frame, prior to submitting your Department Event Request form. Please be aware, if your event request is submitted less than 5 business days from your desired event date, only event spaces with existing sets can be made available; alternative dates may need to be considered if the existing set up does not support the intent of the event. This will not only help to alleviate the strain that last minute event requests put on the UE team and our campus partners, but it will also help alleviate problems that arise during the event because of lack of planning time. 

Our goal is to continue to produce high quality events for our community. Throughout the upcoming semester, you will be able to refer to this timeline on our website under the FAQ page as you look to begin planning your Spring 2023 events. We hope that this chart will be a beneficial resource and believe it will allow for a more streamlined process moving forwards.

The spring semester bill was due on December 15, 2022. Registration holds and late fees have been placed on student accounts with outstanding balances. Students should pay any outstanding balances as soon as possible to retain their enrollment in the spring semester.

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.

Spring Financial Wellness Workshop Series (presented via WebEx)– Presented by Metro Credit Union

• Monday 1/30 – 30 Ways to Trim Your Budget and Manage Your Debt, register, 10 – 11 a.m.

Save the Date: Registration Links will be forthcoming:

• Monday 2/27 – Sandwich Generation: Caring for Aging Parents While Supporting Your Own Children, 10 – 11 a.m.
• Monday 3/20 – Home Buying Tips, 10 – 11 a.m.
• Monday 5/22 – Finances for New Families: Getting Married. Having Kids. 10 – 11 a.m. 

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

The University hosted the staff service awards on Monday, January 9 recognizing staff who achieved a 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 55 and 60-year service milestone during calendar years 2021 and 2022. If you received an invite to this event as a service award recipient, but were unable to attend, you may pick up your award in Human Resources beginning Tuesday, January 17.

As of Dec 1, all departmental requests for space in the Shapiro Campus Center should be requested via the departmental request form on the UE website. Clubs and Organizations will continue to reserve space in the SCC through the Student Engagement team. If your department made a request for SCC space prior to December 1, 2022, please reach out to UEO@brandeis.edu.

Additionally, if departments wish to host tabling hours in the SCC Atrium, there will be two tables available for departments to book Monday-Friday through the departmental request form. 

The Workday team would like feedback from Brandeis staff on Workday functionality and suggestions for improvement as part of a commitment to continually improving the Workday user experience. Please share your thoughts in this brief Workday Student Staff Survey. Faculty and students should stay tuned for opportunities to share their experiences in upcoming surveys. Thank you for your time and thoughtful responses! 

Group Exercise Classes: Fitness classes are FREE and open to all Faculty and Staff! Classes begin on January 23 and run on a weekly schedule throughout the semester. Classes include yoga, zumba, pilates, and more. Additionally, a faculty/staff-only yoga class is held on Tuesdays in Skyline Commons. Registration is required (via the schedule link above) for all group exercise classes.

Adult Learn to Swim: Interested in learning how to swim? Join us for a FREE three-week module at Linsey Pool! Classes will be held at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, March 8, 15 and 22. Email Kat Page at kpage@brandeis.edu to sign up.

Additional Offerings: If you need additional support, Personal Training and Certified Nutrition Coaching (both fee-based) are available to the Brandeis Community. More information can be found here. Email kpage@brandeis.edu to learn more or sign up.

The financial aid renewal application deadline for the 2023-2024 academic year will be March 1, 2023. Domestic students receiving need-based scholarship funds must submit the 2023-2024 CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE, the 2023-2024 Free Application for Federal Student Aid, and copies of 2021 student and parent Federal Income Tax Returns. International students must submit the 2023-2024 CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE and documentation of 2021 student and parent income. 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 last week.

As per historic practice, black out dates apply across ALL main programming spaces to ensure adequate availability in association with large Institutional events like Commencement, Orientation, Family Weekend and Reunion Weekend. Once UE has collected the totality of needs in support of these busy timeframes, we will reach out with date and space availability. Please reference the following Campus Space Black Out Dates calendar to take note of when these black out dates take effect. There should not be scheduled programming in these spaces during blackout periods. Please contact UE as soon as possible if something has been scheduled in advance of this notice. As an upcoming priority, Commencement 2023 will require a scaled black out from May 3-21. We ask that you reach out to UE with your intended events in support of Commencement by January 27th. Exceptionally this coming October 2023 we will be celebrating the 75th weekend in conjunction with Reunion Weekend, Family Weekend and Homecoming. In preparation and anticipation of the spaces needed to support such a busy weekend, a space black out will apply October 10-17, 2023. As with all black out dates, only events associated with these highlighted programs will be supported.

As the Brandeis community returns for another semester of learning and growing together, Brandeis Hospitality have been working hard to make meaningful changes to your dining experience based on your feedback.

Walk Up Ordering - Beginning this semester, “Walk-Up Ordering” will be available at The Hive (La Sabrosa, Nakiri, Greens & Grains, & Wild Blue Sushi), Louis Deli, and Starbucks in the Farber Library. Alongside the convenience of “Starship Mobile Ordering,” guests will now have even more convenient and flexible ordering options at these locations.

The Hoot Market - There is now more to love about The Hoot Market this semester. The Kosher product offerings have been expanded with designated sections to provide a more seamless shopping experience. Alongside this, the “Meal Exchange” meal options have been expanded to include even more options for everyone to enjoy. With all of these new changes, we are excited to offer “Starship Mobile Ordering” at The Hoot Market. This service will allow the Brandeis community to have select items from The Hoot Market delivered to them via robot delivery.

New Team Members - Brandeis Hospitality is excited to introduce new members of the team who will be joining the Brandeis community beginning this semester.

• Kory Laznick – Resident District Manager
• Richard Biggs – Director of Hospitality at Sherman
• Jason Ulak – Executive Chef
• John Corona – Registered Dietitian

 Brandeis Hospitality is excited to introduce these new offerings and more to the Brandeis community this semester and in the future. Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram for the latest news and offerings, and visit brandeishospitality.com for all your dining needs.

As we have communicated in email and via InBrief, the staff mid-year review that launched on November 14, 2022 needs to be completed by this Friday, January 13.

Completing the mid-year review process includes the following steps:

1. Staff complete their self-assessment in Workday and submit the assessment to their direct supervisor, so that the supervisor may complete their portion of the review and save the review in Workday.
2. The Supervisor meets with the staff member to go over the mid-year review and the staff member then completes the required attestation in Workday following this meeting.
3. The Supervisor submits the mid-year review in Workday following the employee meeting, which will complete the process.

It is important that all staff members receive a mid-year review and, if not yet complete, we ask that all reviews be completed on or before Friday, January 13. If you have questions or need additional information, please visit the TAP website.

For managers who would like to monitor their team’s mid-year review progress, this information may be found in Workday and is explained in the Manager Job Aid for Mid-Year Reviews.

The Commencement Committee is excited to share plans for a re-designed Commencement Season this Spring! The Surveys shared with graduating candidates, and with staff and faculty in InBrief proved invaluable in shaping what May 21 and the weeks leading up to it will include. Ensuring all our graduates hard work and achievements are recognized with the pomp and ceremony they deserve will be celebrated with the following highlights:

• Friday’s Graduate Reception on May 19 will shift from 4 - 6 p.m. to 1- 4 p.m., and will include appropriate ‘flair’ and exciting new programming, specific to individual achievements -more will be shared as we confirm details.
• A&S will start the day in Gosman with a traditional Commencement Ceremony in the morning followed by a combined, similarly programmed ceremony for our Graduate Schools in the afternoon, streamlining traffic, parking, and most importantly minimizing anxiety and maximizing the joy this day will bring.
• All graduates will now walk across the Gosman Stage at each ceremony, with their names read aloud and individual achievements reflected on the largest screens available, surrounded by their classmates, friends and family.
• All graduates can now invite 6 guests each (2 more than last year)
• Intimate celebratory receptions recognizing individual achievements will precede commencement ceremonies May 15 through the 19 (earlier dates can be made available as needed)
• A separate PhD hooding Ceremony will be introduced as an inaugural event
• Fellows Lunch will take the place of Fellows Breakfast, allowing trustees the flexibility to attend both ceremonies if desired

University Events will be reaching out to Commencement stakeholders with programming and planning dates starting in early January.

Winter is here, and with it comes the threat of inclement weather that may affect our normal campus operations.

The safety of our students, faculty and staff is our first priority when reviewing the potential impact of weather on campus operations. Depending on the severity, we may close campus for the day, delay opening or close early.

When we decide to not open or delay the opening of campus, we will communicate this information in a timely manner, by 6 a.m. on the affected day, if not earlier. We will use the Brandeis Emergency Notification System, or BENS, to notify you by email, text and phone about any closings or delayed openings. Please take a few minutes today to review your emergency contact information in BENS to ensure it is correct, so that you are able to receive notifications by text or to a non-Brandeis email address or phone number.

Visit go.brandeis.edu/alerts for directions on how to check or update your information.

For more information, please visit the Severe Weather website.

Do you recruit and hire staff? Do you manage contingent workers? Are you interested in tasks and reports available to Academic Administrators? Learn to make the most of Workday at these January sessions —  Recruiting and Hiring Staff in Workday, January 18; Academic Administrators and Department Coordinators — What to Know in Workday Student, January 25. 

Workday Wednesdays are great opportunities for faculty and staff to meet with members of the Workday team to learn more about topics, tasks, and processes. Visit the Workday Wednesdays website for the meeting Zoom link — and to make suggestions for future topics.

Recognizing that today’s world has more pressures than ever, it is important to know you have help available in different ways. We want to support you, and your family members, as much as possible. For additional information on resources you can access such as:

• Employee Assistance Program/EAP

• Tufts Health Plan support

• Care with a Participating Provider

• Teladoc - Telehealth Virtual Mental Health Visits

Visit Human Resources Benefits page for additional information.

Brandeis has contracted with KnovaSolutions, which is a confidential no-cost personal health service designed to assist employees and dependents with serious health conditions who are enrolled in our Harvard Pilgrim/Tufts/Trustmark plans.

Working with Harvard Pilgrim/Tufts/Trustmark, KnovaSolutions can identify participants through claims data that may indicate the presence of significant health challenges. KnovaSolutions will then reach out to eligible participants via letters and/or phone calls to explain the services they offer and to answer any questions.

This is a completely voluntary service and is intended to help individuals to better understand and manage their medical care, treatments, and medications. The services are provided by a team of health care professionals, including a nurse and a pharmacist. They provide education that can enable members to better communicate with their providers - information about the risks and benefits associated with multiple providers, tests, procedures, and medications. These services are intended to enhance, not replace, the patient-doctor relationship.

Please be assured that this service is COMPLETELY CONFIDENTIAL and no personal health data, nor names, will ever be shared with Brandeis. All such data is maintained in accordance with strict HIPAA privacy standards.

We believe KnovaSolutions can be beneficial to our employees and/or dependents who have serious health issues, and we encourage anyone who is contacted by them to have a discussion in order to see if their services might be helpful. Again, these services are voluntary and can be discontinued at any time.

For more information please visit our Human Resource Benefit page under Work-Life Balance.

To help you plan for your future, Retirement Planners from Fidelity Investments are on campus regularly to provide one-on-one guidance appointments. Consultations may be conducted in person virtually or over the phone.

To schedule your confidential consultation, please visit: Fidelity: www.fidelity.com/schedule or 800-642-7131

Our well- being programs are here for you when you need them the most. Whether you are looking to shake it up, stretch it out, or get centered, we’ve got you covered with Zumba, yoga, guided mindfulness, and wellness sessions, which are available to everyone. All classes are free and easy to access via Zoom.

Guided mindfulness sessions - Experiment with short bursts of mindfulness instruction followed by mini meditations led by our expert instructors. Attendees are invited to use their webcams (live class)

Rotating health & wellness topics - These classes take a holistic look at health to help you stay physically and mentally resilient. Enjoy a variety of topics.

Zumba classes - Dance like nobody’s watching! Our Zumba classes will be the most fun you’ve ever had working out. Enjoy upbeat music and moves anyone can try!

Yoga classes - Breath in, breathe out and stretch it out with a relaxing yoga practice. These live sessions are accessible to all fitness levels and are the perfect way to wind down.

For future and past sessions, visit tuftshealthplan.com/livingwellathome.