IRS Form W-2 for calendar year 2022 are now available through Workday. Refer to the Access & Print Year End Tax Documents job aid for detailed instructions. Paper copies will be mailed to your home address on record by January 31. If you have any questions, please reach out to payroll@brandeis.edu.

The 1095-C Form is an annual statement that describes the insurance available to eligible employees. The primary purpose of this form is to inform employees what Brandeis will report to the IRS regarding whether they were offered health care benefits and also whether those benefits met the ACA standards for coverage and affordability.

The IRS clearly states the 1095-C form is not required by employees for filing income tax returns. Employees can complete their returns without the form and need only keep the form, with their other tax documents. For additional information and on how to access your 1095-C visit Human Resources webpage.

The University recently hosted a staff service recognition ceremony to honor employees who have attained 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40 years of service in 2021 or 2022. Included in this group were Arthur Wingfield and Corena Baker who achieved 55 and 60 years of services respectively. Our sincere thanks and congratulations to Arthur, Corena and all of our dedicated staff for their service to Brandeis. Please visit the human resources website for the full list of service award recipients.

In addition, the University announced the 2022 winners of the Ennis and Zirkel Awards. Shannon Kearns, Arts and Sciences, received the Ennis Award and Teresa Pais, Facilities Administration, received the Zirkel award. Congratulations to Shannon and Teresa for their dedication and significant contributions to Brandeis.

Applications are open until March 7 for eligible employees interested in enrolling in a master’s degree program at Brandeis Graduate Professional Studies (GPS)! You are encouraged to take a course prior to applying for professional development if you aren’t ready to start a degree. Classes are fully online, designed for working professionals, and are 10 weeks long. The most popular programs of study for employees are Project and Program Management, Digital Marketing and Design, and User-Centered Design. To learn more, schedule a time with Christie Barone, Director of Admissions: cbarone@brandeis.edu

The IRS limits your pre-tax total contributions each year. The 2023 limit is $22,500 ($30,000 if you are age 50 or over).

You may update your pre-tax deferred contribution elections on NetBenefits or by calling the Retirement Service Center at 800-343-0860. The 403(b) website user guide takes you through the process screen by screen.

With one-stop convenience, Fidelity Investments supports the enrollment process and provides ongoing service to retirement plan participants via the university’s NetBenefits Retirement Planning website.

Last year, the National Cybersecurity Alliance (NCA) expanded Data Privacy Day into Data Privacy Week to highlight the importance of data privacy for individuals and organizations. The NCA 2023 education campaign’s themes “focus on reinforcing consumer knowledge about personal data protection while addressing business’ responsibility for ethical user privacy and data collection practices". 

The IT Security group would like to remind everyone of the important role we each play in protecting the privacy of our Community by following Information Security guidelines, including: 

• Never sending or receiving Personal Identifiable Information (PII) through computer or email.
• Moving confidential information to secure applications such as Box. 
• Strengthening passwords and regularly checking to ensure passwords are not compromised. 
• Reviewing the Written Information Security Policy (WISP) on accessing, gathering, storing, using, and safeguarding Regulated, Restricted, and Confidential data. 

Additional data privacy resources and security tools can be found on the Information Security section of the ITS website. If you have any questions or issues with security, please email security@brandeis.com.

The Department of Public Safety is pleased to announce the roll out of an Active Threat/Shooter training online. This will be a self-enrolling, self-paced training available to students, faculty, and staff through Latte. To enroll and begin taking the training you can visit the course page or visit the Public Safety website for more details.

In addition to the online availability of this course, the department is also offering the course in person. To coordinate an in person training please reach out to Public Safety.

The spring semester is upon us! University Records Management (URM) would like to remind the Brandeis Community that proper records management protects the university and enables efficient use of our resources. All employees share a responsibility to practice good records management and to ensure that sensitive, confidential, and PII (Personally Identifiable Information) are handled appropriately. Take some time to think about how you manage your files—both paper and electronic. Visit URM’s website to learn more about our services and your role in supporting the documentation of university history and legal and contractual requirements. Contact URM at records@brandeis.edu with any questions or for more information.

Since 2019 Brandeis University has been designated as a HeartSafe Campus through the National Collegiate EMS Foundation. The use of AEDs during a cardiac incident has been shown to help save lives.  Beyond having AEDs in strategic positions throughout campus, all police cruisers are equipped with AEDs, as well as the BEMCo vehicles. Being a small campus, our department's response is generally at or under the 3 minutes that is recommended by the American Heart Association. A critical component of a cardiac arrest response is effective high-quality CPR. The Department of Public Safety regularly hosts CPR/AED training for members of the community. 

Open to all members of the Brandeis community.

• Putting the Purpose into your Statement of Purpose, 2 - 3 p.m., Thursday, January 26
• Introduction to Python: Fundamentals and Data Analysis (1), 1 - 2 p.m., Friday, January 27
• Graduate Write-in Studio, 9 a.m. - noon, Monday, January 30, 2023
• Introduction to Arduino Electronics Workshop, 4 - 5:30 p.m., Monday, January 30
• Data Wrangling with Stata, noon - 1 p.m., Tuesday, January 31
• LATTE OPEN OFFICE HOURS, 1 - 2 p.m., Wednesday, February 1
• How to build and deploy your personal website, 4 - 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, February 1
• Excel with Excel: Overview, Tips and Tricks. Part I, noon - 1 p.m., Thursday, February 2
• Intro to Bash for Scientific Computing, 1 - 2 p.m., Thursday, February 2
• Find Funding Opportunities using Library Databases, noon - 1 p.m., Friday, February 3
• Introduction to Python: Fundamentals and Data Analysis (2), 1 - 2 p.m., Friday, February 3
• Graduate Write-in Studio, 9 a.m. - noon, Monday, February 6
• Getting Started with Qualtrics, 12 - 12:50 p.m., Monday, February 6
• Introduction to Arduino Electronics Workshop, 4 - 5:30 p.m., Monday, February 6
• Intro to 3D Printing with Flashforge, 10 - 11:30 a.m., Tuesday, February 7
• Bivariate Analysis with Stata, noon - 1 p.m., Tuesday, February 7
• Intro to R and the Tidyverse, 12:10 - 1 p.m., Wednesday, February 8
• LATTE OPEN OFFICE HOURS, 1 - 2 p.m., Wednesday, February 8
• How to build and deploy your personal website, 4 - 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, February 8
• Excel with Excel: Overview, Tips and Tricks. Part II, noon - 1 p.m. Thursday, February 9

Let your teen experience Brandeis this summer through the Genesis program. Genesis is a 3-week pluralistic, academically-focused Jewish learning, and identity-building summer precollege program for exceptional high school students. Students engage in college-level learning, informal Jewish experiences and joyful Shabbat celebrations while making lifelong friends and living on the Brandeis campus. Scholarships are available. Children of Brandeis employees receive reduced tuition. Contact Laura Hyman for more information: laurahyman@brandeis.edu.

Wondering how you’ll manage work and family responsibilities when school’s out next month? We’ve got you covered — book child care now with your Bright Horizons Back-Up Care benefit! Click here to reserve your back-up care

Visit the back-up care site to find a center or in-home care options in your area — there are also virtual options with Steve & Kate’s Camp! Join and Find Care here.  Never miss an Update! Sign Up for Text Alerts

For more information on back care please visit our Human Resources website under Child Care.

Join us for an introduction to the business of book publishing, from how books are acquired, edited, designed, and produced, to how they are marketed, sold, and distributed. Covering both trade and academic books, Brandeis University Press presents what book publishers do and what potential authors need to know. This seminar will also be of interest to those who want to explore careers in book publishing. Come take advantage of the full program and learn what it takes to make a proposal into a book and what makes a book a success! 

Featured speakers include Sue Ramin (Director, Brandeis University Press), Lucy Cleland (Agent, Kneerim & Williams Literary Agency), Lisa Diercks (Book Designer, Endpaper Studio), Lissa Warren (Publicist, Lissa Warren PR), and Beth Ineson (Executive Director, NEIBA). Sponsored by Brandeis University Press and Brandeis Library, and supported by the Offices of the Dean, and the Provost, this event is free and open to the Brandeis community. Lunch will be provided.

Register here by February 22

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.

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

• Mondays through 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. 

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! 

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!

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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 Anniversary 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.