We have entered into the shoulder months for heating/cooling; the months whose temperatures range between 40 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Cooler mornings followed by warmer afternoons make maintaining temperature comfort in our facilities a challenge. Even if you are in a facility with air conditioning, the campus operates on a dual system which means our systems are either in heating mode or cooling mode.

Currently we are still in “heating” season and will start to switch to cooling mode from mid-April to mid May. Consequently, during these shoulder months there will be days when your office/room temperature is not as cool as you want it to be. Most days, the outside temperature will be cooler than the temperature in your buildings so we recommended you open your windows, if you can, to help bring additional cooler outside air into your areas for additional comfort.

We understand that at times this may be uncomfortable but we ask for your patience during these New England shoulder months and this switch-over. In mid-April, facilities will start to switch over to cooling first in the Science Buildings, then will move to the Residence Halls, followed by the Academic Buildings. The complete switch over will likely take a month to fully complete.

To submit a work request for facilities issues, visit the Facilities Services website.

Brandeis is moving to DUO Universal Prompt on Wednesday, April 19, 2023, to improve security and simplify authentication. All end users will see a refreshed display screen design when logging into Brandeis applications through single sign-on. The upgrade to DUO Universal Prompt from DUO Classic will not change the functions for most users but will enable several improvements to secure the Brandeis network better. To learn more about DUO Universal Prompt, including instructions and sample screens, please visit the ITS website. If you have additional questions about DUO authentication, please contact the Help Desk at help@brandeis.edu or 781-736-4357.

The Office of Human Resources is excited to announce the launch of our Calendar of Events. Faculty, Staff, and Post-Docs, come and check out trainings, classes, and opportunities for personal and professional growth.

Additional resources have been posted on the TAP Website including the Annual Performance Review questions, SMART Goals Worksheet, and updated FAQs.

Anyone who has not yet attended, please register for Annual Performance Review Training.

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

Brandeis is rich with religious diversity. April is filled with many major holidays.

Mahavir Jayanti (Jain), celebrated April 3 this year, has a great importance among the Jain community. It celebrates the birth of Lord Mahavir, who is regarded as one of the holiest and most accomplished missionaries of peace and harmony.

Holy Week (Christian) is celebrated this week of April 2 for Western Churches, and next week for the Eastern Orthodox Church. It commemorates the last days of Jesus’ life. Palm Sunday recalls Jesus entering into Jerusalem and being greeted by people waving palm branches. Maundy Thursday celebrates Jesus sharing the Last Supper with his disciples, before the events that lead to his crucifixion on Good Friday. Easter Sunday, April 9 in Western churches and April 16 in the Eastern Orthodox Church, celebrates the greatest feast in the Christian calendar, commemorating the resurrection of Christ.

Passover (Judaism) is celebrated April 6 – April 13 this year. The eight-day celebration marks the liberation of the children of Israel from bondage and their subsequent exodus from Egypt. A Passover Seder - a meal following a specific ritual order retelling the story of the exodus, and including prayers, songs, and special food - is one of the most commonly observed Jewish practices.

Eid al-Fitr (Islam) will be celebrated this year around April 22. It is one of two major holidays celebrated by Muslims, and commemorates the end of the holy month of Ramadan in which Muslims fast daily from before dawn until sunset. It is celebrated by a large community-wide prayer service in the morning followed by sharing meals and conversation with friends and family. A special mandatory charity called Zakat al-Fitr is collected before the prayer and distributed to the poor and needy to ensure all can participate in the festivities. Eid al-Fitr is the Arabic name for the holiday, though it goes by many other names in other languages, differing from culture to culture.

For more information on these and other holidays, visit the Center for Spiritual Life's Guide to Religious Observances.

Open to all members of the Brandeis community:

• Introduction to Arduino Electronics Workshop, 4 - 5:30 p.m., Monday, April 17
• How to build and deploy your personal website, 4 - 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, April 19
• Intro to 3D Printing with Flashforge, 8 - 9:30 p.m., Wednesday, April 19

Open to all members of the teaching community:

• LATTE OPEN OFFICE HOURS
  • 1 - 2 p.m., Wednesday, April 12
  • 1 - 2 p.m., Wednesday, April 19

How secure is your home network? Can you “Spot the Phish”? The Information Security Services team will offer an interactive workshop on securing your personal devices and protecting your family’s privacy online. A panel of Brandeis security experts will provide security tips and answer questions about available security tools, avoiding social engineering attacks, and securing your family against cyber attacks.

Participants can choose from one of two lunchtime sessions — Wednesday, April 26, at 12:30 p.m. or Friday, April 28, at 12:30 p.m. Registration for Security Awareness Beyond the Office is now open. Additional data privacy resources and security tools can be found in the Information Security section of the ITS website. If you have any questions or issues with security, please email security@brandeis.com.

Professional Development and Financial Wellness Workshops:

• Monday 4/10 – Legal Considerations of the Supervisor, register, 10 – 11 a.m. (presented via Zoom)
• Monday 4/24 - Identity Theft & Fraud Solutions, register, 10 – 11 a.m. (presented via WebEx)
• Wednesday 5/3 – Work-life Harmony, register, 10 – 11 a.m. (presented via Zoom)

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

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion will hold their first Town Hall on Friday, April 21, 1-2 p.m. in the International Lounge. Additional information will be available on the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion website. If you have any questions, please contact diversity@brandeis.edu.

Sign up today for a Warner Farm CSA share and receive a personalized box of fresh, delicious, locally grown vegetables, delivered right to the campus of Brandeis University. Our CSA program offers the option to customize your shares and your delivery schedule, so you’ll receive all the produce you love and nothing you don’t! Choose from three sizes of vegetable shares, as well as fruit, eggs, mushroom, bread, and flower shares. Deliveries take place from June through October, every Thursday from 3:30-6:30 p.m. 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.

On Friday, April 28, Center for Spiritual Life will hold the annual memorial service in remembrance of those who have died in the past year. We will remember immediate members of the Brandeis community, as well loved ones of members of our community. Please join us at 12:30 p.m. in Fellows Garden for a brief, reflective service.

Our hope is that this memorial service offers a measure of comfort and consolation to those grieving and strengthens our sense of community and solidarity. If you would like a loved one to be remembered at the service, please submit their name and a brief remembrance by Friday, April 21.

Providing Back Up Care and Planning Ahead for April Break

When school’s closed and work’s still on, take advantage of your Bright Horizons Back-Up Care benefit.

Providing care during your workday; covering for last-minute caregiver cancellations. You can’t do it all, but you can be ready for anything. With Bright Horizons Back-Up Care, you can book care right away or plan ahead. Register and Book Now

New in 2023! You now have access to early summer camp booking with Steve & Kate’s Camp. Simply call your dedicated Bright Horizons phone number to get started: 877-BHCares (877-242-2737). We can help you book drop-in days or weeks throughout the summer, or even help you setup a full Summer Pass exchange. You can find more information on our HR Website.

Effective immediately we are asking that everyone stop putting bags, of any size/color in the recycling dumpsters. You may use a recycling bag in your room/office but once you bring it to the dumpster, please empty the contents into the recycling bin and dispose of the bag in the trash dumpster. Our material recovery facility, the place where our recyclables go, can not process these bags and we will start to incur a fine. Items like bags, clog the machine used to process the recycling materials and result in not only operating problems, facility shutdowns, and it is also a safety hazard to employees. Everyone's help to make sure bags are not in the recycling dumpsters is greatly appreciated.

Chief Rushton will host a series of “lunch 'n learn” presentations for the community, the first being scheduled for April 18 from noon - 1 p.m. on Active Threat. The presentations will take place via Zoom. Others will be on emergency preparedness and de-escalation. If you have any questions, please contact Chief Rushton.

Brandeis University Momentum+ HealthyYou online Wellness portal

Get rewarded for getting healthy! The Office of Human Resources is pleased to offer employees access to an online health portal as part of the HealthyYou wellness program for 2023. Between January 1 and December 15, 2023 all employees can access the health portal to participate in multiple activities, tools and resources that will help you set, track, and achieve your personal wellness goals. The more activities you complete, the more credits you will earn which will increase your opportunities be entered into the raffles for great prizes.

Learn more about the wellness portal and how to access on the Human Resources website.

Well-Being Webinar Series - Please join us each Wednesday, 12:15 -1 p.m., for a new live webinar sponsored by Tufts Health Plan. This series is open to all employees. Upcoming Webinars:

• April 7, Seven Coping Skills for Success for Parents
• April 14, Aromatherapy
• April 21, Cultivating a Positive Mindset
• April 28, Forming Healthy Habits

Please visit Human Resources website to view more information and registration details.

The Gender and Sexuality Center (GSC) invites you to this year's Lavender Graduation on Thursday, May 4 at 5:30 p.m. at the Rose Art Museum. This event is open to faculty, staff, students and their families and celebrates the academic achievements of LGBTQ+ students and their contributions to university life. The first Lavender Graduation was hosted in 1995 by Dr. Ronni Sanlo, a Jewish lesbian, who was denied the opportunity to attend her child’s graduation due to her sexual orientation.

To register to attend, please fill out the form. To nominate a student, faculty or staff member for an award, please use the form.