Denim Day is an international annual campaign against harmful attitudes about sexual harassment, sexual assault, and rape. It began more than 20 years ago, after the Italian Supreme Court overturned a rape conviction. The justices felt that since the victim was wearing tight jeans, she must have helped remove them— implying consent. The following day, women in the Italian Parliament came to work wearing jeans to show solidarity.

As part of our Sexual Assault Awareness Month programming, the Brandeis community is invited to join in Denim Day this year on Wednesday, April 26.

To show solidarity on Denim Day with those who have experienced sexual violence, we encourage you to wear denim: jeans, jackets, hats – any and all denim is encouraged. Share pictures of your denim on social media with the hashtag #DEISDenimDay and let survivors know that you support them. PARC will be reposting messages of support all day.

Learn more about Denim Day, PARC, and the ways students are engaged in sexual violence prevention by stopping by the Blue Booths 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Brandeis partners with The Boston Area Rape Crisis Center (BARCC) to provide support to faculty and staff impacted by sexual violence. For more information about sexual violence and resources available at Brandeis and in the community, please contact PARC.

The third annual Brandeis Undergraduate Research and Creative Collaborations Symposium will be held on May 4 from 12:30 - 4:30 p.m. at the Hassenfeld Conference Center. At this event, Brandeis undergraduates present their research or creative project as a poster, oral presentation or exhibit. The URCC Symposium includes project presentations in all disciplines in the Creative Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences, Sciences, and interdisciplinary topics.

The URCC invites all members of the Brandeis community to attend this special event and be dazzled by our students! It is a great opportunity to see the work our students are doing and to be inspired for next year’s projects. You can send questions about the event to urcc@brandeis.edu.

The Workday Student Subcommittee, reporting to the parent Workday Advisory Committee, provides oversight and direction for the Workday Student Module — approving and prioritizing changes stemming from Workday product releases and needs across campus. The Subcommittee is led by Vice Provost of Academic Affairs, Kim Godsoe and includes representatives from Brandeis schools and departments. Representatives work with the Brandeis community to vet and advance requests to the Subcommittee.

The IT Governance Program includes committees, processes, and communications that engage the Brandeis community. For more information about the IT Governance Committees, including the Workday Student Subcommittee, to sign up for IT Governance WAC communications, or to learn about the requests or your committee representatives, please visit our updated IT Governance website.

Pulse Connect Secure, the Brandeis-approved virtual private network (VPN) software that allows you to securely access and connect to systems and services on the Brandeis network when you are off campus, is rebranding to Ivanti Secure Access. The new name and look will be reflected in all future software updates beginning April 25; nothing else will change. The update is automatic, and users do not need to take any action. To learn more about the Ivanti Brandeis VPN, including instructions and sample screens, please visit the ITS website. If you have additional questions about Ivanti Secure Access, please contact the Help Desk at help@brandeis.edu or 781-736-4357.

A visual identity toolkit has been created to help all of us spread the excitement around the 75th anniversary celebration. The kit, available within the faculty and staff section of the website, provides access to the 75th anniversary logo and six images that can be used on general websites and general communications (like regular newsletters and email signatures). The visual identity toolkit may also be used to promote specific 75th anniversary-related events and activities as long as they have been approved.

We ask that everyone wait to use these materials until the start of the 75th anniversary, beginning in July. We look forward to celebrating this year across campus with you.

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.

There is still an opportunity to purchase Red Sox tickets. For a complete list of available games and pricing please visit the The Office of the EVP, Finance and Administration website.

Seats are in section RF box 97, row RR, seats 6 - 9. Tickets will be sold in pairs of two.

To purchase tickets please email Gail Jordan. First come, first serve.

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. at the Peace Circle (between Usdan and the library) 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.

Professional Development and Financial Wellness Workshops

• 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.

Josh Manfredo, Director of Emergency Management, will be hosting an emergency preparedness booth in the SCC, this is the last preparedness booth of the academic year.  This is a great opportunity to explore what it takes to be prepared for all types of hazards. From how to make an emergency kit to communications planning, Josh will be available to answer your questions as well as assist in enrolling in BENS, how to register for Public Safety training sessions, and where to find resources on how to be better prepared for an emergency.

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.

Additional Annual Performance Review Trainings have been added and Human Resources is offering Merit Training for managers and salary planners* to convey important information about the upcoming 2023 Staff Salary Increase Program.

*Salary planners are individuals who enter salary increases on behalf of faculty, Deans, or department heads.

Please visit the TAP Website for more information.

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.

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.