The 2024 Benefits Open Enrollment period will take place this year between Monday, October 30 and Friday, November 10. This year’s annual Benefits Fair will take place on Thursday, November 2 from 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. in the Hassenfeld Conference Center, Sherman Hall. Also, on November 1 from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, the Onsite Vision Van will be on campus to provide comprehensive eye exams. For complete information on open enrollment, go the 2024 Open Enrollment website.

The Brandeis Security Team encourages community members to review the newly released Social Media and Technology Security Guide. With rising cybersecurity threats, it's necessary to safeguard your data and privacy. This quick guide provides essential steps to ensure digital safety on social media, including checking and modifying account settings and deactivating accounts.

Please see the ITS website for additional data privacy resources and security tools. If you have any questions or issues with information security, please email security@brandeis.com.

The Finance and Administration leadership team will be hosting its annual town hall on Tuesday, Oct. 31 at 1 p.m. in the International Lounge and via Zoom. Open to all staff, faculty and students. 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.

Did you know that you may be able to use your work-study allotment to engage in non-profit work? Students are especially encouraged to seek off-campus jobs involving community service activities. If you have a non-profit that you’re interested in working with please contact Kristyn Burke in Student Financial Services at kburke@brandeis.edu for more information on how to set up a partnership. Work study can cover 60% of your income for community service employment so the agency is only responsible for 40% of what you earn under your allotment. This provides a cost benefit to the agency while allowing you to gain valuable experience and skills in an area that interests you and supports our community!

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.

Brandeis is rich with religious diversity.  In October these holidays are celebrated in our community:

• October 15 - 24, Hindus celebrate Navaratri. During these nine nights of festivities, the Mother Goddess is worshiped in Her different forms of Durga, Lakshmi, and Sarasvati. The ninth day is also the day of the Ayudha Puja, when it is traditional to place the instruments of one's livelihood on an altar to the Divine. If one can make a conscious effort to see the Divine in the tools and objects one uses each day, it will help one to see one's work as an offering to God. The tenth day of Navaratri is Dussehra, which commemorates the triumph of Lord Rama over the demon king Ravana, symbolizing the victory of good over evil. The festivities commonly include the ritualistic burning of effigies representing Ravana, reminding people of the need to conquer their internal vices, and embrace virtue and inner transformation in their lives.

Faculty and staff can now use their Brandeis credentials for login — eliminating the need to track a separate password. Faculty and staff should use their Brandeis password to log into Office 365 and other Microsoft services.

If you experience any issues logging in, please sign out and then sign back in. If you continue to experience authorization issues or have other questions about accessing Office 365, please contact the Help Desk at help@brandeis.edu. Additional information about Office 365 is also available on the ITS website.

Please join the Brandeis Security Team for a webinar on Email Security Awareness on October 20, 2023, at 12:30 PM. Brandeis security experts will provide tips on spotting phishing emails, enhancing security, and protecting personal data. Phishing emails often appear genuine and can expose our network to bad actors when users don’t immediately recognize red flags and take precautions. Stay informed and become a cybersecurity ambassador!

Please see the Information Security section of the ITS website to register for Email Security Awareness. For additional tips on identifying and avoiding phishing messages, please visit phishing awareness on the ITS website.

Brandeis is replacing department Ricoh multifunction copiers during October with newer, more efficient machines. All copiers are being updated in their current locations and will continue to utilize PaperCut. ITS is working with impacted departments to communicate details, minimize downtime, and ensure a smooth transition. If you have any questions regarding the printer replacement, please refer to the ITS website or contact Jonathan Estwing at estwing@brandeis.edu.

Staff and Faculty are encouraged to learn more about Brandeis Online during the upcoming information sessions. Sign up to learn more:

• 11/1 at noon: What is Brandeis Online, an introduction to online learning at Brandeis, RSVP
  
• 11/10 at noon, Brandeis Online: Asynchronous learning- what it means, the benefits, and examples from Brandeis instructors, RSVP
• 11/29 at noon: All about the online student experience at Brandeis Online- advising, career resources, and learning, RSVP

Brandeis Library offers workshops on citation management, research strategies, data analysis and management, GIS, software for quantitative and qualitative analysis, primary sources, subject-specific resources, media production, 3D printing, soldering and more. View a list of the workshop topics currently offered. Our workshops include in-person sessions and online sessions.

Brandeis University takes pride in the rich hub of knowledge and varied life experiences of our valued staff members. Empowering team members in furthering their education with training and professional development keeps their knowledge base relevant, makes their job experience more rewarding and adds value to the university as a whole. We are proud to provide a variety of certificate programs, trainings and workshops for our employees. Please visit the Human Resources website for details and how to register.

Teaching & Learning Lunch Workshop: What are Engaged Pedagogy and Scholarship, and How Do I Get Money to Do This? - Friday, Oct. 20, 12:30 - 1:50 p.m., Gardner Jackson Classroom on the top-floor of Goldfarb Library (Mezzanine level) The Samuels Center for Community Partnerships and Civic Transformation (COMPACT) offers grants to support community engaged research and pedagogy.  In this workshop, we will discuss what community engaged scholarship is, how to begin a community engaged project, and how to get funding to support it. RSVP for lunch or register for a zoom link.

The University is pleased to announce that we will once again be hosting vaccination clinics this Fall. Faculty, staff, and their adult family members (ages 18 and older) are welcome to meet with licensed pharmacists on campus to receive seasonal, scheduled, and recommended vaccinations. Be sure to review the vaccination information carefully and check your medical insurance plan pharmacy coverage ahead of time. Register today.

When was your last dental exam? The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends visiting your dentist for a dental exam and cleaning about every six months. Your oral health is essential to your overall well-being, and can be a“silent alarm” for other medical conditions. Learn more about what your mouth is telling you about your health. Eligible employees, learn more about Delta Dental insurance plans, and be sure to take advantage of Brandeis' Dental Benefits.  

As communicated, Tufts Health Plan and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care (HPHC) announced their plan to merge companies. In 2021 a new parent company was formed; Point32health. You and your covered family members will receive new member ID cards in the mail for your 2024 health plan with the HPHC logo. For specific questions on coverage or providers, contact HPHC’s ‘MyConnect’ directly at 866-623-0184.

For complete information, go the 2024 Open Enrollment website.

The University has added a consumer driven HDHP and HSA for 2024. The HDHP will be offered in addition to the existing medical plans and is designed to allow you to be more proactive in your medical care with a higher plan deductible, but lower contributions. In addition, an HSA will be offered to anyone who enrolls in the HDHP, providing a tax savings account that lets you set aside money on a pre-tax basis to pay for qualified medical expenses. The University will be contributing $500 annually to the HSA for employees who enroll in the HDHP. For complete information, please visit the 2024 Open Enrollment website.

To help you in reviewing and making your 2024 benefit elections, the University will offer several in-person and virtual support options. We strongly encourage you to attend an information session with Fidelity and HPHC if you are considering enrollment in the HDHP for 2024. For complete information, please visit the 2024 Open Enrollment website.

Remember to use your FSA by the end of the year 2023. Grace period runs through March 15, 2024. You are allowed to join and/or make changes only during open enrollment or a qualifying event.

• Keep all your receipts
• If you don’t use it you will lose it.

Visit the Human Resources website for more detailed information about Flexible Spending Accounts and/or the FSA Store.

Each year Brandeis is required to distribute information regarding Brandeis University’s current prescription drug coverage and options under Medicare’s prescription drug coverage. Visit the Brandeis Medicare Part D and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) webpages to carefully review the notice. If you, your spouse or dependent are eligible for Medicare this information can help you decide whether or not you want to join a Medicare drug plan. If you are considering joining, you should compare your current coverage, including which drugs are covered at what cost, with the coverage and costs of the plans offering Medicare prescription drug coverage in your area. As a reminder you should provide a copy of the Notice, electronically or in hard copy, to any of your dependents who are eligible for Medicare.

Medicare prescription drug coverage became available in 2006 to everyone with Medicare. You can get this coverage if you join a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan or join a Medicare Advantage Plan (like an HMO or PPO) that offers prescription drug coverage. 

Brandeis University has determined that the prescription drug coverage offered by Tufts Health Plan (via OptumRx) is considered Creditable Coverage. Save and book mark the Medicare Part D and FAQs link for future reference.

As part of the Talent Advancement Program (TAP), mid-year performance reviews will launch in workday on Monday, November 13 and must be completed by Friday, December 8.

TAP Mid-Year Review Training is available for Managers and Staff and will cover new improvements to the program in response to feedback, the Fall 2023 timeline for completing mid-year performance reviews, how to provide and receive continuous feedback and how to make the most of the performance review process.

Job Aids are available to locate performance reviews in workday. For more information please visit the TAP Website or contact us at humanresources@brandeis.edu or 781-736-4474. For a full list of upcoming trainings, please visit the HR Training Website.