Please join Provost Carol Fierke for a Town Hall discussion on the future of undergraduate and graduate education. This in-person, collaborative session is open to faculty, staff and students, and will include a presentation on the headwinds facing higher education today, followed by discussions on possible responses to these challenges that we could consider implementing, to ensure that Brandeis University continues to thrive in a changing academic environment.

Please RSVP here to help us accurately plan for seating and refreshments.

The 2024 Benefits Open Enrollment period will take place this year between now 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. For complete information on open enrollment, go the 2024 Open Enrollment website.

In recognition of the anniversary of last November’s shuttle accident, please join the Center for Spiritual Life in a moment of remembrance. We will gather on Friday, November 17 at 2:15 p.m. in Fellows Garden for a moment of silence to remember all those injured and impacted by the accident, especially Vanessa Mark, who passed away.

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.

Chief Matthew Rushton announces that the Brandeis Police Department is again participating in the Home Base No Shave initiative to benefit veterans and their families.

Officers can be exempted from facial hair restrictions during the month of November once they donate $100 to Home Base and work to raise awareness in support of Home Base’s mission of assisting veterans and their families in healing from invisible wounds such as post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injuries.

Those interested in donating can visit the BUPD on the No Shave website.

Last November, 130 New England Police Departments, several individuals, companies and sponsors joined our efforts. To date, this campaign has raised over $1.4 MILLION. This year, we want to raise even more awareness about the invisible wounds and care Home Base provides, as well as raising more funds – and we need your help to do it! Join us by participating, fundraising, sponsoring, or donating.

Please consider donating, participating, or sponsoring this great and worthy cause. Thank you for joining our efforts to support Home Base through this campaign! 

For more information, visit www.homebase.org or email Sergeant Nicholas Beltz.

The Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ODEI) is excited to announce a new initiative to assist university partners in strengthening and enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion for the Brandeis community.  With the generous support of the President’s Office, we are offering Presidential Mini-Grants to support DEI programming for your department.  

 We aim to support innovative programming that will advance DEI efforts which are connected to your departmental Anti-Racism plans, co-sponsored with other offices, and will engage students, faculty, and staff.  Since we would like to encourage as many partners as possible throughout the university, we are limiting the amount of each grant to $2,500 for each initiative/event.  All applications will be evaluated on the following criteria:

• Innovation to advance DEI
• Connection to Anti-Racism Plans
• Engagement with students, faculty, and staff
• Co-sponsorship (not a requisite though encouraged)

Our DDEI Offices will evaluate and determine recipients for these grants and we look forward to receiving your application which you can submit here! Please see the DDEI website for additional information and feel free to email any questions to diversity@brandeis.edu.

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

All Saints Day and All Souls Day (Christianity). November 1 and 2 have been observed since the early centuries of Christianity as days to remember the dead. This timing most likely originated in Celtic lands where this time of year marks the beginning of death in nature. Eventually November 1 was marked as a day to remember those in the past who have lived holy lives, and November 2 became a day more focused on all the deceased, hence called All Souls Day. All Saints Day is a special feast day in the Catholic Church. In Mexico, remembering those who have passed on is celebrated in unique ways with Day of the Dead on November 1 and 2. All of these celebrations recognize the connection that exists between the living and those who have passed on.

Diwali (Hinduism, Jainism and Sikhism). Diwali falls on November 12 this year. It is the festival of lights, a significant festival in Hinduism, Jainism and Sikhism. Each religion celebrates this holiday differently, but worship, sharing sweets, fireworks, and decorating homes with lights are common elements. For many, Diwali is also associated with the start of the new year.

Join us at the Faculty Club on November 14 or 15 for our traditional Thanksgiving lunch. From freshly carved turkey to all of the sides and fixings, this Brandeis tradition cannot be missed.

The Faculty Club will be accommodating two seatings each day at 11:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.  Reservations are required by emailing fcreservations@brandeis.edu. Please indicate your date and seating time preferences, and the number of individuals in your party.

We look forward to seeing you there.

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.

Brandeis is replacing department Ricoh multifunction copiers 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.

A new Workday@Brandeis website is now available! The updated site, organized by faculty, staff, and student roles, improves navigation and visibility to help guides. Users may need to update bookmarks to Workday job aids. For more information about Workday and to check out the updated website, please visit Workday@Brandeis.

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

• 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
• 12/6 at noon: Admissions criteria and process at Brandeis Online, RSVP

• Intro to 3D Printing with Flashforge, Tuesday, Nov. 7, 10 - 11:30 a.m. 
• Graduate Writers Workspace (campus/Zoom), Wednesday, Nov. 8, 9 a.m. - noon
• Intro to 3D Printing with Flashforge, Wednesday, Nov. 15, 7 - 8:30 p.m. 
• Statement of Purpose Workshop, Thursday, Nov. 16, 11 - 11:50 a.m. 
• Open MakerLab Hours, Tuesdays, 5-7 p.m. and Thursdays, 2 - 4 p.m.
• Digital Scholarship Collab Lab, Most Thursdays and Friday 1:30 - 3:30 p.m. - Check calendar for details 

Open to all members of the teaching community:

• LATTE Open Office Hours, Wednesday, Nov. 8, 1 - 2:00 p.m.  
• Using Perusall and VoiceThread in LATTE, Wednesday, Nov. 15, 1 - 2:00 p.m. 
  

 View a list of all the workshop topics currently offered. 

Sign up for one of the following workshops:

• Building Strong Teams, Wednesday 11/15, 10-11 a.m.
• Finding Focus, Wednesday 12/13, 10-11 a.m.
• Live Webinars offered by New Directions

Financial Wellness Workshops - Please register on the training website for the following workshops (presented virtually):

• Understanding Credit - Tuesday 11/14, 9 – 10 a.m.
• Breezing Through the Holidays - Tuesday 12/12, 9 – 10 a.m.
  

For more information please visit the HR Training Website or email us. 

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.

The Brandeis staff-faculty disability and accessibility group will be holding our next meeting on Monday, November 20 at 2 p.m. via Zoom. If you'd like to join us or to know more, please contact us. For more information, visit our webpage.

Whether you're sampling left-over Halloween candy, or trying out new pumpkin pie recipes for Thanksgiving, its easy to forget about how nutrition can effect your health. In the United States, it is estimated that  about 1 in every 10 people have type 2 diabetes, while even more individuals are considered to have prediabetes,  a serious health condition where blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not high enough yet to be diagnosed as type 2 diabetes. Learn more about your blood sugar, diabetes, and tools for maintaining healthy blood sugar levels. 

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.

General Sessions – Mondays from 2 p.m. – 3 p.m.

Please use this zoom link for virtual office hours every Monday 2 p.m. – 3 p.m: Benefits Team Virtual Zoom Meeting

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 13th and must be completed by Friday, December 8, 2023.

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.