The Final Exam schedule for Spring 2024 has been posted. Please direct any questions to registrar@brandeis.edu.

BUSAC's purpose is to improve the work environment for Brandeis University staff through discussions and actions that influence policy, develop and enrich staff, and promote ongoing, meaningful, and deliberate improvements to the staff experience. Questions? Email busac@brandeis.edu.

The university is deeply appreciative of the continued efforts made by our staff to support the university’s mission, our students and each other. We recognize the importance of work/life flexibility and time away from work to focus on yourself, your family and friends and to return to the workplace with renewed energy.

Departments/units may continue to offer a flexible or compressed schedule to eligible staff this summer beginning Monday, June 10 through Friday, Aug. 16 (excluding holiday weeks).

The University’s priority is to provide effective and efficient services to internal and external constituencies during all normal working hours, Monday through Friday. Therefore, it is important that flexible or compressed work schedules are discussed with staff and approved by the department’s appropriate supervisor, in coordination with the Department Chair, Director, Dean, Vice President or Senior Vice President.  Some departments may be unable to implement the program due to operational needs. Please visit the Flexible Schedule website for additional information.

The financial aid renewal application deadline for the 2024-2025 academic year will be March 1, 2024.  Students who would like to apply for need-based scholarship funds must submit 2024-2025 CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE, the 2024-2025 Free Application for Federal Student Aid , and copies of 2022 student and parent Federal Income Tax Returns.  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).  

Even though the FAFSA application became available as of 12/30/2023, the website is currently experiencing limited windows of availability due to planned and unplanned maintenance as well as processing issues. (Please click here for FAQs and the most up-to-date information regarding the 2024-2025 FAFSA.)  If you have not yet completed the FAFSA, we encourage you to begin that process now.

Schools will not begin receiving FAFSA data until mid-March 2024, at the earliest.  SFS will not be able to update the status of the FAFSA item on your financial aid document checklist, or check on the status of a FAFSA, until this time. Already completed FAFSAs will most likely be in an “in review” status. If this is the case, it is probable that the FAFSA has been successfully submitted and that SFS will receive the information when it is released to schools. We know there are applicants who are unable to successfully submit the application, and we are sensitive to the issues surrounding the 2024-2025 FAFSA rollout.  Students will not be penalized for FAFSA-related delays.

SFS hosted a webinar regarding the 2024-2025 financial aid application process for continuing undergraduate students on January 29. The webinar included details about the 2024-2025 financial aid application process, changes to the FAFSA, the appeal process, emergency funding, and other related topics. A recording of the webinar is now available.

Students can expect to receive a variety of tax documents depending on their on-campus employment status, participation in grants and fellowships, scholarships, or financial aid packages. You can access these documents on Workday, or in some cases on paper. Learn more on the SFS webpage.

Sign up for one of our 30-minute, one-on-one financial literacy sessions!  We hope that you will take advantage of this great opportunity to ask questions about budgeting, managing debt, understanding your paycheck, W-2’s etc. Please click here to book an appointment today!

Brandeis GSAS is excited to be hosting our third annual three minute thesis competition (3MT). The Brandeis 3MT Competition is a university-sponsored speaking competition designed to showcase GSAS student research in three-minute talks to a general audience. This is an opportunity for graduate students engaged in original research to develop communication and presentation skills while sharing their work with faculty, staff, and students across Brandeis University. Visit the 3MT webpage for more information.

Mark your calendars for Friday, April 5 from 4-5:30 p.m. to see the Final Round of the 3MT Competition in Spingold Theater. Finalists will present, judges will deliberate, and prizes will be awarded. 

Brandeisians of the last decade, known as BOLD alumni, are already leaving their mark on the world. They are award-winning writers and poets. They are scientists fighting climate change, and mathematicians working to make their field more inclusive. They are business leaders, bringing their innovative ideas to market. And they are activists, standing up for the underdog.

Yet so early in their careers, BOLD alumni are only just getting started. That makes them Rising Stars. And we want to celebrate them. The BOLD Rising Star Award is a recognition of young undergraduate or graduate alumni who are already making significant contributions to their chosen fields. Know any BOLD Rising Stars? Tell us about them! Nominate someone today.

For inspiration, meet the BOLD alumni who were recognized in 2023 as rising stars (formerly the BOLD 9) for their outstanding work in various fields. For more information, please contact Steph Grimes, Associate Director of Alumni Relations or David Eisenberg, Integrated Marketing and Content Strategy Manager

Kosher offerings in Sherman now include service for Shabbat lunch and Saturday evening meal. The serving times are as follows:

• Sunday: Brunch 9:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., Dinner 5 – 9 p.m.
• Monday - Thursday: Breakfast 7 – 10 a.m., Lunch 11 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., Dinner 5 – 9 p.m.
• Friday: Breakfast 7 – 10 a.m., Lunch 11 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
• Friday Shabbat Dinner (Boxed): 5 – 8 p.m.
• Saturday Lunch: 9:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
• Saturday Dinner: 3 – 5 p.m.

A hot Dinner (post Sabbath) is available until the start of Daylight Savings Time on March 10. See below for specific times. On all dates, end of service coincides with the dining room closing at 8 p.m.

• 2/24/24 - Hot Service Begins at 6:25 p.m.
• 3/2/24 - Hot Service Begins at 6:30 p.m.
• 3/9/24 - Hot Service Begins at 6:40 p.m.

With this enhancement, service times for the Friday dinner and Saturday lunch are now in tandem with non-kosher serving times. Lastly, the Luria and Levine Ross conference rooms in Hassenfeld are available to kosher keeping students as a location to gather for their lunch meal. Additional information can be found on the Brandeis Hospitality Kosher Dining webpage.

Welcome new undergraduate students to campus as a Navigating Health and Safety Instructor! Instructors teach sections of Navigating Health and Safety, a six-week module required for all new/incoming undergraduate students addressing mental health, substance use, sexual health, consent, bystander intervention, and campus resources. 

This position is designed for current Brandeis employees. It provides the opportunity to connect with new students and have fun doing it! 

The 50-minute classes are held once per week, either during business hours or in the evening depending on your availability and your supervisor’s approval. In the classroom, instructors lead discussions and facilitate engaging group activities. There is no lecturing! 

For more information, visit the HWL Instructor Resources webpage. The compensation is $480 per section for instructors who have worked at Brandeis fewer than 6 years. Instructors that have worked at Brandeis for six or more years will receive $536 per section. Apply on Workday, and direct any questions to hawp@brandeis.edu.

We invite all Brandeis community members to register for the IT Governance General Communications group to receive our regular newsletter summarizing IT governance activities. IT Governance Community Outreach provides students, faculty, and staff with the knowledge they need to stay informed about IT Governance through communication channels and engagement in governance with various academic, administrative, and operational technology committees. For more information, to sign up for IT governance-related communications, or to learn about your committee representatives, please visit our IT Governance website. If you have questions about IT Governance at Brandeis, please contact Steve Knowles, Director of Strategic Outreach & Engagement for ITS.  

Brandeis will launch a new Moodle learning management system (LMS) for Fall 2024 classes! Brandeis Faculty and Students will be pleased to see a fresh, contemporary interface and intuitive navigation — making it easier for faculty to create and edit courses and for students to locate and prioritize coursework. 

The decision to upgrade to a new Moodle 4 LMS was recommended by the Academic Technology Advisory Committee (ATAC) and approved by Executive Sponsors Carol Fierke and Stew Uretsky, as communicated in their July 21, 2023 announcement and Moodle 4 Implementation Progress update. Since then, faculty-engaged working groups have evaluated features most requested by the Brandeis community for inclusion in the new design. The Latte system as we know it today will sunset after the Summer 2024 term. 

To learn more about the Moodle implementation, including community involvement and governance, please visit our Moodle LMS project website or contact Ian Rifkin at irifkin@brandeis.edu or Matthew Sheehy at sheehy@brandeis.edu. 

Upcoming library workshops & training:

• Getting Started with Atlas.ti (Windows Users), 12:10 - 1 p.m. Monday, Feb. 26
  
• Intro to 3D Printing with Prusa Mini, 1:30 - 3 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 27
  
• Getting Started with Atlas.ti (Mac Users), 11:30 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 28
  
• Graduate Writers' Workspace (campus/Zoom), 9 a.m. - noon Friday, Mar. 1
  
• Digital Scholarship Lab Training, 11 - 11:30 a.m. Friday, Mar. 1
  
• Digital Scholarship Lab Training, 11:30 a.m. - noon Friday, Mar. 1
  
• Digital Scholarship Lab Training, 12:30  - 1 p.m. Friday, Mar. 1
  
• UWS Workshop Series Part II: Research Proposal, 11 - 11:50 a.m. Wednesday, Mar. 6
  
• Zotero for Citation management, Multiple offerings between Feb. 26 and Mar. 8
  
• CAD Office Hours, Mondays, 10:30 a.m. - noon
• Open MakerLab Drop-in hours, Tuesdays, 5-7 p.m. & Thursdays, 2 - 4 p.m.
• GIS drop-in hours, Wednesdays, 2 - 3:30 p.m., unless otherwise noted

Sessions for faculty:

• Using Perusall and VoiceThread in LATTE, 1 - 2 p.m. Wednesday, Mar. 6
  
• LATTE Gradebook, 1 - 2 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 28
  
• Faculty Drop-in Hours with an Archivist, Fridays, 3-4 p.m.

University Archives & Special Collections Hours:

University Archives & Special Collections houses Brandeis University's unique and rare primary sources. We invite you to explore these materials; we are open weekdays 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

• Tuesday, February 27: Making Your Money Work as hard as You Do, A Virtual Workshop, noon – 1 p.m.

For more information on upcoming February Fidelity Financial Wellness Workshops visit the Financial Wellness Events.

Financial Wellness Workshops Presented by Metro Credit Union:

• Buying a Home – Tuesday 3/26 – 9 – 10 a.m.
• Identity Theft Solutions – Tuesday 4/23 – 9 – 10 a.m.
• The Sandwich Generation – Tuesday 5/28 – 9 – 10 a.m.

Please register on the training website for the following workshops (presented virtually): For more information please visit the HR Training Website or email us at farquhar@brandeis.edu.

Join the Department of Public Safety's Division of Emergency Management and learn more about upcoming programs and initiatives. Director Josh Manfredo will be explaining the benefits of the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), providing information on the Naloxone Distribution Program and partnership with the State in helping to prevent opioid overdoses, and a preview of Spring Weather Preparedness.  

Please register online for the Zoom link.

We are excited to share that the Department of Public Safety, Division of Emergency Management, in collaboration with BEMCo and Brandeis Health and Wellness Promotion (HAWP), is launching the distribution of Naloxone as part of the Massachusetts Community Naloxone Program (CNP). Naloxone, a medication known for its potential to save lives during opioid overdoses, will now be available to our community members. Training sessions, led by BEMCo during CPR and First Aid classes, as well as by HAWP, will equip individuals with the necessary skills to administer Naloxone effectively. This initiative aims to empower our community to respond effectively to opioid-related emergencies, aligning with the broader efforts across the state to address opioid misuse and overdose incidents and our whole-community approach to safety.

Naloxone kits will be available at Public Safety and HAWP during normal business hours and during the CPR/First Aid courses.

Follow all of the Brandeis Human Resources happenings on our new account.

Introducing Brandeis Bites – a great way to build your professional skills without making a big time commitment! Simply register to watch a recorded learning video at your convenience as pre-work, then attend a 30-minute workshop to discuss and apply the learning.

Workshops will be held virtually from 11– 11:30 a.m. on the following dates:

• 2/28 – Building Relationships While Working from Home register
• 3/20 – Critical Thinking for Better Judgement and Decision-Making register
• 4/24 – How to Set Goals When Everything Feels Like a Priority register

Workshops will be held virtually from 10:00 – 11:15 a.m. and will include watching a recorded webinar followed by a discussion on the following dates:

• 2/27 – Thriving at Work and Home register
• 3/19 – Finding More Time in Your Day register
• 4/30 – Supporting Colleagues in Distress register

For more information about KGA and the services they provide call 1-800-648-9557 or visit the KGA Website log-in password: brandeis

The Department of Facilities Services will perform its annual electrical shutdown on Saturday, June 1, and Sunday, June 2 from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. each day. In the past, this shutdown was held in August but for weather reasons, we are moving it to June.

In addition, this year due to the switch gear needing maintenance, the entire campus will go into a shutdown. This work allows the Department of Facilities to exercise and test equipment vital to the electrical infrastructure supporting Brandeis University.

Only the following buildings will be affected: On Sat, June 1 - All buildings on campus will be down (power and AC) except Epstein, Foster Mods, and the Sports Complex (Gosman & Linsey). - Village will have power but the Card swipes for the door will be down. It will have AC but cannot be controlled (so it may fluctuate some).

On Sun, June 2 - Ridgewood complex, Rosenthal Quad, Zivs, Volen, Admissions, Sachar, Feldberg, Athletic fields, Info Booth, Administration (Berstein-Marcus/Gryzmish/Irving) and Slosberg will be down for a 2nd day. Please contact Facilities Services at 781-736-8500 for more information.