Brandeis is rich with religious diversity. Holidays celebrated by the Brandeis community in the second half of April include:

• Ridván (evening of April 21 to May 2)  Ridván is a joyous festival in the Baháʼí Faith.  It commemorates the moment when Bahá'u'lláh declared His divine mission in Baghdad's Ridván garden. Celebrated for twelve days, it symbolizes spiritual renewal, unity, and the global vision of Bahá'u'lláh's teachings. Baháʼís come together for prayers, reflection, and acts of service, emphasizing love and harmony among all people. 
• Mahavir Jayanti (April 21)  Mahavir Jayanti is one of the most important holidays in Jainism and celebrates the birthday of Lord Mahavir, the 24th supreme preacher.
• Passover (sundown April 22 - April 30)  An eight-day celebration, Passover 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, including prayers, songs, and special food - is one of the most commonly observed Jewish practices. Brandeis does not hold classes during Passover.

For more information on these and other holidays, visit the Center for Spiritual Life's Guide to Religious Observances. Did we miss a spiritual observance that is important to you? Please reach out to slife@brandeis.edu.

The Alumni Association is seeking nominations for two awards that recognize alumni service to Brandeis.

The Service to the Association Award is presented in recognition of individuals who have worked on behalf of the university and whose contributions are likely to have a lasting, positive impact on the Alumni Association and the university.

The Emerging Leadership Award recognizes individuals who have less than 10 years of volunteer service to Brandeis and have demonstrated leadership, hard work and commitment resulting in a positive impact on the university.

You are invited to submit nominations via this form by Friday, May 3.

Brandeis.edu accounts that many alumni use to log into email and other services will be discontinued effective January 7, 2025. This change aligns with industry best practices and improves email security. Over the coming months, information will be shared with alumni to support them through this transition and ensure continued access to available alumni resources. 

As part of our initial communication to the Brandeis Alumni Community, Brandeis also announced the launch of a new alumni portal called My Brandeis Gateway. This new online resource enables alumni to update contact and employment information, search the alumni directory, and submit class notes.

New alumni who are graduating in May 2024 and beyond will retain their student @brandeis.edu accounts during a seven-month grace period following commencement. 

For academic departments and centers/institutes that manually maintain their own lists of alumni constituents with @brandeis.edu email addresses, Alumni Relations will provide updated lists. If you have questions or require assistance with lists of alumni constituents, please contact alumni@brandeis.edu. 

The financial aid renewal application deadline for the 2024-2025 academic year has passed.  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 (FAFSA), 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 (tax returns will be requested upon receipt of this application only if necessary).  

SFS began receiving FAFSA applications from Federal Student Aid (FSA) in the second half of March. You may check your Financial Aid Portal, which you can access via the link on the Financial Aid page in Workday, to see if your FAFSA has been received by Brandeis and if any further action is required.  You may also check this portal to view any other missing documents needed to complete your renewal application.  FSA has recently enabled the ability for students to correct their FAFSA forms (e.g., submit signatures, provide permission for the IRS data transfer, etc.).   Please check our Changes to FAFSA page for updates. 

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. Book an appointment today.

The Library will have reduced hours during Passover break and extended hours during the Finals period. Please check the Library hours for details.

On May 1 the university will host its annual Staff Service Recognition Ceremony to honor employees who have attained 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40 years of service in 2023. If you have achieved this milestone anniversary, you and your supervisor will be receiving an invitation in your inbox within the next few weeks. Please be sure to keep an eye out.

From KGA (our new employee assistance provider!)

Workshop will be held virtually from 10-11:15 a.m. and will include watching a recorded webinar followed by a discussion on the following date:

• 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.

From Brandeis Bites:

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. Workshop will be held virtually from 11:00 – 11:30 a.m. on the following date:

• 4/24 – How to Set Goals When Everything Feels Like a Priority register

Financial Wellness Workshops Presented by Metro Credit Union

Please register on the training website for the following workshops (presented virtually):

• Identity Theft Solutions – Tuesday 4/23 – 9-10 a.m.
• The Sandwich Generation – Tuesday 5/28 – 9-10 a.m.

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

As shared in a February 29 email to campus, Brandeis has decided not to renew its subscription to LinkedIn Learning. The Library is highlighting our robust workshop offerings and curating a list of training resources, including training resources covering some of the most frequently used LinkedIn Learning topics. Read more. 

We invite you to sign up for a Moodle workshop or visit the Brandeis Moodle Getting Started documentation. The Library’s Instructional Technologists are here to help you in the move to Moodle 4!

Let's keep our community healthy! Human Resources and Occupational Health Services will be bringing the pharmacy to you on Monday, April 22, 2024, 9 a.m. -1 .p.m.. 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 check your insurances' pharmacy coverage ahead of time. Get vaccinated. 

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, pork, 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.