Human Resources is pleased to announce that we will be hosting this year’s annual Benefits Fair on Wednesday, October 30 from 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. The event will take place in Sherman Hall, in the Hassenfeld Conference Center. The Benefits Fair will include vendors from many of our benefit plans, HR representatives, refreshments and giveaways throughout the day.

Effective October 24, Brandeis WHO CASH will now be accepted at any location that uses the Grubhub service across the country. This applies to students, faculty, and staff and being part of the Brandeis community you will receive free delivery on eligible orders.

Here is how to get started: Grubhub account set up

The Police Pink Patch Project is an initiative where law enforcement agencies wear specially designed pink patches on their uniforms to raise awareness for breast cancer and support ongoing research. This collaborative effort aims to engage communities in conversations about cancer prevention and promote early detection. For the month of October you will see officers donning pink uniform patches and those patches are also on sale to the general public for a $10 donation to Dana Farber. To make a donation visit the Dana Farber website for donations.

We will also be sharing tips and facts to support the Pink Patch Project's mission of awareness and education.

A "Mass Casualty Incident & Triage" training exercise will be conducted by the Brandeis Emergency Medical Corps (BEMCo) on Wednesday, October 30, from 8 to 10 p.m. This exercise will occur outdoors, near the parking lot behind the Lown Center for Judaica Studies (in Mandel Quad).

This training is intended to prepare our BEMCo emergency responders for real-life situations they may encounter. During this exercise, you may hear loud noises and observe simulated scenarios involving actors, mock injuries, and realistic props. We will have signage clearly indicating that a training exercise is in progress to prevent any confusion.

Please be assured that this is a controlled training event, not an emergency.

Thank you for your understanding and support as we continue to improve our emergency response capabilities. If you have any questions or concerns about this training exercise, feel free to email bemcotraining@brandeis.edu.

In advance of the spring bill coming in late November, which will be due on December 16, 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.

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!

The University is deeply appreciative of all who have worn the uniforms of the U.S. armed forces and we give thanks to our employees and community members who have served our country. We encourage all members of our community to take this moment to say thank you to the service members and veterans who are your colleagues, your family, your friends and your neighbors.

The BRAVE Act, signed into Massachusetts law in 2018, allows Veterans who request, with reasonable notice, to take Veterans Day off using either unpaid time or by using available personal or vacation time.

If you are a Veteran and elect to participate in a Veterans Day activity or take Veterans Day off entirely, please notify your supervisor/manager. We support our Veterans in this endeavor.

Thank you to all members of our military, in all branches, past and present, living or deceased, for your service to our country.

Brandeis Hospitality is conducting a quick survey to better understand your satisfaction with your dining experience. Join the effort! Your individual feedback gets us closer to our collective response goal. Once the goal is met, we are making a $500 donation to Brandeis Food Pantry. Don't delay; the survey closes on November 8!

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

Sukkot (October 16 sundown - 23 sundown) Beginning five days after Yom Kippur, Sukkot is named after the huts the Israelites lived in during their exodus from Egypt, which Jews today build and dwell in to commemorate this time. Sukkot is also a harvest holiday and the beginning of the season of prayers for rain. Important ritual objects on Sukkot include the lulav (a bundle of different types of branches) and an etrog (a species of citrus fruit commonly found in the Middle East). Brandeis does not hold classes on the first day of Sukkot.

Shemini Atzeret (October 23 sundown - 24 sundown) or “The Eighth Day of Assembly,” is celebrated by Jews on the eighth day of Sukkot and marks the beginning of Simchat Torah. Brandeis does not hold classes on Shemini Atzeret/ the first day of Simchat Torah.

Simchat Torah (October 24 sundown - 25 sundown), or “Rejoicing with the Torah,” marks the completion of one Torah reading cycle and the beginning of a new one.

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.

Student Employment has implemented a new, mandatory student employee supervisor training that will be conducted via Zoom. This training is required for those that oversee student hiring as well as those who manage the students themselves, including faculty members who supervise students. Topics that will be covered include:

• Student Employment Policies
• Timesheets
• Hiring in Workday
• Onboarding
• Supervisor Roles/Responsibilities

All supervisors must complete the training by the end of the Fall 2024 semester. Upcoming training dates are as follows:

• October 10/18, 10/25, 11/1, 11/8, 11 a.m.-noon
• October 10/29, 11/5, 1-2 p.m.

Please register in advance for the training of your choice here. If you have participated in a session already this summer you do not need to sign up again!

There is limited selection of Celtics tickets still available. The seats are in section LGE16, row 23. For a complete list of available games and pricing please visit the The Office of the EVP, Finance and Administration website.

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

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, an international initiative that highlights actions everyone can take to stay safe online. The theme for this year is “Secure Our World”, empowering everyone to understand simple ways to protect yourself, your family and your business from online threats. In observance of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, the ITS Security Office will be providing free seminars and information booths across campus. For more information or to sign up for our upcoming Webinar, please visit the ITS Security Events website.

Webinar: "Securing Your World Amidst Sophisticated Cyber Attacks and AI", Register Here

The 2025 Benefits Open Enrollment period will take place this year between October 28 and November 8. This is the once-a-year opportunity for benefits-eligible employees to evaluate and make changes to benefits, absent a qualifying event. Changes made during the open enrollment period will take effect January 1, 2025.

Open Enrollment Sessions – To Learn about your Benefits

• Monday, October 28, Levine Ross Room 1, noon - 1 p.m., Register
• Thursday, October 31, Zoom,  3 - 4 p.m., Register
• Monday, November 5, Zoom,  9 - 10 a.m., Register

Whether you’re exploring new plan options or looking for a refresher, these sessions will provide valuable insights and guidance. We want to make sure you understand what's offered and pick the best plans and coverage for you and your family. Review your current benefits.

Join us to learn about what's new for 2025.

• FSA Switching from Grace Period to Carryover
• Limited Purpose Flexible Spending Account (LPFSA), a new option to compliment those enrolled/enrolling in a High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) with a Health Saving Account (HSA)

Remember to use your FSA by the end of the year 2024. Grace period runs through March 15, 2025.

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.

If you are planning to enroll in the HDHP/HSA plan for 2025 your total 2024 funds must be reimbursed by 12/31/24. You cannot contribute to the HSA if you have HCFSA funds in your account on 1/1/2025. Visit the Human Resources website for more detailed information about Flexible Spending Accounts and/or the FSA Store.

Human Resources is excited to announce on November 8, from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. the 20/20 Onsite Vision Van, the leader in mobile optometry, is coming to our campus in the Hassenfeld parking lot. They will be offering comprehensive eye exams. It just takes 30 minutes to get a full eye exam AND shop their collection of over 300 styles of glasses and sunglasses.

This is the easiest way to take advantage of your Flexible Spending Account (FSA) benefits without having to leave the office! No more commuting to the doctor, sitting in waiting rooms, or using precious PTO for appointments. Book your appointment now!

The IRS limits your pre-tax total contributions each year. The 2024 limit is $23,000 for employees 49 or younger and $30,500 if you are age 50 or over.

You may update your pre-tax deferred contribution elections on NetBenefits or by calling the Retirement Service Center at 800-343-0860. With one-stop convenience, Fidelity Investments supports the enrollment process and provides ongoing service to retirement plan participants via the university’s NetBenefits Retirement Planning website.

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 Harvard Pilgrim Health Care (via OptumRx) is considered Creditable Coverage.

Save and bookmark the Medicare Part D and FAQs link for future reference.

We have entered into the shoulder months for heating/cooling, with temperatures ranging between 40 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Cooler mornings followed by warmer afternoons make maintaining temperature comfort in our facilities challenging. 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 or cooling mode; but not both. Currently, we are still in “cooling” season but we will start turning off AC and switching heating mode on Oct 9. (This is 2 weeks later than last year based on your inputs.)

Consequently, during these shoulder months, there will be days when your office/room temperature is not as cool or hot as you want it to be. Most days, the outside temperature in the morning will be cooler than the temperature in your buildings so if you are warm, we recommend 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. Facilities will start this switchover in Usdan/Upper campus due to the Usdan Chiller project. They will then move to Residence Halls and the other Academic Buildings, followed by adding heat to the Science Buildings. The complete switchover will likely take a month to fully complete.

For building temperature standards, please visit the Policy Page on the Campus Planning and Operations website.

Should you feel there is an issue with your heating system, please submit a service request on the Facilities Services website.

Definition: A business purpose statement justifies how an expense is appropriate and reasonable, and how it supports and/or advances the goals and objectives of the University.

The University must ensure that all transactions (e.g., supplier invoices, travel expenses/reimbursements, p-card expenses payments, requisitions, etc.) have written information within the transaction documentation to justify the purpose served by the expenditure. Procurement & Business Services therefore requires clear documentation of this justification. If not clearly documented, the department may be asked to provide additional details. Failure to provide this information may result in additional delays, approvals and/or payment.

More information can be found on the Procurement and Business Services website.

Questions can be directed to: procurement@brandeis.edu or accountspayable@brandeis.edu

Standard 8.5" x 11" Copy Paper is provided centrally through the University for all on campus Ricoh MultiFunction devices. W.B. Mason, our preferred supplier for office supplies will continue to deliver the paper, however this will no longer be an auto drop off process. We request that you complete the Copy Paper Delivery Request Form whenever you need paper delivered to your machine location. Paper will then be delivered within 2-3 business days of submitting your request.

For questions please contact Procurement Services.