Submit your application to join an online degree or certificate program by March 4. Classes are fully online, designed for working professionals, 8-10 weeks long, and available at up to 100% tuition remission for eligible employees.

Employees interested in enrolling in a program at Brandeis Online are encouraged to take a course before applying if they are not ready to start a degree. The most popular programs of study for employees are Project and Program Management, Digital Marketing and Design, and User-Centered Design.

To learn more, schedule a time with Tom Screnci, Associate Director of Admissions & Enrollment.

2024 W-2s are now available in Workday! To access your W-2 click on the Pay icon and then My Tax Documents. If you have any questions, please contact the payroll department.

Waltham Group Blood Drive holds three drives a year by collaborating with The American Red Cross. For February 2025, the drive is Valentines themed. The Brandeis community, from student to faculty to staff, are able to donate. Students are also able to volunteer. The donor will be checked by volunteers, complete a short health history, and start the donation process if eligible. Afterward, the donor will rest for 15 minutes in the canteen area, where they can have a snack and ensure they feel okay before leaving. Participating in the blood drive by donating or volunteering is an amazing way for the community to give back! Sign up to donate blood.

• Tuesday, Feb 11, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
• Thursday, February 13, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Location: Sherman Function Hall

Students may receive one of the following tax documents:

• 1098-T – This form provides information about educational expenses that may qualify for education-related tax credits. The Form 1098T is created for domestic students, and international students, with a Social Security number on file who also had qualified transactions. Beginning on January 24 any active student with a form can view and print their 1098T from Workday within the Student Account application. The Form 1098T will be printed and mailed prior to January 31 to students with qualifying transactions who opted out of the electronic 1098-T option during onboarding. Students who have a 1098T but have graduated or withdrew and lost Workday access will be mailed a paper copy by January 31.
• W-2 - The Form W-2 includes earned wages & compensation paid through Payroll. Reports federal taxable income and withholding and state taxable income and withholding. This document has been produced and is available electronically in Workday. To access it, click on the Pay icon and then My Tax Documents.
• 1042-S - The 1042-S reports federal taxable income and withholding including fellowships, scholarships above the cost of tuition and required fees and/or specifically NOT for tuition and required fees, and compensation for non- resident aliens that is considered under a tax treaty (any amount of compensation outside a tax treaty limit would be included on a W-2). This document is issued by March 15 for the previous tax year and is available on paper only (mailed to the address on the Foreign National Form).

Students and families received the spring 2025 bill electronically via Nelnet on Wednesday, November 20th. The due date was December 16, 2024; a registration hold has been placed on accounts not paid in full by this date and late fees have been applied. Students should access the Nelnet Student Account Portal, using the link provided in their Student Account worklet in Workday, to view e-bills and account transactions, make payments and manage monthly payment plans.

If students have not already done so, 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.

The financial aid renewal application deadline for the 2025-2026 academic year will be March 1, 2025. Students who would like to apply for need-based scholarship funds must submit the 2025-2026 CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE, the 2025-2026 Free Application for Federal Student Aid, and copies of 2023 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).

An e-mail detailing the renewal process are being sent to students and parents this week. If you would like to meet with your financial aid counselor to discuss the renewal financial aid process, you may book a 30-minute appointment online.

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!

Upcoming library workshop and drop-in hours

• Excel with Excel: Overview, Tips and Tricks: Part I, 12:10 - 1:10 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 5 and Part II 12:10 - 1:10 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 12 | Data Visualization with R, 12:10 - 1 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 13 | Data Analysis with R, 12:10 - 1 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 27 | Text Analysis using R, 12:10 - 1 p.m., Thursday, Mar. 6
• R workshop series: Intro to R, 12:10 - 1 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 30 | Data Wrangling with R, 12:10 - 1 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 6
• Intro to Python services: Fundamentals (1), 1 - 2:30 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 29 | Conditionals and Loops (2), 1 - 2:30 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 5 | Data Analysis (3) 1 - 2:30 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 12| Plotting Figures (4), 1 - 2:30 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 26 | Web Scraping with Python, 1 - 2:30 p.m., Wednesday, Mar. 5
• Stata: Getting Started with Stata, 12:10 - 1 p.m., Monday, Jan. 27 | Data Wrangling with Stata, 12:10 - 1 p.m., Monday, Feb. 3
• Intro to Bash for Scientific Computing, 1 - 2:30 p.m., Monday, Jan. 27
• Version Control: Intro to Git and GitHub, 1 - 2:30 p.m., Monday, Feb. 3
• Intro to Vinyl Cutting & 2D Graphics, 12:30 - 1:30 p.m., Monday, Jan. 27
• Intro to Soldering, 3:30 - 5 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 28
• Intro to 3D Printing with Prusa Mini, 5:30 - 7 p.m., Friday, Jan. 31
• Intro to Soldering, 3:30 - 5 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 4
• CAD Office Hours, 10:30 a.m. - noon, Mondays
• Moodle Open Office Hours

The Dean of Students Office invites you to nominate undergraduate or graduate students who have made outstanding contributions to the Brandeis community. We are looking for contributions of leadership, social consciousness and activism, community building, and service. While special attention will be paid to graduating seniors, in accordance with the gift restrictions, several prizes will go to students in other class years and graduate students. Please consider nominating any outstanding student. Nominations should be submitted via this form by 5 p.m. on Friday, February 7.

Students selected for an award will be honored at a celebration on Tuesday, April 22 at 6 p.m ET and will be listed in the Commencement program.

If you have any questions, please contact the Department of Student Engagement, in the Dean of Students Office, at studentengagement@brandeis.edu.

Beginning the first week of February, the ITS Network team will be visiting buildings across campus to replace network switches. Network switches enable users across campus to access WiFi, the internet, and the Brandeis internal network (like servers and file shares). During the replacement time, internet and wireless networks will be unavailable. ITS will be replacing switches in residence halls beginning in February; administrative buildings’ replacements will take place in the spring, and academic buildings will have their replacements made over the summer months. Notifications of network downtime will be sent to building occupants the week prior to work being completed; the replacements should take between 2-4 hours.

Data Privacy Week is here, and it's time to focus on something that affects all of us: the safety of our personal data. From January 27 to 31, Brandeis University is taking part in this global initiative to raise awareness about the importance of safeguarding our digital lives.

Data Privacy Week, celebrated around the world, highlights the importance of protecting our personal information. With the increasing amount of data we share online, it's crucial to understand the choices we can make to safeguard our privacy. This week is all about raising awareness and encouraging both individuals and organizations to take action to protect their data. Small changes in your everyday habits can make a big difference in securing your data.

Join us for a week of exciting, informative activities designed to help you take control of your data and protect yourself online!

Enter the Brandeis Security Office’s Cybersecurity Meme Contest!

Brandeis’s Employee Assistance Provider offers online learning opportunities on a variety of topics. The online workshops are free with our membership. This month we are spotlighting interesting and timely topics.

Nutrition - Determining how to best meet your nutritional needs can be complicated. Connect with a Registered Dietitian for a 30-minute consultation to discuss your goals and learn helpful strategies.

Webinars:

• Nourishing Balance: The Link Between Nutrition and Female Hormone, March 6,  1-2 p.m.,  REGISTER
• Female Health: Managing Menopause with Better Nutrition, March 27, 11 a.m.-noon, REGISTER

We warmly welcome individuals and their allies of all races, ethnicities, religions, and gender identities to join our workshops. Our aim is to foster an inclusive and supportive environment where everyone can learn, share, and grow together.

LinkedIn Learning offers access to over 16,000 videos and courses including audio content on a variety of topics. You can access LinkedIn Learning for free. Sign up for a free e-card using the instructions provided to access LinkedIn Learning through the Boston Public Library. If you have any questions contact HumanResources@Brandeis.edu

Featured Courses:

Invest in You – Professional and Personal Development Tips to Unlock Your Potential (40 minutes), There are points in our lives where we find ourselves spinning and stagnant in our development. We reflect on what we have accomplished and compare our achievements with those of people close to us, often judging ourselves in a way that adds little value.

How to Stay Goal-Focused -Goal-focus is the key to achievement (41 minutes), One of the most underrated skills for today’s busy professionals is the ability to stay goal-focused. It is a unique discipline that requires you to know how to set intrinsically motivating goals and avoid getting distracted.

We understand that your time is precious, and we want to make it even easier for you to build your professional skills without making a big-time commitment. With Brandeis Quick Bytes, you can enjoy the same great content in a more accessible and convenient format.

 Register Here for spring offerings.

Brandeis is a member of the New England Higher Education Recruitment Consortium (NE-HERC)

NE-HERC and the Center for Workplace Compliance are co-presenting a free webinar entitled: What’s next? How to continue to build an inclusive and diverse workforce during times of potential policy and legal shifts – for staff managers

January 29, 10-11 a.m., REGISTER

On-site vaccine clinics are open to all faculty, staff, and their families (ages 4+). Pre-registration is required for any family members. Please be sure to bring your pharmacy insurance card to your appointment. Register online (but walk-ins are also welcome). New Dates have been added!

Dates: 1/24/25, 2/12/25, 3/13/25, 4/9/25, 5/6/25

Location: Hassenfeld, Levine Ross 1 & 2

Times: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Vaccinations offered: COVID-19, Flu, Hepatitis A , Hepatitis B, HPV, Meningococcal (A, C, Y, & W135), Meningococcal B, MMR , Pneumococcal, Shingles, Tetanus - Whooping Cough, Varicella

Find out what vaccines are recommended for you.

Sleep is as important for good health as diet and exercise. Good sleep improves your brain performance, mood, and health. Not getting enough quality sleep regularly raises the risk of many diseases and disorders. These range from heart disease and stroke to obesity and dementia. Learn about ways to improve your sleep hygiene, medical considerations that can impact sleep, and other resources: Sleep Hygiene, or explore the Spotlight on Well-Being archive.

Join Occupational Health Services on January 30 from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. for health education on sleep, raffle prizes, and free 15-minute chair massages! Email SuzanneRaj@brandeis.edu to sign up for your massage timeslot.

Get rewarded for getting healthy! -The Office of Human Resources is pleased to offer employees access to an online health portal as part of the Healthy You wellness program for 2025. Between January 2 and December 31, 2025 all employees can access the health portal to participate in multiple activities, tools and resources that will help you set, track, and achieve your personal wellness goals. The more activities you complete, the more credits you will earn which will increase your opportunities be entered into the raffles for great prizes. Learn more about the wellness portal and how to access on the Healthy You Program Flyer.

A new stress-focused wellness challenge. It kicks off on February 1. Employees can access the challenge using the Living Well platform. Employees must opt into the challenge from February 1 through the 7 to participate, so the time to familiarize yourself is now! You can explore the many great features of the program, including well-being activities and monthly reward opportunities. You also can download the app and sync your device.

From our Employee Assistance Provider, KGA – Check out: MindTide a new self-help app personalized to your specific needs. You can use it anytime and anywhere independently at your own pace, or along with support from a KGA counselor. Sign into your account to get started.

Looking to lose weight, help prevent or manage conditions like high blood pressure or simply eat in a way that makes you feel better and more energetic? The HPCP members can take advantage of the Good Measures Healthy Weight program and their registered dietitians. Starting with a focus on food choices, this program helps you on your journey to better health.

Financial Wellness Month is all about taking steps and making real progress toward money goals. With 33% of employees finding it embarrassing to ask for guidance or advice about their finances, Fidelity provides resources that meet people where they are — letting them learn on their terms. Through videos, hands-on tools, and how-to articles, Fidelity covers everything from saving, spending, and investing basics to putting a little aside for emergencies.

403(b) Retirement Savings Plan

Reminder - Retirement Contribution Limits in 2025 - 403(b) Retirement Pre-Tax Deferral. The IRS limits your pre-tax total contributions each year. The 2025 limit is $23,500 for employees 49 or younger and $31,000 if you are age 50 or over.

Special catch up for Ages 60 to 63: $34,750 – 403(b) Employee Deferral Limit, the latter of which includes a maximum $11,250 “catch-up” contribution (Secure 2.0 Act)

• Increase to the greater of $10,000 (indexed) or 150% of the regular catch-up contribution amount.
• This replaces the standard $7,500 “catch-up” for those in this age range.

You may update your pre-tax deferred contribution elections on NetBenefits or by calling the Retirement Service Center at 800-343-0860.

Meet with a Retirement Planner – To help plan for your future, Retirement Planners from Fidelity Investments are on campus regularly to provide one-on-one guidance appointments. Consultations may be conducted in person, virtually or over the phone.

• Manage your retirement savings goals
• Review investment choices
• Build a plan that is easy to put into action

To schedule your confidential consultation please visit Fidelity’s scheduler or call 800.642-7131.

Access your Brandeis Retirement Savings Plan on NetBenefits.

Human Resources encourages you to take a moment to review the beneficiaries listed on your Life Insurance and Retirement Savings account. Keeping this information up-to-date ensures your benefits are distributed according to your wishes.

• Basic Life Beneficiaries are maintained in Workday (job aide)
• Retirement Plans Beneficiaries are maintained in NetBenefits.