Please join President Levine on Wednesday, February 12 from 1 – 2 p.m. in Sherman Function Hall for a town hall style conversation to discuss his plans for the future.

The town hall will consist of a brief presentation followed by Q&A. We ask that you please use this form to RSVP, whether you expect to attend in person, or via live stream, so that we can plan accordingly. Light refreshments will be served.

The annual Alumni Awards honor and recognize excellence in two areas: lifetime and emerging professional achievement, and lifetime and emerging volunteer service to the Alumni Association. Submit a nomination by March 3! Nominate an alum

Our February ITS Spotlight features the ITS Leadership team. Led by Jim La Creta, CIO, the ITSL team is responsible for the strategic direction of the Brandeis IT systems as well as developing and implementing technology strategies that support operational efficiency, innovation, and security. Please visit the ITSL Team Staff Spotlight to read more about this accomplished team, what brought them to Brandeis, and how they enjoy spending their time outside the office.

During the university’s February break, from Monday, February 17, until Sunday, February 23, we will run the Combo Shuttle service, serving Waltham and campus. The schedule is:

• Monday, February 17 to Friday, February 21, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Saturday and Sunday, February 22-23, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• No Boston/Cambridge service will operate on February 22 and 23.
• Regular service will resume beginning February 24.

If you have any questions, please visit the transportation webpage.

Student Financial Services will be providing a webinar regarding the 2025-2026 financial aid application process for continuing undergraduate students on February 10, 2025 at 5:30 p.m. Students who wish to attend must register online to obtain the webinar link; registration can be completed at any time up until the completion of the webinar.

The webinar will include details about the 2025-2026 financial aid application process for continuing students, how last year's FAFSA changes are affecting this year's application, the appeal process, emergency funding, and other related topics.

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!

Our campus is vibrant with students, faculty, staff and our alumni. Brandeis' alumni relations staff is trying to capture the impact and engagement of our alumni across campus.

Have you had an alumna/us as a speaker in your class? For a club or department event? Do you hold reunions for your majors or your club? Does an alum connect with your group for mentorship or career advice? These are just a few of the ways alumni could be impacting our Brandeis lives.

Our 65,000+ Brandeis alumni are making a difference on our campus even after they no longer hold the title of student. If you know of an alumni making a difference, please us know. If you have questions, please email Stephanie Grimes or James Rossano.

Let your teen experience Brandeis this summer through the Genesis program. Genesis is a 3-week pluralistic, academically-focused Jewish learning, and identity-building summer precollege program for exceptional high school students. Students engage in college-level learning, informal Jewish experiences and joyful Shabbat celebrations while making lifelong friends and living on the Brandeis campus. Scholarships are available. Children of Brandeis employees receive reduced tuition. Contact Laura Hyman for more information.

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.

The Dean of Students Office is collecting the following new or gently used adult sized winter items for distribution in our Brandeis Pantry for students who need:

• Coats
• Hats
• Gloves/Mittens
• Scarves

Bins to donate items are available through February 10 in the following locations:

• Dean of Students Office, 224 Shapiro Campus Center
• Brandeis Library
• Student Financial Services, 120 Usdan
• Graduate Affairs, 126 Gerstenzang
• Athletics Office, Gosman

Nothing to donate? Consider buying an item for a student from our Winter Clothing Amazon Wish List.

Brandeis is rich with religious diversity. Upcoming holidays celebrated by the Brandeis community include:

Tu b'Shvat (Sundown Feb 12 - 13) Jewish people celebrate Tu BiShvat on the fifteenth day of the Hebrew month of Shevat. It is also called Rosh HaShanah La'Ilanot, which translates to "New Year of the Trees." The day is celebrated as an ecological awareness day and trees are planted to mark the occasion.

Shiva-ratri February 26) is a Hindu holiday that honors the deity Lord Shiva. It is believed that Parvati, the wife of Lord Shiva, prayed, meditated and fasted on this day for his well being. On the day of the festival, devotees of Lord Shiva fast and spend all day and night meditating and chanting and singing his praises.

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.

Register for a library workshop:

• Bivariate Analysis with Stata, 12:10 - 1 p.m., Mon., Feb. 10
• Intro to Vinyl Cutting & 2D Graphics, 12:30 - 1:30 p.m., Mon., Feb. 10
• Automation Lab Access Training, 1:30 - 2:30 p.m., Tue., Feb. 11
• DJing for Beginners, 2:15 - 3:45 p.m., Tue., Feb. 11
• Excel with Excel: Overview, Tips and Tricks. Part II, 12:10 - 1:10 p.m., Wed., Feb. 12
• Film Editing in Adobe Premiere Pro, 1:30 - 3 p.m., Wed., Feb. 12
• Podcasting [Part 1]: Interviewing Personalities and Editing Audio Profiles, 4 - 5:30 p.m., Wed., Feb. 12
• Introduction to Python: Data Analysis (3), 1 - 2:30 p.m., Wed., Feb. 12
• Intro to Soldering, 4 - 5:30 p.m., Wed., Feb. 12
• Adobe Illustrator and InDesign: The Basics of Design, 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m., Thu., Feb. 13
• Data Visualization with R, 12:10 - 1 p.m., Thu., Feb. 13
• Craft your Sound with Audio Plug-Ins, 12:20 - 1:50 p.m., Fri., Feb. 14
• Film Editing in Adobe Premiere Pro, 12:30 - 2 p.m., Fri., Feb. 21
• CAD Office Hours, 10:30 a.m. - noon, Mondays
• Digital Scholarship Lab Training and Open Hours, Weekly
• Open MakerLab Hours, Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays 2:30 - 4:30 p.m., Thursdays 1-3 p.m.
• Fibre Fridays at the MakerLab, Fridays 3 - 5 p.m.

We have set new training dates for the mandatory Supervisor training - if you have already taken this training in Summer or Fall of 2024, you do not need to take it again unless you want to! While you are welcome to join our sessions as often as you'd like, you are only required to complete it once!

Beginning on Tuesday, February 4, sessions will be offered every Tuesday from 3-4 p.m. and Friday from 1-2 p.m. You can sign up for Tuesday sessions, and for Friday sessions. Currently, we have scheduled sessions through March and will add more training dates in April/May as we get further in to the semester.

Based on a recent usage review, the Brandeis University Information Technology Advisory Committee has approved disabling select Microsoft 365 applications. This will not include MS Office applications such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

Beginning February 11, 2025, users will no longer be able to log into or access certain Microsoft applications that are not commonly used by Brandeis users including: Insight by MyAnalytics, Microsoft Bookings, Microsoft Planner, and To Do. For a full list of applications and the affected dates, please visit our Microsoft Applications Licensing Update page.

Brandeis offers a robust list of supported applications with software and tools that will support your needs. If you have any questions or need additional information, you can visit our website or email the Help Desk (help@brandeis.edu).

Upcoming onsite clinic: February 12 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Hassenfeld. Register today.

Additional dates: March 13, April 9, May 6

Faculty, staff, and their family members (ages 4 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.

Heart  disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. Take steps today to lower your risk of heart disease and learn more.

Be sure to join Occupational Health Services on February 26 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. to learn ways to improve your heart health with resources, education and more. No registration required, and come when you're able for some self-directed, interactive learning! Add the event to your calendar.

Brandeis Employees, Student Employees, and Lab Personnel, please use this reporting tool if you've had an injury, accident, near-miss, or health and safety related issue while at Brandeis. We use this information to get you help, address any safety issues, and think proactively about how to make this a safer campus. Please visit or download to learn more.

Stress-less – Challenge via edHEALTH – a new stress-focused wellness challenge. It kicks off on February 1st. Employees can access the challenge using the Living Well Health Portal. For more information visit Human Resource/Work-Life Balance/Harvard Pilgrim Health Care – Healthy You Program.

• Employees must opt into the challenge from February 1st through the 7th 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.

Harvard Pilgrim Health Care – Join the Living Well Healthy You Program Today!

• 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 2nd 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.

• By participating in activities and earning points you will be entered into quarterly drawings for one $50 gift card.

• Everyone who earns points, whether enrolled in the University’s medical plan or not, will be entered into the drawings.

• At the end of the year, we will draw one winner of a $100 gift card from all program participants.

Learn more about the Living Well Healthy You Program and how to join on the Living Well Healthy Portal. You can find more information on the Healthy You Program Flyer.

If you have responsibility for completing the employer section of the I-9 form on behalf of Brandeis, please join us for a refresher webinar presented by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Register

• Wednesday, February 26, 2-3 p.m.
• Thursday, March 27, 11 a.m. - noon

This is a friendly reminder that while you will receive a 1095-C form as part of the Affordable Care Act requirements, it is not necessary to file your federal or state taxes. The form is provided for your records and serves as documentation of the health coverage offered to you by Brandeis University.

You may choose to keep the form for your personal records, but it does not need to be submitted to the IRS when filing your tax return.

For additional information and on how to access your 1095-C visit Human Resources webpage.

1099-HC

Form 1099-HC for 2024 will be postmarked and in the mail by January 31, 2025. Members can get a copy through the Harvardpilgrim.org online print tool starting February 1st. The 1099-HC Form serves as proof of health insurance coverage for Massachusetts residents age 18 and older. This proof of coverage is required for Massachusetts state income tax filing and provided by Point32 Health and available on HPHC/Brandeis Microsite for 2024.

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.

Fidelity Financial Workshop - Registration, In Person Presentation

Topic: “Get Started and Save for the Future You”

• Understanding your retirement plan
• Learn the steps to enroll in your plan
• See if you’re saving enough
• Learn ways to save more

You're welcome to bring your lunch.

The IRS limits your pre-tax total and/or Roth after-tax contributions each year. The 2025 Employee contribution limit is $23,500 for employees 49 or younger and $31,750 if you are age 50 or over. There is also a Special Catch up for ages 60 to 63 allowing a maximum contribution of $34,750.

You may update your employee 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.

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.

Be Your Own Health Advocate – Registrations are still being accepted, February 26, 1 p.m., This seminar will equip you with the knowledge and confidence to make informed decisions, and take proactive steps towards a healthier, more empowered life.

Preview of April Programs:

Embracing Neurodiversity in the Workplace, April 29, noon, Learn about neurodiverse conditions and discover strategies to create a supportive environment.

KGA Manager Overview, April 10, 1 p.m., As we think ahead to the annual performance review program TAP, session describes how KGA provides confidential support to managers concerned about a staff member’s behavior, performance or overall wellbeing.

Sign up and access LinkedIn Learning for a free e-card using the instructions provided to access LinkedIn Learning (offers over 16,000 online courses) through the Boston Public Library. If you have any questions contact HumanResources@Brandeis.edu. Did you know that you will have access to certificates of completion for your records?

Featured Courses this Month:

• Management Essentials - Whether you are starting a brand-new management role or an experienced manager searching for fresh techniques, this course offers the training and tools you need to manage your team.
• Leading Your Team Through Change - Change is hard, and anyone managing a team needs a proven playbook to help them rally their teams as they acclimate to new ideas and initiatives. Mike Derezin, COO of Chainlink Labs shares insights including how to address active resisters (and manage passive ones), take pulse checks, and hold people accountable for making change happen.

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

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.