The university will welcome Susan Church, JD, Chief Operating Officer for the Office for Refugees and Immigrants for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, for the upcoming webinar, “Know Your Rights.” Susan Church is a former immigration lawyer, with 25 years of experience in immigration law and advocating for immigration rights.

The focus of Know Your Rights will be on immigrant and refugee rights, considering incoming changes to immigration policy at the federal level. The presentation will include an overview of legal resources for immigrants in the Commonwealth, know your rights resources, and guidance for interaction with immigration and law enforcement officers.

Please register to attend.

Generative AI Platforms are now available to members of the Brandeis Community through our licenses with Google and Microsoft. The AI Task Force, along with the Library and ITS teams, have been working with both platforms to confirm how Google’s Gemini and Microsoft’s Copilot align with our current product licenses. We are pleased to announce that Brandeis faculty, staff, and students can now access Google Gemini and Microsoft Copilot. Introductory sessions will be offered throughout the spring to help our community learn more about these platforms and other AI-related initiatives, with more information forthcoming. Compiled Generative AI and classroom usage policies are available from the Center for Teaching and Learning website for faculty consideration. Be sure to check back on this website over the coming weeks as guidelines continue to evolve.

To access Gemini and Copilot and to learn about features included with our licenses, please visit the ITS AI Tools webpage. 

The Office of Finance and Administration will be selling tickets to the 2025 Boston Red Sox home games, available for purchase by faculty, staff and post-docs. For information please visit the Office of the Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration website.

The Brandeis Emergency Fund was created to assist currently active, high-need, undergraduate and graduate students experiencing some kind of unexpected financial emergency when other resources are not available. The Fund focuses its limited resources on students with high demonstrated financial need (students with an EFC of approximately $20,000 or below, as determined by a financial aid application) who are experiencing unexpected financial emergencies for which no other funds are available (students are expected to apply for, and utilize, all other sources of funding before receiving emergency funds, including, if applicable, federal loan funds). For updated information about eligibility criteria, examples of what can and cannot be considered, and the process by which to apply for emergency funds, please visit the Brandeis Emergency Fund website.

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!

SFS provided a webinar regarding the 2025-2026 financial aid application process for continuing undergraduate students on February 10, 2025. The webinar included 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 recording can be viewed online.

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

• Losar (February 28 - March 2) is the Tibetan New Year. It is celebrated on the first days of the first lunar month in the Tibetan calendar. Its traditions are unique to Tibet, and predate Chinese and Indian influence. The first 3 days of Losar are considered very important everywhere; in some places it is celebrated for up to 16 days. Monasteries are visited, with respects paid to the lamas, and time is spent with family. Traditionally, practices include an honoring of sacred natural elements. Often homes are cleaned, incense is burned, home altars are decorated and special food and drink are consumed.
• Ramadan (February 28 - March 30, with possible variation) is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, is one of the most sacred times for Muslims. During this month, Muslims observe a strict daily fast from dawn until sunset. They are not allowed to eat or drink (even water) during daylight hours. Fasting is a private act of worship bringing about nearness to God, as well as a form of spiritual discipline and a means to empathize with those less fortunate. The fast is broken at sundown with a meal called iftar, often shared among family and friends. Many will gather after nightfall for special communal prayers called Tarawih.

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.

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!

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.

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

Library research skills

• Interlibrary Loan and Scan on Demand Workshop, 11:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m., Tue., Feb. 25
• Starting the Process: Research and Writing for your Dissertation/Thesis, 10- 10:55 a.m., Wed., Mar. 5
• Introduction to Zotero, various times in February and March

Data Analysis

• Getting Started with Atlas.ti (Windows Users), 12:10 - 1 p.m., Wed., Feb. 26
• Introduction to Python: Plotting Figures (4), 1 - 2:30 p.m., Wed., Feb. 26
• Data Analysis with R, 12:10 - 1 p.m., Thu., Feb. 27
• Getting Started with Qualtrics, 12:10 - 1 p.m., Fri., Feb. 28
• Getting Started with Atlas.ti (Mac Users), 12:10 - 1 p.m., Wed., Mar. 5
• Web Scraping with Python, 1 - 2:30 p.m., Wed., Mar. 5
• Text Analysis using R, 12:10 - 1 p.m., Thu., Mar. 6

Sound and Image Media Studios

• Synthesizer Design using Vital, 1:15 - 2:45 p.m., Mon., Feb. 24
• Craft your Sound with Audio Plugins, 9:15 - 10:45 p.m., Mon., Feb. 24
• Film Editing in Adobe Premiere Pro, 1:30 - 3 p.m., Tue., Feb. 25
• DJing for Beginners, 3:15 - 4:45 p.m., Tue., Feb. 25
• Podcasting [Part 1]: Interviewing Personalities and Editing Audio Profiles. 4 - 5:30 p.m., Wed., Feb. 26
• Graphics and Type: Combining InDesign and Illustrator to create the perfect poster, 11 a.m. - noon, Thu., Feb. 27
• Film Editing in Adobe Premiere Pro, 12:30 - 2 p.m., Fri., Feb. 28
• DJing for Beginners, 2:15 - 3:45 p.m., Fri., Feb. 28
• Podcasting [Part 1]: Interviewing Personalities and Editing Audio Profiles, 1 - 2:30 p.m., Saturday, Mar. 1
• Synthesizer Design using Vital, noon - 1:30 p.m., Sunday, Mar. 2
• Graphics and Type: Combining InDesign and Illustrator to create the perfect poster. 7:30 - 9 p.m., Sunday, Mar. 2
• Synthesizer Design using Vital, 1:15 - 2:45 p.m., Mon., Mar. 3
• Craft your Sound with Audio Plugins, 12:20 - 1:50 p.m., Fri., Mar. 7

Moodle

• Moodle Open Office Hours, 10 - 10:50 a.m., Fridays
• Moodle Gradebook Workshop, 2 - 2:50 p.m., Tue., Feb. 25
• Moodle Quizzes, 2 - 2:50 p.m., Tue., Mar. 4

MakerLab, Automation Lab, and Digital Scholarship Lab

• CAD Office Hours, 10:30 a.m. - noon, Mondays
• Digital Scholarship Lab Open Hours, Weekly hours
• Digital Scholarship Lab Training, Weekly
• Intro to Vinyl Cutting & 2D Graphics, 12:30 - 1:30 p.m., Mondays
• Open MakerLab Hours, Weekly hours
• Intro to 3D Printing with Prusa Mini, 5 - 6:30 p.m., Mon., Feb. 24
• Intro to Soldering, 4 - 5:30 p.m., Wednesdays
• Fibre Friday at the MakerLab, 3 - 5 p.m. Fridays

The Brandeis GSAS 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.

Mark your calendars for Friday, April 4 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.

The Ombuds Office would like to offer opportunities for our Brandeisians to reflect on and process their individual responses to the major events happening in the world, the USA, on our campus and in each of our lives, in a safe, respectful environment where feelings and opinions can be shared across cultural, political, religious, ethnic, national, and racial divides.

Drawing on the principles of Talking Circles as practiced in Indigenous communities, we invite all community members—students, faculty, and staff—to join in one of several facilitated open Talking/Listening sessions that we will be hosting in the coming weeks.

These Circles will occur on:

• Feb 24, 2-4 p.m. (SCC Multi Purpose room)
• Mar 24, 10 a.m.-noon (Room TBD)

Please arrive at or before the starting time as we will start on time and do not want people to enter after the circle commences. Please RSVP to DLGreenstein@brandeis.edu if you plan to attend.

Partners for Peace: Israeli Settlers and West Bank Palestinians Working Together for Reconciliation

Wednesday, February 26, 6-7:30 p.m. in the International Lounge, Usdan

Pizza will be provided. Register by 4 p.m. on Friday, February 21 to secure your spot.

The Brandeis community is invited to join us for a conversation with Rabbi Hanan Schlesinger and Khaled Abu Awwad, leaders of Roots/Shorashim/Judur, an Israeli-Palestinian grassroots initiative, based in the West Bank, which fosters understanding, nonviolence, and transformation. They represent a unique network of Palestinians and Israelis who have come to see each other as partners in the work to make changes to end the conflict. Come hear about their groundbreaking and challenging work, their stories of struggle and personal transformation, and their vision of mutual national recognition and reconciliation. Presented by the University's Schusterman Center for Israel Studies.

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.

The next set of applications, which includes ClipChamp, Microsoft Forms, and Microsoft Whiteboard, will be deprecated on March 4, 2025. 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).

Starting on February 25, in accordance with our commitment to data safety and security, users logging into Brandeis’ Office 365 accounts will be prompted to authenticate their sign in with Duo. No additional enrollments or additional sign-ons will be required. Please respond to the Duo prompt, confirming your login, and you will be signed into the Office 365 Dashboard. You will also be required to authenticate your login if you are prompted to log into your Office desktop applications. If you have any questions regarding this, please contact the Help Desk.

Managing Stress for Positive Change - Join us to learn and practice three steps for managing stress. We will share how practicing mindfulness and grounding exercises can help you focus on your self-care. Pre-work is a LinkedIn Learning video (free access through the Boston Public Library.) Special guest is Suzanne Raj, Occupational Health Manager and Nurse Practitioner. Register today!

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 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.

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.

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.

Preview of May and June Programs:

• Overcoming Burnout: Pathways to Recovery and Self-Care, May 8, noon, register, Participants will also learn to better differentiate between burnout, compassion fatigue, vicarious trauma, and professional impairment.
• Multigenerational Workforce, June 11, 11 a.m., register, For the first time in history, five generations will soon be working side-by-side, Each of the generations brings with them a unique perspective, a range of skill sets and expertise, and varying expectations of how they will contribute to and feel fulfilled by their work. This session will explore how to turn generational differences into a strategic advantage for you and your organization.

Get Started and Save for the Future You-Register

• 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 limits are:

• Employees 49 or younger: $23,500 - 403(b) Employee Contribution Limit
• Employees 50 or older: $31,000 - 403(b) Employee Contribution Limit, includes a maximum $7,500 "catch-up" contribution.
• Special Catch Up for Ages: 60 to 63: $34,750 - 403(b) Employee Contribution Limit, includes a maximum $11,250 "catch-up" contribution (Secure 2.0 Act)
• Employees 64 or older: $31,000 - 403(b) Employee Contribution Limit, back to the maximum $7,500 "catch-up" contribution.

You may update your 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. Visit our Retirement Savings Plan website for more information.

Remember if you have a balance for your 2024 FSA money be sure to use it before the grace period ends. Grace period runs through March 15, 2025. If you don’t use it you will lose it. You are allowed to join and/or make changes only during open enrollment or a qualifying event.

Visit the Human Resources Flexible Spending Accounts and/or the FSA Store website and/or HealthEquity/WageWorks.com for more detailed information.

Are you a new employee, newly benefit eligible or have a qualifying event to elect benefits? You have up to 31 days from the effective date to submit your elections in Workday. Please visit HPHC/Brandeis Microsite to view the Summary of Benefits Cover (SBC) and Schedule of Benefits of each plan to insure you are making the best selection for you and your family. Additional decision help:

• HYKE is an interactive tool that can help guide you in making decisions about your medical care.
• MyConnect 866-623-0184 is our dedicated HPHC Member Advocate Service line. MyConnect is available to you and family members to answer your benefits questions.

Brandeis University has partnered with Bright Horizons to deliver the Back-Up Care Advantage Program. Providing you with access to high-quality back-up care programs in child care centers located close to your home or work, when your child’s regular care arrangements have fallen through. The age groups served in our centers generally range from infant -- Pre-K, however additional age groups including school-age may be supported at various locations across the country.

Off-school days, holidays, sitter sick days, pet care and more – Bright Horizons provides back-up care benefits for them all. Now’s the time to register, book care, and take advantage of support.

Register now for:

• In-center and in-home back-up care for infants through kindergarten prep
• Day Camps to cover school breaks, holiday, and summer vacation
• Expert tutoring and educational programs
• An exceptional early education and child care experience

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:

• Handling Workplace Change as an Employee, Workplace change is hard. In this course, Chris Croft explains why we struggle with change, and shares many practical techniques that can help you manage—and even thrive—in a world of constant change.
• Work Smarter, Think Sharper, Live Better: 15 Tips for Igniting Your Potential, In this course, bestselling author Daniel Pink shares hands-on strategies to help you work smarter, think sharper, and live better. Whether you’re looking to boost productivity, approach challenges with fresh perspectives, or live a more intentional life, this course offers the tools to help you thrive.

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