Information regarding ceremonies, schedules, and answers to frequently asked questions will be continually updated on the Commencement page. University Events is grateful for your support in this enormous celebratory production! Please direct any questions you have to commencement@brandeis.edu. Graduate registration began on March 14 with a deadline of April 23. Graduates were sent a unique link to register, provide guidance on name pronunciation, and receive electronic tickets to send to their guests. Graduates who did not receive their link to register may contact commencement@brandeies.edu to request it be re-sent.

On May 18 Brandeis will recognize and celebrate the achievements of graduates at the 74th Commencement Exercises. Staff not already scheduled to work Commencement should respond on this form by April 4 and indicate your availability for either or both the Undergraduate Commencement ceremony in the morning and the Graduate Commencement ceremony in the afternoon. Non-exempt staff will be paid for their assignments and exempt staff who volunteer will be eligible for one day off per ceremony worked, up to two, to be coordinated with their manager and used by the end of the calendar year. An opportunity for students to serve as paid Commencement Ushers will be posted in Workday in April.

Faculty members are invited to participate in Commencement and should register here. The rental form for regalia can be accessed from the participation registration form. Academic regalia will be provided for faculty members who do not own their own regalia. Orders are due no later than April 6. PhD candidates will identify their advisor or faculty member whom they wish to join them on stage for their hooding during the afternoon’s ceremony.

Scaled blackout begins May 2, 2025 and all departmental or student events will be reviewed for availability of support before confirmation. Only Commencement related activities (Celebratory Receptions, Student Engagement Events, Shabbat Dinner, and the Commencement Ceremonies) will be permitted between May 8 and May 19. Please contact University Events at ueo@brandeis.edu with any questions or visit brandeis.edu/university-events.

The financial aid renewal application deadline for the 2025-2026 academic year was 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 was sent to students and parents back in January. 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.

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.

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.

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!

Next month (April) begins the shoulder months for heating/cooling. This is the time when temperatures range between 40 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Cooler mornings followed by warmer afternoons make maintaining temperature comfort in our facilities a challenge.

Most of the campus operates on a dual HVAC system. This means our system has to either be in heating mode or cooling mode and it can't not easily change between the two. It takes Facilities Services about 5 weeks to transfer from heating to cooling mode. Currently, we are in “heating” season but we will be switching to cooling mode starting April 1.

During April and the beginning of May, there will be days when your office/room temperature is not as warm, or cool, as you want it to be. We ask that everyone dress in layers to accommodate this. We also suggest using operable windows when the weather outside is more suitable to your liking.

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. On April 1, facilities will start to switch over to cooling first in the Science Buildings (~3 weeks), then will move to the Residence Halls and Academic Buildings. The complete switchover should be done the first week in May.

Please review the building temperature policy located at on the Campus Planning and Operations Policy Website.

The Department of Facilities Services will perform its annual electrical shutdown the weekend after Memorial Day; Saturday, May 31, and Sunday, June 1 from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. each day.

This work allows the Department of Facilities to exercise and test equipment vital to the electrical infrastructure supporting Brandeis University.

Only the following buildings will be affected:

• Sat, May 31: Farber Library, Pearlman, Cable Hall, Gordon, Kutz, and Slosberg
• Sun, June 1: Rosenthal North/South/East, Usen, Renfield, Deroy, Chapels and Ziv 127/128/129/130

Please contact Facilities Services at 781-736-8500 for more information.

Sign up for an upcoming library workshop:

3D printing, Soldering, Studio Audio Recording, Podcasting, Electronic Sound Design for Music Production, Craft your Sound with Audio Plugins, Graphics and Type: Combining InDesign and Illustrator to create the perfect poster, Digital Scholarship Lab Training, Photogrammetry, ArcGIS StoryMaps, Vinyl Cutting & 2D Graphics, and Computer-Aided Design in Autodesk Fusion.

Sign up for a workshop to learn more!

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

Your kids will enjoy a full day of sports and games run by our women's basketball players and coaches. Our goal is to provide an enjoyable recreational based learning environment for boys and girls. This program encourages kids to experience new activities, develop friendships and have fun. Come be a part of our Vacation Play Days.

 Ages Welcome: Grades K-6th, Register

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.

On March 25, we will disable our next application - SharePoint. You will still be able to access SharePoint sites that have been shared with you; you will not be able to create new SharePoint sites by logging into Microsoft 365 with your Brandeis user id and password.

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).

Arthritis affects more than 50 million adults, but it doesn't impact everyone the same way. There are more than 100 different types. While these types vary somewhat, every form of arthritis impacts the joints, causing pain and stiffness and making it harder to move around comfortably. Learn more about arthritis and what you can do to prevent and slow down its progression.

Join Occupational Health Services on March 27 from 11 a.m.- 1 p.m. in the Shapiro Campus Center Atrium for health education and an opportunity to have a 15 minute free 1:1 session with a wellness instructor to work on stretching, flexibility, and joint health. Please sign up for a time using or email Suzanne Raj with any questions.

The Accessible Parking (AP) spots strategically located on campus are to accommodate persons requiring temporary accessible parking without State-issued HP Placards. Faculty/Staff should work with the Human Resources department to obtain an AP pass. Students must go through the Student Accessibility Department for approval, and the Parking office will issue the pass.  

These spaces are identified with ground markings and have the letters “AP” marked in the space in Crimson. These spaces can only be used by community members with approved accommodations. Violators without a permit are subject to ticketing and towing. 

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us in the parking office.

Change is constant—especially in today’s workplace. Change does not have to be overwhelming—with the right approach, it can be an opportunity for growth and innovation. Join us for an interactive workshop on “Managing Change with Confidence,” designed exclusively for managers. This session will equip you with practical strategies to lead through transitions, address resistance, and foster a culture of adaptability. Register for one of the following dates:

• Friday, March 28, 10-11 a.m.
• Thursday, April 3, 2-3 p.m.
• Wednesday, April 9, noon-1 p.m.

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.

Staying Engaged Despite the Headlines

March 25, noon

In response to today’s headlines you may be feeling a certain way. In this brief webinar, the presenter Wynne Meyer will discuss: 

• The shared experience so many are reporting.
• What you can control – get out of reaction mode.
• Proactive support strategies for yourself and others.

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:

• How to Lead and Inspire Change - Internationally renowned speaker and coach Amber Vanderburg shares tips for how to inspire others while still conveying a sense of urgency, and provides a framework for how to move through the stages of progress. Join Amber as she shares how to manage and normalize change to create lasting change in your organization.
• Managing Organizational Change for Managers - This course is for managers and leaders that need to move a team of people through organizational change. Learn the official definition of change management and get clear about your role in the process. Instructor Donna Brighton emphasizes leadership skills that can help you become a change champion—leading your team to success even when multiple changes happen at once—and make change stick.

Nominations for the Ennis and Zirkel Awards are due Friday, March 21. Please use the online form to enter your submission.

This is your opportunity to recognize an individual who excels in the performance of their job responsibilities and goes above and beyond to contribute to the well-being and the vitality of the University and the Brandeis community. Nominations of staff members for both the Ennis and Zirkel awards should include significant contributions made during the 2024 calendar year. Nominees must be full-time employees and in good standing.

For more information and to access the nomination forms, please go to the employee recognition page.