Our campus is moving to Zoom Phone this summer! ITS would like to thank everyone who has registered for a Zoom move date so far and remind you to continue to sign up for our July dates if you haven’t chosen one yet. Moving to Zoom Phone means you get some of the great features already included in the Zoom Workplace app.

• You will be able to answer your phone from anywhere!
• For voicemails, you will receive an email with both a transcript of the message and a recording to play.
• Brandeis faculty and staff can also opt in to have Zoom Phone on their mobile devices, meaning you can take your Brandeis extension with you wherever you go and never miss an important call while keeping your personal number separate from your work.
• Easily switch from a Zoom Phone call to a Zoom Meeting with the push of a button.

You can find out more about our move to Zoom Phone by visiting the Zoom Phone website.

As the fiscal year is coming to a close, the Division of Business and Finance would like to remind budget managers and others with financial transaction responsibilities to review your departments’ financial reports. Please refer to the year-end-memo for a list of deadlines and milestones. The last day to submit any accounting entries for fiscal year 2025 is Wednesday, July 16, 2025.

For questions, please contact a member of our team.

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:

• On Sat, May 31: Farber Library, Pearlman, Cable Hall, Gordon, Kutz, and Slosberg

• On 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.

As Brandeis University prepares for major infrastructure changes—including the permanent closure of the South Residence (X) Lot in June 2025 and temporary impacts to the Theater (T) Lot—a short-term Parking Advisory Committee has been established to review and recommend updates to campus parking policies.

To ensure these changes reflect the needs of our community, the committee has launched an online survey to gather feedback from faculty, staff, students, and visitors.

The committee’s work focuses on:

• Increasing parking flexibility and access
• Promoting equity and inclusion in space allocation
• Improving accessibility for individuals with mobility needs
• Reassigning underutilized lots for better use

We want to hear from you. Please take a few minutes to complete the survey and help shape the future of parking at Brandeis. Deadline to respond to the survey is June 10.

Take the survey: Parking Survey

In advance of the fall bill coming in early July, 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.

Federal and/or institutional financial aid may be available to undergraduate students attending Summer School. For more information on eligibility and applications requirements, please visit the Summer Session Financial Aid webpage.

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, 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.

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!

There will be multiple construction projects taking place across campus throughout the summer in or near the following buildings: Athletics Complex; Epstein; Golding Health Center; Heller; North Quad; Olin-Sang; Ridgewood; Science Center; and Usdan. For information and contacts on these projects, go to: Capital Projects Summer 2025

Summer library workshops–open to all members of the campus community!

• Getting Started with Qualtrics, 12:10 - 1 p.m., Monday, June 2 - In-person
• 4-part Stata Series, 1:10 - 2 p.m. Monday June 9 through Thursday, June 12 Online via Zoom
• 4-part Introduction to Python series, 10 - 11:30 a.m., Monday June 23 through Thursday, June 26 Online via Zoom
• R Series: 11 - 11:50 a.m. Tuesday, July 8 through Thursday, July 10 and Tuesday, July 15 through Wednesday, July 16 Online via Zoom
• Getting Started with Qualtrics, 10:10 - 11 a.m., Tuesday, July 8 Online via Zoom

Moodle sessions for faculty

• Moodle Open Office Hours, 10 - 10:50 a.m., Friday, May 30 Online via Zoom
• Moodle Quizzes, 2 - 2:50 p.m., Tuesday, June 3 Online via Zoom

Brandeis is rich with religious diversity. Holidays celebrated by the Brandeis community during the month of June include:

Shavuot ( Sundown June 1 - 3) Jews celebrate Shavuot 50 days after Passover, marking the end of the grain harvest and the anniversary of the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. Shavuot is also one of the Shalosh Regalim, the three pilgrimage festivals which include Shavuot, Sukkot, and Passover. Jews celebrate Shavuot by staying up late into the night learning Torah and eating (sweet) dairy foods.

Arafah (Sundown June 5 - 6) Muslims celebrate the Day of Arafah on the 9th day of the Islamic month of Dhul Hijjah. It is the day on which Hajj pilgrims stand at Mount Arafah in Mecca, worshiping throughout the day. It is one of three central integrals of the Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca required of all Muslims with the ability to do so once in a lifetime. Those who are not on the Hajj pilgrimage are strongly recommended to fast on the Day of Arafah, as the Prophet Muhammad said that doing so forgives sins for two years, one prior and one forthcoming.

Eid al-Adah (Sundown June 6 - 9 or 10*) Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha as the Feast of Sacrifice. It marks the end of the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, and honors the willingness of Abraham to sacrifice his son to God, who then commanded the sacrifice of a ram instead. It is generally celebrated 3 or 4 days, and dates may vary.

Pentecost (June 8) Christians celebrate Pentecost 50 days after Easter, commemorating the outpouring of God's Holy Spirit on the community after Jesus ascended into heaven. The story from the Acts of the Apostles describes this gift of the Spirit as a moment that unites all peoples. While the early followers of Jesus were from different places around the Mediterranean, spoke different languages and had different cultures, the Spirit made them one people. It is, in a sense, the "birthday" of the church.

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.

Summer Holidays Hours of Operation:

June 19

• Farm Table at Sherman:
  • Brunch: 9:30 a.m. – 2 p.m.
  • Dinner: 5  – 7 p.m.
• Kosher Table at Sherman:
  • Brunch: 9:30 a.m. – 2 p.m.
  • Dinner: 5 – 7 p.m.
• Einstein Bros. Bagels-Closed

• Farm Table at Sherman:
  • Brunch: 9:30 a.m. – 2 p.m.
  • Dinner: 5 – 7 p.m.
• Kosher Table at Sherman:
  • Brunch: 9:30 a.m. – 2 p.m.
  • Dinner: 5 – 7 p.m.
• Einstein Bros. Bagels-Closed

For the most up-to-date hours of operation and menus, please visit the Brandeis Hospitality  website.

The Jean Bain Basketball Camp is located at the Brandeis University Gosman Sports Center. Spots are filling up fast in our Youth Camp (Grades 4-8)!

This year we will have 2 weeks of camp!

• June 23-26
• July 28-31

We are offering a $50 discount to the Brandeis community if you sign up and use the code "camp" when checking out.

Visit jeanbainbasketballcamps.com for more information and to sign up!

Our youth division offers young boys and girls the opportunity to learn about the game, meet our team at Brandeis, and have fun in competitive drills and games. Our goal is to provide our campers with an enjoyable and positive experience.

Your kids will enjoy a full day of sports, game, swimming and more 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.

• Dates: August 4-August 7
• Time: 8:30 a.m. - 3 p.m.
• Location: Auerbach Arena in the Gosman Athletic & Convocation Center
• Ages Welcome: Grades K-8th

TO REGISTER: https://julieprichetthoops.totalcamps.com/shop/EVENT

Get ready to move! edHEALTH, in partnership with Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, the 8th Annual Walking Challenge will begin on Monday, June 2 through Saturday, July 5. To get started download the IncentFit app and visit the Employee Benefits/EdHEALTH website for additional steps, information and things to remember.

Things to remember about the 2025 edHEALTH Walking Challenge.

TIMING:

• The challenge will first appear in the IncentFit app as available to opt in on May 27!
• The challenge kicks off on Monday, June 2 and concludes Saturday, July 5.  New in 2025: Participants can only join from 5/27 through 6/12

PRIZES:

• Weekly raffle drawing for each school for $50 amazon e-gift-card for participants who average 5,000 steps per day or 35,000 steps per week
• $100 amazon e-gift-card to 1 top daily stepper at each school
• Team celebration with award ceremony to school with the highest average of steps

• Healthy You-Living Well Program Flyer - Meet goals, get rewards. You do not have to be a member of the HPHC Plan to participate.
• Healthy You-Living Well Program (login req.) Once your login, take the wellbeing assessment, earn rewards and create daily habits to get started.
• Living Well Community – Virtual Wellness Classes & Webinars
• June 2025 Living Well Community Classes & Online Classes and Resources - Yoga, Strength Training, Mindfulness, Gardening, Recipes, Sustainability and more. Visit Employee Support and Wellbeing for more information from Harvard Pilgrim Health Care on Wellness Discounts and Perks.

As part of Brandeis University’s ongoing commitment to campus safety and emergency preparedness, Public Safety—in collaboration with the Student Union through funding from the Community Emergency and Enhancement Fund (CEEF)—has completed a campus-wide upgrade of Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) and expanded the placement of Stop the Bleed (STB) kits in key locations.

Recent AED and STB Updates:

• New AED Locations:
  • G-Zang
  • Spingold Theater
  • Admissions (Newly added)
• Relocated AED:
  • 60 Turner Street – now located next to the elevator on the 1st floor
• Decommissioned AED Locations:
  • Kutz Hall
  • Linsey Pool – South Street Entrance

In addition to AEDs, Stop the Bleed kits have now been installed across campus alongside many AED units to support rapid response to traumatic injuries.

To view a full list of AED and STB kit locations and learn how to use them in an emergency, visit the Brandeis AED and Stop the Bleed Program webpage.

We thank the Student Union for its continued partnership and support in enhancing emergency preparedness on campus. We encourage all community members to familiarize themselves with the nearest AED and STB kit locations.

For questions or training opportunities, please contact Emergency Management at emergency@brandeis.edu.

Join us for Benefits Virtual Office Hours every Monday from 2 to 3 p.m. via Zoom!

Log in at any time during the hour to connect with a member of the Benefits team and ask general questions about your coverage, retirement plans, or other offerings.

We’re here to help you make the most of your benefits!

A merit increase pool was approved by the Board of Trustees for eligible staff. During this challenging financial environment, it is important that we acknowledge our most important asset, our people. A reduced increase program balances both considerations. This is not an Across-the Board Increase. It is expected that managers will differentiate increases based on performance. New rates of pay will be reflected in the 7/11 weekly pay and the 7/15 semi-monthly pay.

Eligibility All regular staff (excludes temporary staff, faculty, union staff*) hired on or before January 1 and are actively employed on July 1, 2025. Excludes employees currently on Performance Improvement Plans. Employees whose pay is funded from non-University sources will receive increases as funding permits based on the above guidelines.**

*Union Staff receive increases per the terms of their Collective Bargaining Agreements.

** Employees whose pay is funded 100% by grants and/or gifts who are not in the new Union will have their increases processed after Workday reopens retroactive to July 1, 2025.

Faculty will follow the process outlined by the Deans in their respective Schools. The appropriate contacts are listed below:

• Arts & Sciences: Jeffrey Shoulson, jshoulson@brandeis.edu
• Brandeis International Business School: Katy Graddy, kgraddy@brandeis.edu
• Heller: Maria Madison, mtm@brandeis.edu

If you have any questions, please contact Human Resources at humanresources@brandeis.edu.

Please see the President's website for continued updates regarding the ongoing university restructuring efforts and our work to reinvent the liberal arts.

Recently, we posted updates on the volunteer groups, the timeline for selecting new academic leaders, and a preview of what will be happening over the summer and next fall.

Brandeis is committed to maintaining and improving public safety on our campus. As part of that commitment, Public Safety will be introducing a new mobile-based safety app, BrandeisSafe, during the Fall 2025 semester. BrandeisSafe offers a seamless, real-time way to access safety services that align with national best practices in campus safety. The physical “blue light” emergency phones located across campus are being phased out over the summer as part of our upgrade to BrandeisSafe. Members of the Brandeis community remaining on campus for the summer term should continue to contact Public Safety’s emergency line (781-736-3333) or call 911 in the event of an emergency.

Public Safety will provide regular updates on this transition through our weekly in-brief and on our website, where you can learn more about the BrandeisSafe app and other safety initiatives.

If you have any questions, please reach out to Public Safety (non-emergency line 781-736-5000).