Interim President Arthur Levine has announced an additional President's Discretionary Day for 2025, falling on Thursday, July 3.

This extra day off applies to all benefits-eligible staff who accrue sick, vacation, and personal time. As with all President's Discretionary Days, the time will be prorated for part-time employees.

Please note that the specific dates for President's Discretionary Days can change year to year and may be updated throughout the year at the University President's discretion.

As a commitment to the Brandeis University Community to continue to improve the reliability the Brandeis University’s Fire Alarm Systems, we have scheduled our 2025 annual Fire Alarm Testing.

Testing is taking place now through August 15. Since we test every building on campus, please visit the Campus Planning and Operations website for reference to your building's schedule. Signage will be placed at the entry doors to the buildings during the test to notify those entering the buildings.

If you have any questions about the testing, or if that day will severely impede your mission, please contact the Department of Facilities Services at 781-736-8500.

"Turn it Off" is Brandeis’ annual program to reduce campus electricity usage on the region’s hottest days of the summer. Reducing electricity use during peak times results in significant financial savings for the University because our electricity rates are partially based on campus-wide energy consumption during peak days. The "Turn it Off" program also demonstrates that individual conservation actions can add up to meaningful results.

During "Turn It Off" days, we don't completely shut off the air conditioning. Instead, we adjust the AC in 16 specific buildings to use less energy. The AC in all other buildings will remain as is.

The buildings where AC will be turned down include:

• Abraham Shapiro Academic Complex
• Administrative Complex (Bernstein-Marcus, Gryzmish, and Irving)
• Farber Library
• Feldberg (excludes data center)
• Gerstenzang
• Goldfarb Library
• Golding
• Heller-Brown
• International Business School (Sachar and Lemberg)
• Kutz
• Mandel
• Olin Sang
• Schneider
• Schiffman
• Shapiro Admissions
• Usdan

How You Can Help - Even if your building isn't on the list above, we ask everyone in every building to help save energy. On "Turn It Off" days, please:

• Close exterior windows.
• Lower window shades.
• Turn off lights when you can.
• Turn off or unplug computers and other electronics you're not using.
• Take any other steps to conserve energy.

Notifications - We'll put "Turn It Off" flyers on your building's entrance doors when a "Turn It Off" day is declared. If Brandeis gets early notice, we'll do our best to let everyone know in advance.

Brandeis Hospitality is proud to partner with Too Good To Go:

• To Good To Go is the world’s largest marketplace for surplus food, to help reduce food waste on campus. Through the Too Good To Go app, we’re making sure our surplus food is enjoyed by the Brandeis community, at a great value! We’re kicking off this initiative at Einstein Bros. Bagels June 11th, with plans to expand to additional retail locations across campus this fall. Download the Too Good To Go app and check for availability to start saving Surprise Bags of delicious food while supporting sustainability at Brandeis!

To view menus and hours of operation, please visit the Brandeis Hospitality website.

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!

The summer issue of Brandeis Magazine is now online. The expanded digital issue includes exclusive videos, photos, book excerpts and soundscapes from Notre-Dame.

This summer, children aged 6–12 will embark on a transformative journey into the world of STEM at the Tech Trek Summer Camp, where curiosity meets the core principles of science. Led by Gerry Gagnon, Chair of STEM at Newton South, and teachers like Ian Roy, Executive Director of Design and Innovation at Brandeis. Designed to build a strong foundation in scientific fundamentals, campers explore hands-on projects like coding, robotics, and 3D printing—all while learning the building blocks of how physics, engineering, and technology drive real-world innovation. By mastering skills such as hypothesis testing, problem-solving, and data analysis, young scientists grow into confident thinkers ready to tackle tomorrow’s challenges. Activities like constructing water rockets or programming drones reinforce scientific literacy, ensuring campers not only create but understand the "why" behind their inventions.

 Secure Your Child’s Spot Today!

Running July 14–25, Tech Trek offers one-week or two−week sessions. Siblings receive a 10% discount and Brandeis Employees receive a 5% discount, and tuition includes all materials, snacks, and a camp T-shirt. Aftercare options extend the day with longitudinal builds. Spaces are limited—enroll now to unlock a summer of discovery, growth, and scientific mastery.

Unleash your child’s potential: Explore Tech Trek Summer Camp. For questions or concerns, reach out to office@lembergcc.org

Please note that this program is not administered by or under the control of Brandeis University.

The Library is offering a great slate of workshops this summer! Topics include data analysis, finding funding with library databases, and digital scholarship. Sign up to learn more!

• 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
• Find Funding Opportunities using Library Databases, 11 a.m. - noon, Tuesday, July 15,
• Digital Scholarship Lab Open Hours and Training, Weekly on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday

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.

June is Eye Health Awareness Month. Eye health encompasses vision, ocular health, and functional ability. Eye health can contribute to overall health and well-being, social inclusion, and quality of life. For most people, the first step towards eye health is to get regular eye exams.

Get ready to move! edHEALTH, in partnership with Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, the 8th Annual Walking Challenge has begun! Monday, June 2nd and runs through Saturday, July 5th. 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.

• The challenge has started! The kicked off was on Monday, June 2 and concludes Saturday, July 5th. ** New in 2025: Participants can still join through 6/12**
• Although the challenge has started, employees can still join.

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

Learn how we can use our generational differences to strengthen the workplace together. Register here. June 24 at 11 a.m. This session will explore how to turn generational differences into a strategic advantage for you and your organization. How should you relate to employees of different age groups? How do you motivate someone much older or much younger than you? How do you empower your team to move beyond the labels?

Join us this fall for a series of three engaging, 45-minute workshops designed to support your professional growth and everyday success. Each session includes a short LinkedIn Learning video to watch in advance, giving you tools and insights to explore further during our live workshop discussions. Choose one or attend all three! REGISTER

• Coping with Change – Building Personal Resilience – October 7
• Managing Up – Strengthening Relationships with Supervisors – November 5
• Time Management for the Overcommitted Professional – December 4

An upcoming free event on Wednesday, July 9 for employees to participate.

• Women Talk Money: Decoding annuities – Subscribe for free, live events with live Q&A
• Article - What to Know about Investing through Volatility
• 403(b) Beneficiary Update - Reminder

Please review your beneficiary information and update if necessary. If you have not yet designated a beneficiary for your workplace savings plan, as a result, in the event of your death, benefits would be paid according to the plan rules, which might be different from the designation you would choose.

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!

KGA - Brandeis’s Employee Assistance Provider offers online learning opportunities on a variety of topics. The online workshops offered via Zoom and on-demand webinars are free with our membership. This month we are spotlighting interesting and timely topics for both the live-Zoom workshops and the on-demand webinars:

• Live Workshops, Empowerment Through Disability Inclusion webinar July 17 at noon via Zoom, During this session, Esi Hardy, owner of Celebrating Disability will discuss strategies for empowering disabled employees and those who support them in the workplace. REGISTER
• Digital Wellness: What It Means, Why It Matters, and How to Begin Wellness webinar July 29 at noon via Zoom. Enhance your relationship with technology with our "Digital Wellness: What It Means, Why It Matters, and How to Begin" workshop. This session will help you develop healthy digital habits and manage the impact of technology on your overall health. REGISTER

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? We are spotlighting these timely and relevant courses available to faculty and staff.

• Change Management Success: The People, Processes, and Communication - Diving into change work (32 Minutes), In this course, join instructor Jamie Champagne and take a deep dive into change work, its benefits, key challenges, and how to avoid making business-critical mistakes that can derail your teams, stakeholders, and projects.
• Preparing Yourself for Change - The world will change, and so can you (42 Minutes), In this course, organizational psychologist Erin Shrimpton provides you with tools to help you not only survive changes in your work life, but thrive in uncertain times.
• Building Better Digital Habits for Focus and Well-being -Your digital habits matter (29 minutes), Instructor Chris Flack guides you through the impact your digital habits have on your work performance and well-being—including the effects of being reactive to technology, task switching, information overload, and always-on culture.

Back by popular demand we are offering a Fall Book Group, a two-session discussion series focused on one of the most enduring and practical books on navigating change: Managing Transitions by William Bridges. This is a great opportunity to connect with fellow managers, share insights, and reflect on how to lead effectively through change at Brandeis. All participants will receive a complimentary copy of Managing Transitions. Space is limited. Please register by August 1.