The Parking Advisory Committee would like to thank everyone for their engagement and thoughtful input. The committee’s efforts were guided by the voices of faculty, staff, students, and community members who shared feedback, raised concerns, and offered practical suggestions for improvement.

The new parking model reflects many of those contributions. It prioritizes flexibility, fairness, and simplicity, while also supporting the operational needs of a dynamic and growing university. We know that change in any area, especially parking, comes with some uncertainty about what this means to individual commuters. This is a meaningful step forward, and we’re confident the new structure will better serve the broader Brandeis community.

Implementation will begin immediately and continue through the Fall. We will update signage, assign departmental vehicle spaces, and formalize a function-based use of reserved spaces. Importantly, this plan moves away from individually assigned parking for employees and instead focuses on shared access by role, function, and need. For employees with long-tenure (25+ years), we are partnering with Human Resources to institute new and meaningful ways to celebrate and recognize their contributions. More to follow on that initiative soon.

We are grateful to everyone who helped shape this process and appreciate your continued partnership as we implement these changes. A summary of approved recommendations can be found on the public safety parking website. The changes made will be reviewed again next summer, and periodically thereafter.

If you have questions or would like to offer additional feedback, please contact the Parking Office at parking@brandeis.edu.

Brandeis Public Safety will conduct a scheduled test of its Brandeis Emergency Notification System (BENS) on Tuesday, September 2, at approximately 3 p.m. This routine test ensures our emergency communication systems are functioning properly and ready to keep the campus informed in the event of a real emergency.

During the test, the following systems will be activated:

• Text and voice messages to all individuals who have registered their cell phone number with the university
• Brandeis Safe app notifications
• Campus phone alerts
• Alertus Desktop Takeover, which will display a test message on university-owned computers connected to the network (click the “acknowledgment” button to clear the message)

We encourage all members of the Brandeis community to use this opportunity to review and discuss emergency procedures with colleagues or classmates, including:

• Avoid – Deny – Defend: How to respond in the event of an active threat
• Securing your space: Understanding how to lock or barricade doors
• Identifying safe areas: Knowing where to shelter, where to go during an evacuation, and who may need help
• Severe weather protocols: Staying away from windows and doors, sheltering in place, and following instructions from BENS alerts

For more information and emergency preparedness resources, please visit the Brandeis Public Safety website. Staying informed and ready plays a key role in keeping our campus safe.

Summer Shuttle Service ends effective August 8 at 6 p.m.

Fall Shuttle Services:

Starting August 21 - August 26 a Combo shuttle that covers the Campus and Waltham routes will be available from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Full Shuttle Service will begin starting August 27. Monthly shuttle schedules and details regarding stops and routes, please check the Transportation Web Site.

Brandeis community members students, faculty and staff are permitted to use the shuttle by presenting their Brandeis ID.

Mark your calendar — Parking Permit Registration opens August 4. Don’t get stuck without a spot — all vehicles parked on campus must have a valid 2025–2026 permit.

• Faculty & Staff: Bringing your vehicle to campus this year? You must renew your permit online.
• Students: Senior Residents, Graduate and Undergraduate Commuters — if you plan to park on campus, you need a valid permit too.

Once you’ve applied, swing by the Parking Office (or a pick-up location to be announced) to grab your physical permit. Reminder: Your permit must be properly affixed to your vehicle to be valid.

The Fall 2025 bill is now available to students and families via the Nelnet Student Account Portal and will be due on August 8, 2025. The link to the e-bill was sent by e-mail to students and their Authorized Parties. The e-mail came from our billing partner, Nelnet, from the email address noreply@campuscommerce.com with subject: BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY BILL AVAILABLE. If you do not receive the email, please check your spam filters.

Students can access their billing details by clicking the Nelnet Student Account Portal link found within the Student Account worklet in Workday. Students who have never accessed the Nelnet Student Account Portal before will need to set up their student profile (refer to the Nelnet - Account Access job aid for detailed instructions) before they can view the bill.

In order for parents, guardians, sponsors, or another party to receive the student's tuition bill, view the student account, and make payments, the student must add them as Authorized Parties in Nelnet. Once they are set up as an Authorized Party, parents/guardians can access Nelnet directly with their own usernames and passwords; they cannot use the student's log-in credentials to access the portal.

Review your e-bill and the Transaction Details in Nelnet. The Fall 2025 e-bill (PDF) is only a snapshot in time; any subsequent charges, financial aid and/or payments will only be reflected in the Transaction Details in Nelnet. If you have questions about the balance, or payment options, contact Brandeis Student Financial Services at sfs@brandeis.edu or 781-736-3700.

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 Brandeis University Staff Advisory Committee (BUSAC) is searching for a Note Taker.

This is a staff person who is not a BUSAC representative, but rather attends every meeting to capture the content discussed.

BUSAC selects the individual for the role. The note taker is responsible for attending BUSAC meetings to record meeting notes to send to the Chair, Vice Chair and BUSAC Communications Subcommittee to review, revise, and post and share with BUSAC Districts following each meeting.

Meetings are typically scheduled for the 2nd Thursday of each month from 1:30-3 p.m. on Zoom. There are occasional date shifts and special meetings.

The note taker is paid a $250 stipend in the fall and in the spring semester.

Any staff member who would like to be considered for the role can contact their BUSAC District Representative or email the BUSAC Chair, Brittani Harris Niquette.

The next BUSAC meeting is Thursday, August 14 at 1:30 p.m. via Zoom. Please respond with interest by Mon, August 11.

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

Feast of the Assumption (August 15) is a Catholic holy day of obligation, celebrated on August 15th, which commemorates the belief that the Virgin Mary was taken body and soul into Heaven upon her death. It is a day of joy and celebration, marked by special Masses and processions.

Janmashtami (August 16) is the celebration by Hindus of the birth of Lord Krishna, identified as the Personality of Godhead in the Bhagavad Gita. It is celebrated on the eighth day of the dark fortnight in August-September. On the day of the Janmashtami festival, people fast and spend the day focused on Krishna - meditating, chanting mantras and singing songs devoted to Lord Krishna.

Ganesh Chaturthi (August 27) the birthday of Lord Ganesh, is one of the most popular Hindu festivals. He is known for removing obstacles from one's path, making the impossible possible, and ultimately filling one’s life with success and happiness.

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.

Upcoming Library Workshops

• GIS Tools for Teaching, 11 - 11:50 a.m., Thursday, Aug. 14

• Building a new course from scratch in Moodle, 11 a.m. - noon, Monday, Aug. 11
• Optimizing Your Moodle Course, 2 - 2:50 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 12
• Building a new course from scratch in Moodle. 1 - 2 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 13
• Moodle Refresher, noon - 1 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 14
• Building a new course from scratch in Moodle, 9 - 10 a.m., Friday, Aug. 15
• Moodle Gradebook Workshop, 11 - 11:50 a.m., Friday, Aug. 15
• Moodle Refresher, 10 - 11 a.m., Monday, Aug. 18
• Getting Started with Moodle: An Introduction, 2 - 2:50 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 19
• Moodle Refresher, noon - 1 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 20
• Building a new course from scratch in Moodle, noon - 1 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 21
• Building a new course from scratch in Moodle, 9 - 10 a.m., Friday, Aug. 22

• Open MakerLab Hours, Various
• Intro to 3D Printing with Prusa Mini, 1 - 2:30 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 13

Effective September 30, 2025, Brandeis will implement new storage limits for individual Google accounts, including Gmail, Drive, and Photos. Please review the policy sent by Carol Fierke and Stew Uretsky. Dedicated Q&A sessions about managing your storage will be held via Zoom through September. The next available sessions will be:

• Monday, August 4, 1 - 2 p.m.
• Wednesday, August 6, 11 a.m - noon
• Tuesday, August 19, 10 - 11 a.m.
• Thursday, August 21, 3 - 4 p.m.

Please note: these sessions are intended to help the Brandeis community learn about how to manage storage and organize your files. Additional sessions are listed on the ITS website. If you have questions regarding the storage policy, please email storagepolicy@brandeis.edu. You can learn more about our Cloud Storage solutions on the Cloud Storage webpage.

With the implementation of Zoom Phone, physical fax machines at Brandeis are no longer available for use. Brandeis has an e-fax solution called XM Fax that works in conjunction with the Ricoh multi-function printers located throughout campus. If you are using a department fax machine in your office, we recommend opening a ticket with ITS to request access to XM Fax if you still need access to a fax machine. If you have any questions, please contact the Help Desk (help@brandeis.edu).

To assist users with Zoom Phone questions, ITS is offering additional Zoom Phone support hours on Thursday, August 7 at 11 a.m. and Wednesday 13 at 1 p.m. Additional sessions will be scheduled throughout August and September.

Brandeis Public Safety and ITS will be performing a scheduled upgrade to the campus-wide card access system (CCURE) on Monday, August 11 -Wednesday, August 13.

This work is part of a required system-wide certificate renewal that will ensure the security and reliability of our building access controls. The upgrade process will begin in the morning and is expected to continue through the early afternoon.

While we do not expect any prolonged disruptions, some buildings may temporarily experience brief delays with card reader access as panels are brought offline and restored.

Public Safety will be on-site with technicians to monitor progress and address any issues immediately. All efforts are being made to minimize impact.

If you have any concerns or experience access issues on August 11 - 13, please contact Public Safety at 781-736-5000.

Change is a constant in today’s workplace — from shifting priorities and new leadership to technology upgrades and team restructuring. Whether the change is big or small, planned or unexpected, it can stir up stress, uncertainty, or even resistance. But with the right tools, you can move through transitions with resilience and confidence.

Join us for an interactive workshop designed specifically for Brandeis staff at all stages of their careers. You will have the opportunity to reflect on how you respond to change, learn practical strategies for coping, and engage in real-world scenarios with your peers. Leave with tools you can apply immediately to your work life. Register

We are excited to share that Brandeis is transitioning our university procurement card (P-Card) program to PNC Bank. This change will occur over this summer. The goal is to enhance our procurement processes and provide improved services to all cardholders.

Key Details:

• New P-Cards Issuance: All current P-Card holders will receive a new Visa P-Card.
• Identification: Please bring your Campus ID and your existing P-Card when picking up the new Card.
• Activation: Instructions for activating your new P-Card will be provided during distribution.
• Deactivation of Old P-Cards: Current P-Cards will remain active until your new card is picked up.
• Reconciliation Process: There will be no changes to how P-Card charges are reconciled. All charges will continue to post to Coupa, where cardholders reconcile transactions.

Please review the Helpful information for the PNC Transition Guide.

Additionally Procurement and Business Services will be available on campus every Wednesday from July 23 through August 20 from 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. in the huts in Fellows Garden.

Please drop by to say hello, ask us questions, or pick up your new P-Card. We would love to see you this summer!

If you have any questions or concerns regarding this transition, please contact the Procurement team at procurement@brandeis.edu.