The Payroll Office has issued the annual memo regarding important calendar year-end paycheck and tax information for 2025.

The memo is available on the Payroll website, under Payroll Year-end Memo 2025. If you have any questions, please contact the payroll department.

Brandeis University Police have earned certification status from the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission (MPAC), marking a major step forward in professional standards, transparency, and service to the campus community. Only a small number of university police departments in Massachusetts hold this distinction, placing Brandeis among the leaders in campus safety statewide.

This achievement represents a three-year effort to examine and strengthen policies, training, and internal controls. The process required meeting 179 state standards that promote effective, ethical, and accountable policing. It involved peer review, campus collaboration, and continued focus on building trust within the Brandeis community. For additional information, visit the Brandeis stories page.

In advance of the spring bill coming in late November, which will be due on December 15th, 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.

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 last day mid-year graduates are eligible to work on campus as student employees is Dec. 22, 2025. Please make sure all time is entered into Workday on or before that date as time entry will be inaccessible effective 12/23. Eligibility for student employment requires enrollment in a course of study and 12/22/2025 is the program completion date for those who have applied to graduate mid-year.

Only one time fee of $45 and then free weekly (or more) check ins! Open to all Brandeis community members.

For additional information visit Athletics membership plans website. Email Kat Page to register or for more information.

Did you know that online graduate classes are free for Brandeis employees? Submit your application by December 16 to start classes in January! Or take up to 2 professional development courses before applying to a full master's certificate or degree program.

Classes are fully online, designed for working professionals, and are only 8 weeks long each. The most popular programs of study for employees are Project and Program Management, Digital Marketing and Design, and User-Centered Design.

To learn more, visit brandeis.edu/online or contact our admission team at online@brandeis.edu.

• GIS Help Drop-in Hours, 1 - 3 p.m., Tuesdays
• Live Looping: Performing with Ableton, 12:30 - 1:45 p.m., Thursday, November 20
• Photo Editing and Cataloging in Adobe Lightroom, 2:30 - 3:45 p.m., Friday, November 21
• DJing for Beginners, 3:15 - 4:45 p.m., Monday, November 24
• Digital Scholarship Lab Training and Open Hours, Various times each week
• MakerLab Open Hours, Various each week

• VoiceThread Workshop, 11 a.m. - noon, Friday, November 14
• Optimizing Your Moodle Course, 3 - 3:50 p.m., Tuesday, November 18

• Moodle Open Office Hours, weekly

Join Harvard faculty member Greg Kestin for an illuminating exploration of two possible trajectories for higher education's reckoning with artificial intelligence, and an opportunity to think about what you can do to make sure that Brandeis is putting its students on the right path to AI literacy. Enthusiasts and AI skeptics alike will find food for thought in this wide-ranging discussion about the future of education. Register now

ITS will be conducting network maintenance on campus on December 29 at 7 a.m. to upgrade our technology infrastructure. During that time, those on campus will experience a complete internet outage for at least thirty minutes while maintenance is conducted. Work is expected to take two hours, with additional intermittent network outages a possibility during the work. Services that rely on the network, such as Zoom Phone, wireless connectivity and the Brandeis VPN, will not be accessible during the internet outage. If you have any questions regarding the outage, please email networks@brandeis.edu.

Tired of opening a ticket or walking across campus for tech help? Our popular Technology Health Checks program is continuing its campus tour! We've already received great feedback from faculty and staff who attended our first few sessions! Hear What Your Colleagues Are Saying:

"I was extremely pleased with the efficient, effective, and friendly help I received... I recommend dropping by these sessions with questions large and small!" - Sarah L.

"The team was very helpful, and took care of my issue quickly… All of the effort made by the team is greatly appreciated." - Bruce S.

Upcoming Departmental Health Checks

We have on-site visits scheduled for the following schools and departments. If you work in one of these areas, just stop by during the times listed!

• Gryzmish (Room 112): Nov 13, 10 a.m.-noon, Office of the EVP Finance and Administration, Faculty & Student Affairs, General Council, Office of Marketing Communications
• Heller School (Location TBA): Nov 15, 10 a.m.-noon and 1-3 p.m., All Heller School Departments
• Rabb Grad (Old South St Conf. Rm): Dec. 3, 10 a.m.-noon, All Rabb School Departments
• Special Event: Shapiro Campus Center (Location TBA): Dec 11, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., We are hosting a special session open to all members of the Brandeis community! Stop by between classes or meetings, no appointment needed!

Introducing the “Phish Alert Button” for Gmail! This new button built into Gmail makes reporting suspected phishing attempts easy for everyone! With a single click, you can forward suspicious emails to our security team, removing it from your inbox and keeping you and our community safe on the internet. Learn more about this new feature at our Phish Alert Button webpage.

ITS released its third edition of “Brandeis Technology News” last week. Stay in the know by signing up through the Brandeis Technology News Google Group, or by visiting the new ITS News Webpage.

Don’t forget to follow @DeisTechNews on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X/Twitter and now on LinkedIn!

New Google Storage limits will be implemented on January 12, 2026. Don’t wait till the last minute to start working through and organizing your Google content! ITS is hosting virtual and in person help sessions. Drop into a Zoom session to ask all your questions and get some tips and tricks. Or bring your laptop to Feldberg and we can walk you through best practices to reduce your storage and manage your Gmail inbox. We’re looking forward to seeing you!

As part of our commitment to upgrading technology and security, Brandeis is introducing tap-access capability to Brandeis ID cards. This is a first step in modernizing our access to buildings on campus. New ID cards will be issued that allow you to both tap OR swipe your ID card at building entrances, providing a smoother and more flexible access experience. With the addition of encrypted smart-chip technology, these cards strengthen campus security. New cards will begin to be distributed in Spring 2026. This cross-departmental project is a collaboration between Public Safety, the Campus Card Office, and ITS, with more information available soon.

Please join Occupational Health Services at the well-being booster event on November 19 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Levin-Ross Rooms (Hassenfeld Conference Center). This well-being booster event will be offering:

• On-site vaccinations to all faculty, staff, and their families (ages 4+); register. * COVID vaccinations are now available, and walk-ins are welcome. Please be sure to bring your pharmacy card.
• Education and resources about Understanding Blood Sugar and Diabetes
• Chair Massages

If you’re enrolled in a Health Care FSA or Limited Purpose FSA, be sure to use your funds by December 31, 2025.

• You can carry over up to $660 into 2026 — but only if you’re enrolled in an FSA for 2026.
• For those enrolled in FSA for 2026 - Any funds over $660 will be forfeited, so plan your spending carefully!

The Dependent Care FSA continues to use the Grace period which allows you to use remaining 2025 funds for eligible expenses incurred through March 15, 2026.

You can enroll in or make changes to your FSA only during only during open enrollment or a qualifying event.

To help you plan for your future, Retirement Planners from Fidelity Investments are on campus regularly to provide one-on-one guidance appointments. Consultations may be conducted in person virtually or over the phone. To schedule your one-on-one confidential consultation, please visit Fidelity's website or call 800-642-7131.

Time off is an important benefit, and we encourage all staff to use their available time to rest and reenergize. Vacation time is meant to be restorative, is important for our well-being and can help improve productivity and creativity. It also can help reduce stress, help prevent burnout and promote work-life balance.

Brandeis offers a comprehensive benefits package, including a generous time-off program for staff. It is important for managers and staff to review vacation time balances. Managers should actively balance the needs of staff time off, with the operational needs of their department, and help staff find time to use available vacation days before the end of 2025.

While the University does provide a service-based vacation carry over policy, there are limits on the number of days that can be carried over from one calendar year to the next. Staff with high vacation balances may lose time, not including carry over amounts, if they do not use their available vacation days before December 31.

As a reminder, managers can review individual employee's time off balances in Workday under ‘Time Off’ and also review an absence calendar under ‘Team Absence’ that shows each employee's planned vacations and other absences (approved and unapproved). View the Benefits Eligible Staff Workday Time Off Categories.

Brandeis University is committed to supporting our staff with comprehensive benefits, programs, and services. We recognize that there may be times when a staff member experiences a significant and unexpected personal emergency that creates a financial burden or crisis. To assist in these cases, the university offers an emergency loan program to benefits-eligible staff with at least 6 months of continuous service. The program is designed to provide an interest-free loan to the staff member to help cover the costs of the emergencies when they take place. Please visit the Staff Emergency Loan Program page to learn more.

Harvard Pilgrim offers a variety of wellness resources to support your health throughout the year for Brandeis members, including:

• Wellness Reimbursement - You can be reimbursed for qualifying fitness, select nutrition and mindfulness program fees up to $150 per individual plan and up to $300 per family plan.
• Health Coaching - Harvard Pilgrim members ages 18 and up at no additional cost. Through one-on-one coaching sessions over the phone and email check-ins.
• Healthy Mind Support – Offers mindfulness tools and emotional well-being resources, you also have access to behavioral health care through Doctor On Demand.
• Dedicated Nurse Care Managers - for help managing health conditions if you’re coping with a complex or chronic condition.
• Additional Discounts on Dental, Family and Senior Care, Healthy Eating and more.

For more information visit Employee Benefits/Harvard Pilgrim Health Wellness Discounts and Perks website.

BUSAC and Faculty Senate are sponsoring a food and toiletries drive for the Brandeis Pantry from November 6 - 17. The Brandeis Pantry supplies food and basic needs items to students who face food insecurity. The number of students utilizing the Brandeis Pantry have increased dramatically this fall and supplies are running low.

Donation bins will be placed in various places on campus including the Dean of Students Office (SCC), Student Financial Services (Usdan), Heller-Brown, Brandeis Library, Gerstenzang Science Library, Gryzmish Administrative Building and Gosman.

Please, no donations of expired foods, dented cans or fresh food (bread, meat, dairy, vegetables).

Item donations to the Brandeis Pantry may be made through the Brandeis Pantry Amazon wish list and monetary donations through the Brandeis Giving site (type in "Brandeis Food Pantry" in the Designation field).

The Brandeis Winter Coat Drive invites all students, staff, and faculty to come together in support of community members in need. As temperatures drop, many of our students and families face the challenge of staying warm. This initiative aims to collect new or gently used winter gear to ensure all students have access to proper cold-weather clothing.

• Donation Items Needed: Winter coats (all sizes, large size highly desired), hats, scarves, and gloves, sweaters and hoodies, warm socks
• Donation Guidelines: Items must be new or in good and clean condition, please ensure all zippers, buttons, and fastenings are functional, avoid donating items with stains, tears, or excessive wear.
• Drop-Off Locations: Graduate Student Center, Gzang Science Library 127, Bernstein-Marcus building entrance, Heller Building Entrance, Dean of Student Office, SCC 224, School of Business and Economic, World Court, Shapiro Campus Center Lobby, Usdan Student Center, Library entrance (collection bin by the main doors)
• Who Benefits: All donations will be sorted and ready for students to pick up from December 1 - 10 at the Brandeis Food Pantry and the School of Social Management and Social Policy Coat Rack.
• How to Get Involved: Donate winter gear at any of the designated drop-off points, Spread the word across campus and social media using the hashtag #BrandeisWinterCoatDrive, Sign up to volunteer to help sort and organize donations

For questions or to volunteer, contact the Office of Graduate Affairs, Jing Zhang. Together, the Brandeis community can make this winter warmer for everyone.

International Education Week, known as I Am Global Week at Brandeis will be November 15 - 22. I Am Global Week at Brandeis strives to highlight and celebrate global efforts and achievements across campus, promote integration between domestic and international students and scholars, and showcase our global community. NAFSA: Association of International Educators, The Forum on Education Abroad, and the Association of International Education Administrators (AIEA) have pledged to uphold the annual tradition of celebrating International Education Week (IEW) in November.

Each year, Brandeis hosts a series of events on campus from student cultural performances, theater of arts productions to academic lectures, movie screenings, trivia nights, and the annual Global Bazaar!

Find a full list of events on the I Am Global Week website. We hope you will come and join us at any of the events throughout the week to celebrate.

The TAP mid-year review for staff is launching soon for employees hired on or before September 1. The capability to enter mid-year reviews into Workday will launch on Monday, November 10 and all mid-year reviews must be completed on or before Friday, December 12. Training sessions for managers and staff will begin the week of November 10 and resources are posted on the HR TAP website. Contact HR for any questions.