As a reminder Google Storage Limits will be implemented on January 12, 2026. On October 31, 2025, Google Storage Limits were increased for all members of our community. We are still some members of the community approaching these new limits. Please visit our Google Storage website page to schedule an in person session with ITS staff or find a Zoom drop in session. These sessions are for all members of the Brandeis community. The increased storage limits are listed below.

• Faculty/Emerti: 100 GB
• Staff: 50 GB
• Academic Affiliates: 25 GB
• All Students: 25 GB
• Contingent Work: 5 GB

Spark your success with a Santander Open Scholarship

• Up to $20K per student for college tuition
• Open to current undergrads

To apply, visit the Santander website.

Students and families received the spring 2026 bill electronically via Nelnet on Wednesday, November 19th. The due date is December 15, 2025. Students should access the Nelnet Student Account Portal, using the link provided in their Student Account worklet in Workday, to view e-bills and account transactions, make payments and manage monthly payment plans.

If students have not already done so, 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.

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.

University Events is currently accepting reservation requests for the 2026 Commencement Celebratory Receptions. If you plan on hosting a Celebratory Reception for your graduating seniors in May, please complete the Celebratory Reception request/registration form by the priority deadline of December 12.

For further information on the Celebratory Reception offerings please review the 2026 Brandeis Celebratory Reception Planning Guide. University Events will collect and carefully evaluate responses in order to assign each reception to a space on campus that is best suited to host each reception's needs.

We look forward to supporting another year of gatherings and celebration.

Brandeis is rich with religious diversity. Holidays celebrated by the Brandeis community during December include:

• Advent (Nov 30 - Dec 24) Advent, from the Latin “coming,” is a season of four weeks of preparation for the coming of Christ, which Christians commemorate on December 25. These four weeks are a time of joyful preparation. The season is often marked by Scripture readings about preparing for the coming of the Messiah. The use of candles on an Advent wreath signifies the themes of Love, Joy, Peace, and Hope.
• Gita Jayanti (Dec 1) Hindus celebrate Gita Jayanti as when Lord Krishna spoke the illustrious Bhagavad Gita to his friend Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, north of New Delhi. This holiday usually takes place in early December, and is considered the appearance day of the Bhagavad Gita.
• Bodhi Day (Dec 8) is primarily a Mahayana Buddhist holiday, which celebrates the enlightenment of Siddhartha Gautam (Shakyamuni Buddha) while sitting under the Bodhi tree. His realizations on the root of suffering and how to be free of it formed the basis of modern Buddhism, including the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path. Bodhi Day is either celebrated on the 8th of December or on the 8th day of the 12th lunar month, which falls in January. It is often observed with meditation and study.
• The Feast of the Immaculate Conception (Dec 8) is a holy day of obligation for Roman Catholics and it commemorates the Virgin Mary being conceived free from original sin.
• Hanukkah (Dec 14 - 22) Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple, and is celebrated over eight days and nights, usually falling in December. Jews celebrate Hanukkah by lighting a Hanukkah, or menorah.
• Christmas (Dec 25) celebrates the birth of Jesus. Christians understand this as the “incarnation,” which means that God became human in the person of Jesus Christ. Festivities such as carols, candles, and trees are more modern ways of celebrating this holiday. These celebrations emphasize the importance of Jesus’ birth and God's desire to be among us.
• Kwanzaa (Dec 26 - Jan 2) is an African-American and pan-African holiday which celebrates family, community and culture. It was created in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga, a professor of Africana Studies. Kwanzaa, a seven-day cultural festival, begins December 26 and ends January 1. During the holiday, families and communities organize around The Seven Principles of Unity, Self-Determination, Collective Work and Responsibility, Cooperative Economics, Purpose, and Faith. Participants also celebrate with feasts, music, dance, poetry and narratives.

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.

ITS will be conducting network maintenance on campus on December 12 at 5 a.m. to upgrade our technology infrastructure. Work is expected to take an hour, and those on campus may experience a complete loss of wireless connectivity or intermittent network access during that time. Services that rely on the network, such as Zoom Phone, wireless connectivity and the Brandeis VPN, may not be accessible while the work is performed. If you have any questions regarding the outage, please email networks@brandeis.edu.

Our popular Technology Health Checks program is rounding out its fall campus tour! We've already received great feedback from faculty and staff who attended sessions this semester and before we take a break for the holidays, we are excited to announce four final events for 2025. Don’t worry, we will be back after the new year!

• Rabb Grad (Old South St 1st Fl Conf. Rm): Dec. 3, 10 a.m.-noon, All Rabb School Departments
• Schusterman (Schusterman Conf. Rm): Dec. 4, 1-3 p.m., Shusterman Center
• Admissions Building (2nd Fl Work Room): Dec 10, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Undergraduate & Graduate Admissions
• Special Event: Shapiro Campus Center (1st Floor): Dec 11, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Open to all members of the Brandeis community! Stop by between classes or meetings, no appointment needed!

ITS is hosting a "Tech Talk" on Digital Decluttering. Learn how to free up storage space, make your devices faster, improve your security and reduce stress!

• When & Where: December 10, 10 - 11 a.m. 
• Sign up to save your spot! Register to join us In-Person (limited seats available) or Register to join us on Zoom

Don’t forget to sign up for the Brandeis Technology Newsletter and follow @DeisTechNews on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X/Twitter and LinkedIn to stay up to date with ITS Tech Talks, technology news and helpful tips and tricks to making your use of technology more helpful and productive!

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.

Are you a new or mid-career manager looking to grow and enhance your skills as a leader? The Brandeis Manager’s Certificate Program is designed to equip managers and leaders of staff with the practical tools needed to succeed. This four-session virtual series runs from January through April, 2026 with each session lasting about two hours via Zoom. To receive your Certificate of Completion, attendance at all sessions is required. Participants will be celebrated at a closing reception with their managers. Space is limited. REGISTER

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 via Zoom:

• Healing Financial Trauma: Navigating Uncertainty and Strengthening Relationships, December 12, noon – 1 p.m., It's certain that we will face financial uncertainty at various points in our lives. How we perceive and respond to financial uncertainty depends on our relationship with money and may be informed by financial trauma. Unpacking our relationships with money not only helps us financially, but can also improve our interpersonal relationships and communication with our families. REGISTER
• Finding Belonging: How to Build Community Wherever You Are, January 6, noon - 1 p.m., Whether you have just moved to a new city or want to feel more connected where you already live, belonging does not have to be left to chance. This uplifting and practical session will help you map your current social connections, spot opportunities to build relationships, and create intentional moments of connection in daily life. We will also explore the importance of "third places," the spaces outside of home and work where community can thrive. You will leave with simple tools and strategies to build a life of connection, happiness, and well-being. 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.

LinkedIn Learning

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.

Courses Include:

• Ten Minutes to Better Prioritization (15-minute course), Get ready for some real changes in the way you tackle your to-do list, and learn proven techniques that streamline your day, ensuring that every minute contributes significantly to your goal achievement.
• Be a Problem-Solver (39-minute course), Build the skills you need to become a resourceful problem solver with techniques that empower you.
• Excel Formulas and Functions Quick Tips (46-minute course), Calculate data with ease in Excel. In this course, tech trainer and M365 expert Jess Stratton demystifies these powerful features, sharing bite-sized tips designed to help you work faster and more efficiently in Excel.
• How to Be an Adaptable Employee during Change and Uncertainty (46-minute course), In this course, instructor Dorie Clark outlines the skills you need to thrive in a changing work environment.

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.