We are honored to announce our celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. According to Britannica, “Beginning in 1970, a number of states and cities made his birthday, January 15, a holiday. Although legislation for a federal holiday was introduced in Congress as early as 1968, there was sufficient opposition, on racial and political grounds, to block its passage. In 1983 legislation making the third Monday in January a federal holiday finally was passed, and the first observance nationwide was in 1986. The day is usually celebrated with marches and parades and with speeches by civil rights and political leaders.”

Brandeis' annual celebration and remembrance of Dr. King will be held on Friday, January 16th from 10 a.m.-noon in the Shapiro Campus Center Multi Purpose Room, and our theme this year is Voices and Progression. Everyone is welcome to join us to hear our keynote speaker Dr. Shoniqua Roach, and student speaker Zaire Simmonds ’26, who will provide words of inspiration. Food and drink will be provided.

Winter is here, and with it comes the threat of inclement weather that may affect our normal campus operations. This is a reminder to look out for the university’s weather-related communications, especially with regard to what’s open or closed on campus and when.

The safety of students, faculty and staff is the first priority when reviewing the potential impact of inclement weather on campus operations. Depending on the severity and timing of a weather event, the physical campus may open late, close early, or remain closed all day. Only essential staff (e.g., Dining, Facilities Services, Public Safety, etc.) report to work on campus during times when the physical campus is closed. Typically, when the physical campus is closed, staff who have the ability to work remotely are expected to do so and are asked to discuss specific coverage plans with their supervisors. Classes should adhere to the Provost’s Inclement Weather Policy; faculty are advised to remind students of how the policy impacts their specific course.

Weather-related communications will be delivered by 6 a.m. on the affected day (sometimes earlier depending on the forecasted probability of a storm) through a campus-wide email and the Brandeis Emergency Notification System. Please take a few minutes today to review your emergency contact information in BENS to ensure it is correct.

Congratulations to Abigail Arnold! Abigail, an academic administrator in Graduate Affairs, recently made a triumphant return to the Jeopardy stage. Competing in the Second Chance Tournament following her 2025 debut, Abigail secured a narrow miss for the Tournament of Champions but walked away with an impressive $15,000 in winnings.

Brandeis University’s Department of Public Safety works together with students, faculty, staff, and visitors to strengthen safety and readiness across campus. Emergencies are rare, but knowing what to do before, during, and after an incident makes a meaningful difference for everyone’s safety and peace of mind. You can explore a full list of emergency training and resources online at the Brandeis Emergency Preparedness page.

Important Preparedness Resources Available:

• Emergency Preparedness Training - Brandeis offers a variety of training opportunities designed to help community members build practical skills and increase confidence in responding to a range of critical situations. These include general emergency preparedness, personal safety, and response techniques tailored for campus life. Sessions can be scheduled for departments, student groups, classes, or other campus organizations. (Brandeis University)
• Active Threat and Active Shooter Training - One of the key offerings is active threat training, including guidance on how to respond if an active shooter or violent intruder situation ever occurs. These sessions are built around best practices for survival and decision-making during an unfolding critical event.  The “Avoid, Deny, Defend” strategy is part of the training focus, helping individuals learn how to avoid danger when possible, deny access if escape isn’t feasible, and defend themselves as a last resort.
• AED and Bleeding Control Information - The university provides locations and guidance on Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) and bleeding control resources across campus. These tools and instructions can make a critical difference in a medical emergency.
• Emergency Notification System (BENS) - Make sure you are signed up for the Brandeis Emergency Notification System (BENS). This system sends urgent alerts by text and voice message to keep you informed during emergency situations, including campus closures or safety threats.

Wednesday, January 21, the Department of Public Safety will host an online active shooter training session available to the community. This training is designed to be accessible and informative, helping you understand how to respond effectively if confronted with an active threat on or near campus. The training will cover prevention awareness, response strategies, and safety priorities. Visit the Emergency Preparedness training page to sign up.

Why It Matters

Preparing ahead of time builds confidence, reduces risk, and strengthens our collective ability to look out for one another. Even simple steps like understanding exit routes, recognizing emergency signals, and enrolling in available trainings are powerful ways to contribute to a safer campus for everyone.

For more detail, including session dates and how to register, please visit the training page.

If you have questions or need help, feel free to contact Brandeis Public Safety at 781-736-3333 (emergencies) or 781-736-5000 (non-emergency).

As a reminder, As a reminder Google Storage Limits will be implemented on January 19. On October 31, 2025, Google Storage Limits were increased for all members of our community. There are still some students over these new limits. All students will have their Google Storage capped at 25 GB; this limit includes Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Photos. You can visit the Moodle Communities Google Workspace Training Material or the Google Storage website for ways to reduce your storage amount.

We recommend deleting large attachments from your email, moving personal content from your Brandeis Google account to your personal Google (or other cloud storage) account, and utilizing Box to store documents. You can also create Shared Drives in Google Drive that do not count towards your personal storage limits to share and collaborate on files. If you have any questions regarding the Google Storage policy, please email storagepolicy@brandeis.edu. For technical assistance, please contact the Help Desk (help@brandeis.edu).

Students and families received the spring 2026 bill electronically via Nelnet on Wednesday, November 19. The due date was December 15, 2025. Registration holds have been placed on accounts not paid in full and late fees have been applied. 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 financial aid renewal application deadline for the 2026-2027 academic year will be March 2, 2026. Students who would like to apply for need-based scholarship funds must submit the 2026-2027 CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE, Free Application for Federal Student Aid, and copies of 2024 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 are being sent to students and parents this week. 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.

2025 W-2s are now available in Workday! To access your W-2 click on the Pay icon and then My Tax Documents. If you have any questions, please contact the payroll department.

Brandeis Online now has microcredentials! Anyone with 10-15 hours and a computer can upskill through Brandeis Online microcredentials.

These abbreviated courses are self-paced skill-specific online credentials that demonstrate expertise in a particular area. They’re perfect for professionals looking to quickly upskill or for those seeking to stay current with the latest industry developments.

Available now:

• AI Fundamentals for STEM Professionals
• Industry Focused Prompt Engineering for ROI Driven Results

More to come! Learn more and start your course.

Did you know that online graduate courses are free for Brandeis employees? Submit your application by February 17 to start classes in March! 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.

Beginning January 12, at the start of the spring semester, the university will eliminate the South Street southbound bus stops for the Waltham and Combo routes to improve safety, prevent accidents, and optimize routes.

We’ve been carefully monitoring this stop, and it presents significant safety concerns.

Riders can board safely and efficiently at the Campus Health & Safety (Stoneman) stop. Passengers can then walk back across the footbridge from the next stop to reach Gosman or their dorms safely.

Sign up for a Library Workshop:

• Intro to Sewing, noon - 1 p.m., Tuesday, Jan.
• Getting Started with Stata, 12:10 - 1 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 21
• Computer Literacies 4-part series, 2 - 2:30 p.m., Friday, Jan. 23 - Feb 13
• Intro to R and the Tidyverse, 12:10 - 1:10 p.m., Monday, Jan. 26
• Getting Started with Qualtrics, 1:30 - 2:20 p.m., Monday, Jan. 26
• Intro to 3D Printing with Prusa Mini, 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 27
• Data Wrangling with Stata, 12:10 - 1 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 28
• GIS Help Drop-in Hours, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m., Tuesdays

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

Makar Sankranti (January 14), which is the only Hindu festival based on the solar calendar instead of the lunar. It celebrates the sun's journey from the Southern to the Northern Hemisphere. It is also a harvest festival thanking Mother Earth as winter begins to recede.

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.

Did you know that since 1967, Brandeis has been home to BJEP (Boston-area Jewish Education Program), an independent Sunday School for students in grades K-7? We welcome those at all levels of Jewish identity & involvement, including interfaith families and those seeking to connect through a spiritual & cultural lens. Our experiential-driven curriculum is taught exclusively by Brandeis University students, who bring their enthusiasm and joy to our classrooms using art, music and games as a means for children to explore Jewish values, identity, holiday celebrations, eco-Judaism, the practice of Tikkun Olam, and Hebrew. We also offer a lower-cost, unique alternative to traditional B Mitzvah programs. You are never too late to join BJEP! We accept students on a rolling basis and provide flexible tuition options, sibling discounts and financial aid. Learn more on our website or contact us at info@bjep.com.

Your kids will enjoy a full day of sports and games run by our women's basketball players and coaches. Our goal is to provide an enjoyable recreational based learning environment for boys and girls. Games and activities will change on a daily basis. Our focus is to have the kids moving and having fun all day! Our staff includes Brandeis University coaches and our college student-athletes. This program encourages kids to experience new activities, develop friendships and have fun. Come be a part of our vacation play dates.

ITS needs your input! Help us bring the technology topics most important to you in 2026! In 2025, we launched our new “Tech Talks” program, a Ted Talk style platform, presenting on topics such as “Introductory AI at Brandeis”, a Deeper Dive into Google and Zoom AI Tools, and on Digital Decluttering and Google Storage. Feedback has been great so far and we are excited to continue bringing you the info you want to hear about in the new year. Help us learn more about your goals by filling out our brief, 4-question 2026 Tech Talk Survey.

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!

Are you looking for information on how to perform tasks or run reports in Workday? Do you have a question you’d like to ask about the Workday training material or Workday itself? All of our Workday training material for faculty and staff is now in Moodle Communities! To self-enroll in Workday for Faculty or Workday for Staff, look under the Professional Development courses in Moodle Communities. Here, you’ll find job aids, videos, and forums to ask questions about Workday. Staff will review and respond to questions in the course forums on the last Wednesday of each month. For questions about these Moodle Communities courses, please contact the Help Desk (help@brandeis.edu or dial 64357 in your Zoom Phone app).

At Brandeis we are committed to supporting your overall health and well-being. We know that feeling your best—both physically and mentally—is essential to your success and happiness, which is why we are excited to be piloting a one-year subscription to Noom Weight for the first 25 employees who enroll. This program is being offered free (a $220 value) with the request that participants answer 4 brief surveys. To learn more or sign up, please visit this registration form.

Please join Occupational Health Services at the well-being booster event during the academic year. This well-being booster event will be offering:

• On-site vaccinations for all faculty, staff, and their families (ages 4+); register. Walk-ins are welcome. Please be sure to bring your pharmacy card.
• Sign up for a free 15-minute chair massage.
• January is Sleep Health and Hygiene Awareness Month. Learn more and discover helpful resources.

Space is still available and we extended the deadline to join our Spring 2026 Manager’s Book Group, where we will explore Brené Brown’s Dare to Lead and reflect on practical strategies for fostering courage, clarity, and connection in leadership. Please register by January 30, 2026, books will be provided: REGISTER

Limited space is still available for our Spring 2026 Brandeis Managers’ Certificate Program! This four-session series—covering legal considerations, coaching skills, and compensation and benefits—provides practical tools for managers at all levels. Sessions run January through April, and participants who complete all sessions will earn a certificate of completion. If interested you must REGISTER by January 26, 2026.

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 Workshop via Zoom:

• Gut Health 101 Wellness Webinar - February 04 at noon-1 p.m. REGISTER - We have known for 2500 years, since Hippocrates’ time, that much of our health (and disease) starts in our gut. In this webinar we will discuss the how the gut microbiome and integrity of the gut lining affects the immune system and risk for chronic disease, as well as how to improve gut health.

Self-directed, on-demand learning programs:

• Managing Personal Finances – Great time to reset in 2026! - There are millions of Americans who live with the shackles of debt each day. Many people have a hard time formatting and sticking to a budget. You can easily solve the finance puzzle with a little hard work, self-control, and the right tools. Today is a new day; you are taking the first steps to reclaiming your financial freedom.
• Increasing Your Happiness - It might sound a little strange to say that we should be happy at work. After all, it’s called work! But we spend more time at our jobs than we do engaged in almost any other activity. Finding ways to be happy at work not only brings you greater productivity and greater job satisfaction, but will help you achieve greater overall mental, emotional, and physical health.

This is a friendly reminder that nominations are now open for the Lou Ennis Staff Award (exempt staff) and the Louis and Helen Zirkel Staff Award (nonexempt staff).

These awards recognize outstanding Brandeis staff members who excel in their roles and go above and beyond in contributing to the well-being and vitality of the University community. Nominations should highlight significant contributions made during the 2025 calendar year. Nominees must be full-time employees in good standing.

The winners of each award, and their supervisors, will be invited to attend the Employee Service Awards ceremony on February 25.

All nominations for the Ennis and Zirkel Awards are due to Human Resources on or before January 16.

For more information and to access the nomination forms, please go to the employee recognition page.