The University is deeply appreciative of the continued efforts made by our staff to support the University’s mission, our students and each other. We recognize the importance of work/life flexibility and time away from work to focus on yourself, your family and friends and to return to the workplace with renewed energy.

As we approach summer, we believe strongly that continued flexibility is important to support our staff. We are happy to announce that departments/units may offer a flexible or compressed schedule for staff this summer beginning Monday June 8 through Friday, August 14.

Brandeis University’s priority is to provide effective and efficient services to internal and external constituencies during all normal working hours, Monday through Friday. Flexible or compressed work schedules must be approved by the department’s appropriate supervisor (Department Chair, Director, Dean, Vice President or Senior Vice President) and some departments may be unable to implement the program due to operational needs. Please visit the Flexible Summer Schedule website for additional information or contact Human Resources.

Want to continue your education from anywhere? Brandeis alumni get 15% off master's degree and certificate courses at Brandeis Online. 

Brandeis Online offers an asynchronous flexible master's education from anywhere you are. Plus with five 8-week sessions a year, you can graduate in less than 2 years, while working. Apply by May 5 to start classes this summer!

Learn more at online or email  to chat with an admissions counselor.

The Office of Student Financial Services is hosting a webinar on April 16 from 3-4 p.m. on student loan repayment and debt management. Pre-registration is required. The webinar will be recorded for future viewing. Please contact Willow Arbor at willowarbor@brandeis.edu with any questions.

A Listening Circle is being scheduled for April 24 between 11 a.m.- 1 p.m. Such Circles are based on the Indigenous People's listening/talking circles. The purpose is not to have a dialogue, it is to learn about different perspectives.

When it's your turn to share you may speak freely and briefly or pass, when it's not your turn to speak, you will have the opportunity to listen attentively. This student listening circle will occur in the Multi Purpose room (2nd floor) of the SCC. You may register by sending an email to DonGreenstein@Brandeis.edu and you can just show up without registering. The doors will be shut promptly at 11 a.m. If more people appear than can be in the circle, we will have a sign up and follow up with another circle in the near future.

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.

On July 4, 2025, the President of the United States signed into law the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) which enacted major changes to the U.S. tax code, as well as to federal programs that receive mandatory funding, such as federal student loans. We realize many undergraduate and graduate students may have concerns about how these changes might affect their ability to pay for college after July 1, 2026. Our FAQ page answers many of these questions, and will be updated as more information becomes available.

The Office of Student Financial Services invites students to 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!

We also invite students to sign up for iGrad a free, online financial literacy resource to help manage money and/or student loans. iGrad membership includes money management, simple budgeting tools, student loan and debt management and tracking and building credit scores All students and alumni have free access to these tools, so the account can be used after graduation.

The financial aid renewal application deadline for the 2026-2027 academic year was March 2, 2026. Students who would like to apply for need-based scholarship funds must submit the 2026-2027 CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE, the 2026-2027 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.

The Brandeis Emergency Fund was created to assist currently active, high-need undergraduate and graduate students experiencing some kind of unexpected financial emergency when other resources are not available. The Fund focuses its limited resources on students with high demonstrated financial need (students with an EFC of approximately $20,000 or below, as determined by a financial aid application) who are experiencing unexpected financial emergencies for which no other funds are available. For information about eligibility criteria, examples of what can and cannot be considered, and the process by which to apply for emergency funds, please visit the Brandeis Emergency Fund website.

The Department of Facilities Services will perform its annual electrical shutdown on Saturday, June 6, and Sunday, June 7. Power will be off from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. each day. Please note that the exact restoration time will depend on how quickly the work is completed — in past years, power has been restored as early as 4 p.m.

This work allows the Department of Facilities to exercise and test equipment vital to the electrical infrastructure supporting Brandeis University.

Only the following buildings will be affected:

• Sat, June 6: ASAC, Goldfarb Library, Mandel Center, Olin-Sang, Golding Judaic Center, Lown, Shiffman , Rabb, and Heller- Schneider
• Sun, June 7: Administration Building; Gryzmish Center, Irving Presidential Enclave, and Bernstein Marcus, and Volen Center

Please contact Facilities Services at 781-736-8500 for additional information.

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

• Songkran (April 13 - 15) Songkran, also known as the Thai New Year, is a vibrant and joyous Buddhist holiday celebrated in Thailand and several other Southeast Asian countries. Lasting for three days in mid-April, the festival marks the transition from the dry season to the traditional Thai New Year and is characterized by its exuberant water rituals. Songkran is also a time for paying respects to elders and visiting temples, where offerings and prayers are made to bring good luck and prosperity for the year ahead.
• Ridván (April 21 - May 2) is a joyous festival in the Baháʼí Faith, commemorating the moment when Bahá'u'lláh declared His divine mission in Baghdad's Ridván garden. Celebrated for twelve days, it symbolizes spiritual renewal, unity, and the global vision of Bahá'u'lláh's teachings. Baháʼís come together for prayers, reflection, and acts of service, emphasizing love and harmony among all people. Ridván is a cherished time of celebration and rededication to the core principles of their faith.

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.

To help maintain a comfortable campus environment and ensure efficient operation of building systems, all HVAC (heating, cooling, and ventilation) requests must be submitted through 25Live during regular business hours.

Requests for room temperature adjustments outside of normal operating hours must be scheduled in advance through 25Live. Please note that requests submitted during evenings, nights, or weekends will not be reviewed in real time.

If you are planning an event or anticipate needing after-hours temperature adjustments, please be sure to submit your request ahead of time.

Registration is now open for our April Vacation Play Days—and we can’t wait for the fun to begin!

Join us on April 21, 22, and 23 for action-packed days filled with both indoor and outdoor activities. From basketball and soccer to scooter games, tennis, and more, there’s something for everyone to enjoy! Families can choose between a single-day option or a full three-day pass, offering flexibility to fit your schedule.

Our program is open to boys and girls in Kindergarten through 6th grade, and is designed to give kids a chance to stay active, play games, make friends, and have a blast during vacation.

Spots fill quickly—register today.

We are excited to offer an opportunity for faculty, staff and postdocs to purchase Celtics playoff tickets. To enter your name into the drawing for Celtics playoff tickets, please go to this form, and fill out the required information.

The tickets are for section loge 16, row 23, seats 5-6 and 7-8. The form will be active from today, to Friday, April 17 at noon. If you are selected to purchase tickets, you will receive an email with additional information. If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact the Office of Finance and Administration.

There is still an opportunity to purchase Red Sox tickets. For a complete list of available games and pricing please visit the The Office of the EVP, Finance and Administration website.

Seats are in section RF box 97, row RR, seats 6 - 9. Tickets will be sold in pairs of two. To purchase tickets please email Gail Jordan. First come, first serve.

Brandeis has migrated our VPN software to a new vendor, Palo Alto GlobalProtect. Virtual Private Network (VPN) software allows Brandeis community members to securely connect to Brandeis systems and maintain productivity while working off campus. GlobalProtect was made available to the campus community on March 17 and may already be on your Brandeis managed computer (if you do not have GlobalProtect yet, please review our download instructions for your operating system on our VPN page). ITS will push periodic updates to GlobalProtect to ensure the software is always up to date on its latest version. If you are connected to the network while an update is sent, you may be disconnected and have to reconnect to the network. You can find further instructions on our VPN information page here.

Our prior VPN software, GlobalProtect, will no longer work as of April 15, 2026 and will be removed from Brandeis machines shortly after. If you have difficulty accessing or connecting to Brandeis resources using GlobalProtect, please contact the The Client Technology Group at help@brandeis.edu.

As conversations begin, the focus should be on quality, clarity, and impact. Strong performance discussions go beyond general feedback—they provide specific insights and clear direction.

To make the most of your conversation:

• Be specific: Highlight measurable accomplishments and outcomes
• Be balanced: Recognize strengths and identify growth opportunities
• Be forward-focused: Align on 2–3 meaningful goals for the coming year

Effective conversations ensure staff understand both their contributions and what success looks like in their role.

Recorded trainings and tools are available on the TAP website to support you. For additional support, please contact Human Resources.

Brandeis is committed to helping you achieve your financial goals now and in the future. Feel more confident about your finances by strengthening the fundamentals of retirement planning, saving and investing to reduce financial stress, and take meaningful steps toward a more secure future.

Please view our Retirement Plan Savings Support page for links to Fidelity’s’ Financial Wellness Hub, free Webinars and to schedule a one-on-one appointment with our Fidelity Workplace Financial Consultants.

1099-HC Harvard Pilgrim Health Care (HPHC) mailed the 1099-HC forms to participants of the medical plan before January 31, 2026. Employees will need this form for tax reporting. It says how many months members were actually covered under the plan, the Tax ID # for the vendor (HPHC) and the subscriber’s health plan ID#. Copies can be obtained from the HPHC health plan portal.

If you haven't done so already you will need to establish a username and password to access your Harvard Pilgrim account and the form.

1095-C Employees may access a 1095-C form as part of the Affordable Care Act requirements, the form is not needed to file federal or state taxes. The form is provided for your records and serves as documentation that health coverage was offered to employees by Brandeis University.

• First time users to the portal must create a username and password. It is not automatically set to the Workday Login credentials. Keep record as this will be the same from year to year.
• Employees may choose to keep the form for their personal records, but it does not need to be submitted to the IRS when filing their tax return.

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 offerings including podcasts, videos, self-directed challenges and much more!

• Psychological Safety, Burnout, and Building Resilience – Webinar via Zoom, May 14, 11 a.m. REGISTER, Psychological safety--the degree to which we feel comfortable speaking up with ideas, concerns, and mistakes--has a demonstrated effect on our ability to build resilience. This program provides an overview of research on psychological safety and empirical connections between psychological safety, burnout, and resilience. Participants will learn practical exercises to help discuss and increase psychological safety in their work teams.
• The Backbone of Bravery: Supporting the Supporters – Webinar via Zoom, May 19, noon, REGISTER, This webinar will seek to enhance one’s knowledge of how to support their family member who is a first responder in a healthy and meaningful manner. We will examine signs, symptoms, and behaviors that they may be exhibiting, due to struggles in mental health, substance use, and trauma. We will also seek to add knowledge to these supportive people on the importance of being aware of vicarious traumatization: Including ways in which they can help keep themselves healthy while still being supportive of the first responder.

Self-directed, on-demand learning programs:

Delivering Constructive Criticism - For Managers, Constructive criticism can be a helpful tool when used with the intent of helping or improving a situation in the workplace. This course helps management learn effective ways to handle and deliver constructive criticism allowing employees to not only learn from their mistakes, but even benefit from them.

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.

Recommend Courses for This Month:

• Preparing for Your Performance Review (26-minute course), Many people dread the performance review, feeling like it's perfunctory or painful. But with the right planning, you'll find that it's a project you can manage like any other. Learn how to prepare for your performance review with these tips from Dr. Todd Dewett. Discover how to establish an ongoing dialog with your manager and take specific, actionable measures to get the most value and insights from the review process.
• Performance Management: Setting Goals and Managing Performance – for Managers (19-minute course), As a manager, you want to set your employees up for success by helping them create smart goals that align with the needs of your organization and the skills the employee has and needs to develop. In this short course, the first installment in the Performance Management series, Dr. Todd Dewett digs into the manager’s role in managing performance, helping you master both goal setting and performance management. Learn how to create an environment that’s data driven and ensures support and accountability, as well as help your direct reports define and align smart goals.

On Wednesday, April 22, the Center for Spiritual Life will hold our annual Moment of Remembrance at the final Peace Circle of the year. We will remember those who have died in the past year – immediate members of the Brandeis community, as well loved ones of members of our community. Please join us at 12:00 p.m. at the Peace Circle (between Usdan and the library) for a brief, reflective gathering. The rain location will be the Peace Room, Center for Spiritual Life, located within Usdan.

Our hope is that this gathering offers a measure of comfort and consolation to those grieving and strengthens our sense of community and solidarity. If you would like a loved one to be remembered at the service, please submit their name by Wednesday, April 15.

BUSAC is sponsoring a food and toiletries drive for the Brandeis Pantry through April 30. The Brandeis Pantry supplies food and basic needs items to students who face food insecurity and supplies are running low.

Donation bins will be placed in various places on campus including the Heller School, Shapiro Campus Center, Shapiro Science Center, Gosman Athletics Center and the Library. In addition, the Library allows patrons to donate items for the Pantry in place of any fines incurred.

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).