Brandeis is officially kicking off its decennial reaccreditation process with the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), culminating in a peer evaluation visit scheduled for October 31 – November 2, 2027.

This 18-month self-study offers our community a vital opportunity to reflect on our institutional strengths, address current challenges, and shape our strategic priorities for the next decade. As we begin this work, we are transitioning to a new streamlined framework consisting of five updated accreditation standards—covering everything from mission and academic quality to student success and institutional resources—which take effect in June 2026. Committees for each standard are currently forming, and drafting will continue throughout the spring and summer months.

We invite you to visit our updated Accreditation webpage to learn more about the process, view the new standards, and stay informed on how you can contribute to this collective effort.

The university recently hosted a staff service recognition ceremony to honor employees who have attained 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35 years of service in 2025. Our sincere thanks and congratulations to all of our dedicated staff for their service to Brandeis. Please visit the human resources website for the full list of service award recipients.

In addition, the university announced the 2025 winners of the Ennis and Zirkel Awards. Tre Alexander received the 2025 Louis and Helen Zirkel Award and Jane Theriault received the 2025 Lou Ennis Award. Congratulations to Tre and Jane for their dedication and significant contributions to Brandeis.

Effective immediately, faculty and staff can enjoy a discounted dining rate of $10 at the Sherman Dining Hall, the Lower Usdan Dining Hall, or the Kosher Kitchen at the Faculty Club or Stein. Simply present your ID to the cashier to receive the discount.

As the Faculty Club is currently supporting Kosher student dining, we are pleased to offer a refreshed faculty dining space at Usdan. This dedicated area is designed with comfort in mind and features linens, coffee and water service, and table busing—creating a welcoming, quiet setting for meals, meetings, or a break in your day. The space is located next door to The Hoot marketplace.

To promote additional opportunities for faculty to engage with students in the dining halls, we are also offering five complimentary "student" guest meal swipes. The swipe is only valid if the student and faculty member presents their Brandeis ID's to the cashier. These "student" meal swipes have been added to your faculty Brandeis ID card.

If you ride a bike on campus, registration is required, it is free, and it only takes a few minutes. Bicycle parking on all Brandeis bike racks requires a Brandeis University Public Safety registration sticker. Registration also helps Public Safety return your bike if it is ever lost or stolen. Register here: Bicycle Registration Form (Brandeis login required)

Summer Removal Dates — Mark Your Calendar, On June 6, all bicycles must be moved to the racks outside Village C, by the gym. On June 7, Facilities Services will cut locks and remove every bicycle left anywhere else on campus. Beginning June 8, all racks are open again. Bikes not claimed by the end of July will be moved to the Facilities Services Grounds yard and held until mid-September, after which they will be donated to a local charity.

For full policy details, visit the Bicycle Registration Policy and the Bicycle Removal Policy.

Questions? Contact the Parking Office at 781-736-4250 or parking@brandeis.edu.

As the academic year comes to a close, please be reminded that all current Brandeis parking permits will expire on May 31. Vehicles displaying expired permits after this date may be subject to enforcement.

Students enrolled in summer classes or remaining on campus must obtain a valid Summer Parking Permit to continue parking on campus.

Summer Parking Permits - Summer permits will be available for purchase beginning May 18th through the Parking Office, located in the Stoneman Building.

Permit Rates:

• 1st Session Classes: $25
• 2nd Session Classes: $25
• Full Summer (both sessions or entire summer stay): $50

How to Obtain a Permit-Please visit the Parking Office and bring:

• Vehicle registration
• Driver’s license
• Brandeis ID

Location- Parking Office, Stoneman Building

We strongly encourage you to obtain your summer permit before your session begins to ensure uninterrupted parking access and avoid citations.

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.

We are excited to offer an opportunity for faculty, staff and postdocs to purchase Bruins playoff tickets. To enter your name into the drawing for Bruins playoff tickets, please go to this form, and fill out the required information. The form will be active from today, to Wednesday, April 29 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.

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

• Vesak, also known as Buddha's Day, is a Buddhist festival that will be celebrated during the month of May this year. On Vesak, Buddhists often visit temples to renew vows and precepts, studying, praying, and gathering in community. The timing and focus of this holiday varies across cultures and traditions of Buddhism. In Theravada communities in South and Southeast Asia, Vesak is a celebration of Buddha's Birth, Enlightenment, and Extinguishment, which takes place on the day of the full moon. In several East Asian countries, the birth, death, and enlightenment are observed on separate dates. In these countries, this time of year marks the celebration of the birth of the Buddha.

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 workshops from MakerLab and Sound and Image Media Studios

• Intro to 3D Printing with Prusa Mini, 12:30 - 2 p.m., Thur., Apr. 23

Moodle Workshops & Office Hours

• Moodle Open Office Hours, noon - 1 p.m., Wednesdays and Fridays
• Moodle Workshop: Is Your Gradebook Ready for Finals?, 2 - 2:50 p.m., Wed., Apr. 29

Mehraveh Bastamkhani, a graduate student in the Public Policy program and the Director of Programming for the Graduate Student Association (GSA), has worked to compile a cookbook full of delicious recipes that students can make with ingredients from the Brandeis Pantry. Undergraduate and graduate students, along with faculty and staff, submitted recipes for the cookbook and there's a competition: please vote on your favorite recipe here.

The Athletic Records series has been added to the Brandeis Records Retention Schedule. The Records Retention Schedule consists of record categories, how long each category needs to be retained, and the recommended final disposition of the material. The length of retention is based on external laws and regulations, best practices, and legitimate business needs. The purpose of the schedule is to serve as a published policy and a guide for the Brandeis community's consistent record retention and destruction practices. The schedule is a work in progress and will be expanded in the coming months. For more information please contact University Records Management at records@brandeis.edu or 781-736-8759.

Please provide a warm Brandeis welcome to JP Fesperman, our new Executive Director of Hospitality at Brandeis. JP brings extensive experience in the food and hospitality industry, holding a BS in Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Management from Virginia Tech. He began his career with Aramark in Raleigh, North Carolina, where he advanced to District Manager in 2008.

JP joins us after eight years with Starbucks Coffee Company, most recently serving as a Regional Director overseeing 118 locations before relocating to Boston. We’re excited to have him on board and look forward to his leadership within our campus dining program.

Exciting news the Kosher table at Sherman will reopen for meal service on April 28 for breakfast. All kosher dining will resume normal hours of operation. We hope everyone from the Brandeis Community will come to celebrate the reopening!

The Kosher Table at Sherman will change Dairy Days from the typical Tuesday and Thursday to Tuesday and Wednesday to accommodate the Cosmic Close Out Late-Night Breakfast.

Thanks to the entire campus community for their flexibility while we restore service to the Sherman dining hall.

Please attend a dining event:

• April 23: Coolfood Takeover Breakfast in Usdan Kitchen featuring delicious, climate friendly meals to start your day including banana muffins that guests will be able to top with a Scrappy Strawberry Pineapple sauc
• April 23: Coolfood Takeover Dinner in The Farm Table at Sherman and The Kosher Table with crowd-favorite Coolfood Trivi
• April 24: Chef Spotlight in Usdan Kitchen during lunch Scrappy Sweets dessert pop-up while supplies las
• April 27: Salad Jar Party in Skyline MPR 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m., come create your own custom salad in a jar! All ingredients are made without gluten and nuts. Dairy free dressings and other alternative ingredients are available
• April 29: Cosmic Closeout late Night Breakfast at Sherman Dining Hall 7:30 - 10 p.m.

It has been two years since Brandeis migrated to Moodle, and the ITS and Library teams want to hear from you. As we plan for the 2026 academic year, help us ensure the platform meets your teaching and administrative needs. Please take a moment to complete the Moodle Community Feedback Survey or join us for an informal drop in to share and/or listen to quick observations on Tuesday, April 28: 11:10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Link: Join the Zoom Listening Sessions

Note: This session is for high-level feedback. For immediate technical support, please contact the Help Desk or schedule a 1-on-1 consultation.

Brandeis is rolling out new tap-enabled ID cards to enhance campus security. The cards support both tap and swipe access to buildings and use encrypted smart-chip technology. This initiative is led by Public Safety, the Campus Card Office, and ITS. Distribution dates for the cards will be released at a later date. Brandeis will provide lanyards for ID cards, so please display your new ID at all times.

Did you know ITS has a newsletter? You can 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!

Take part in the Mental Health Awareness Month Challenge starting May 1st. Access through the KGA LifeServices platform in May. Complete simple tasks throughout the month so you can feel more confident accessing support when you need it.

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.
• May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Learn more and discover helpful resources.

As TAP conversations continue, it is important to ensure reviews are fair, consistent, and aligned across teams. Consistency strengthens trust in the process and ensures staff are evaluated based on clear, objective criteria. Reminder: TAP completion deadline is May 1, 2026.

Keep these principles in mind:

• Use evidence: Base ratings on specific examples and outcomes
• Avoid recency bias: Consider performance across the full review period
• Be consistent: Apply expectations and standards fairly across your team
• Prepare for calibration: Be ready to discuss and align ratings with peers and leadership

Taking the time to ensure fairness and consistency leads to more credible and impactful outcomes. Recorded trainings and tools are available on the TAP website to support you. For additional support, please contact Human Resources.

The Brandeis Quick Bytes professional development series is back with new topics and, for the first time, a summer lineup!

Designed for all staff, this year’s series continues to offer concise, high-impact learning—with added flexibility. Each topic includes a 60-minute interactive workshop along with a LinkedIn Learning pre-work video, which can be completed independently or through an optional group viewing session.

With fresh, relevant topics and more opportunities to participate, Quick Bytes makes it easy to build skills and stay engaged in your professional growth.

Stay tuned for session dates and registration details on the HR website.

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!

Featured Services:

• Life Changes: Milestones - LifeReady are the multiple resources KGA offers to help you customize your preparation for some of life’s big milestones: Marriage Ready, Baby Ready, College Ready, Retire Ready and Career Ready. Check out the KGA website for LifeReady services.
• Library of Articles and Podcasts - Did you know KGA has a library of articles on a variety of topics? Physical Well Being, for managers: Performance Management, Giving Positive and Negative Feedback, No Surprise Performance Review and many more! Check out the Meditation Podcasts as well as others available.

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:

• Invest in You: Personal and Professional Development Tips - Connect to your purpose Jason Weeman (40 minute on-demand video course) In this course, tenured L&D professional and coach Jason Weeman shares his knowledge about ways to successfully invest in your personal and professional development.
• Tips for Fostering a Growth Mindset from Today’s Top Business Leaders - Own your failures with Jeffrey Katzenberg (8-minute video) In this course, high-profile business leaders share short, actionable advice for anyone trying to cultivate a growth mindset. Hear about how to own your failures from media mogul Jeffrey Katzenberg. Find out how to change a scarcity mindset from Nopalera founder Sandra Velasquez. Learn to be open to experimentation with lessons from Liquid Death CEO Mike Cessario.

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.