Newsletters
July 2021 Updates
Dear Brandeis Families,
I hope that you are having a wonderful summer! Here in Waltham, the Student Affairs team is hard at work planning programs and activities to welcome our newest students to Brandeis next month. We are looking forward to our campus bustling with energy as your students join our warm, supportive community.
Incoming students have been receiving information about preparing for the fall semester via email and student portals. My team works to share the most relevant information for families directly with you. Our communications coordinator, Alex Nickel-Milstone, and I will send monthly newsletters throughout the academic year, and we encourage you to visit our resource page to help you and your student throughout their transition, as well as the COVID-19 Response page for the most up-to-date information about the fall semester.
I love meeting our students and their families in person and I am so excited that we will be able to see one another on campus this coming semester. Until then, please follow our official Brandeis Family Facebook page for updates and information and you can always email families@brandeis.edu to reach our office with questions.
Be well,
Dvora Pemstein | she/her
Director of Communications for Student Affairs | Brandeis Family Liaison
Updates for Parents and Families
Please join us Thursday, August 5 at 12:00pm ET on Zoom for a webinar designed for families of new students. You will hear from staff members about available resources and supports related to living and learning at Brandeis.
To register and submit questions in advance, please use this form. The webinar will also be recorded and posted online.In order to safely return to an in-person experience in fall 2021, Brandeis requires all new and returning students to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Please note: incoming students will receive access to the Campus Passport beginning July 27 and may upload their vaccination documentation (or medical or religious exemption request) at that time. All vaccination documentation must be translated into English with legal name, date of birth, vaccine, and date(s) of vaccination. Translations must be submitted with original documentation.
If you or your student have specific questions about the requirement, please email c19testing-group@brandeis.edu.
First-year students’ housing assignments are available on the MyHousing portal. Please note: first-year students are assigned move-in times and will receive more information from the Department of Orientation shortly.
Microfridge Rentals
A microfridge is a unique combination refrigerator, freezer, and microwave, designed specifically for campus residence halls. Your student’s microfridge will be delivered to and picked up directly from their room. This not only saves you space and trouble on move-in day and when you move out, but also eliminates the need to store such a large item during summer break.
Helpful Resources
- If your student needs to ship items to campus, here are instructions
- The Orientation website has a helpful packing list
- You can purchase linens (including sheets, comforters, towels, bathroom essentials and more) through On Campus Marketing
- Learn more about the opt-in student personal property insurance
- Set-up Nelnet account – Once inside the Nelnet Student Account Portal, students will need to set up their student profile. Refer to the Nelnet - Account Access job aid for detailed instructions.
- Add access for parent or authorized parties - Due to FERPA regulations, parents are not automatically given access to Nelnet. Students will need to add Authorized Parties (e.g., parents, sponsors, etc.) in Nelnet. 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 have a new database for maintaining family contact information. To ensure you'll receive official communications from Brandeis, please have your student confirm or update your information in Workday Student by following the new instructions on our website.
If you want to receive emergency alerts from Brandeis, your student can register you as an additional contact by following these instructions.
We hope you will join us on campus for Family Weekend on Friday, October 15 - Sunday, October 17, 2021. There are some terrific activities being planned to help you get to know Brandeis and enjoy a beautiful time in New England while connecting with your student(s) and the campus community. More details about registration and the schedule of events will be shared soon.