Faculty Resources and Reminders
Dear Colleagues,
We hope you had a restful winter break and a pleasant start to the new year. As our semester begins, we want to share a few important updates and reminders to help you successfully navigate the spring term while also planning ahead for the next academic year.
Uploading Syllabi in Moodle: Instructors are expected to post their syllabi and course materials on Moodle. If you haven't already, please upload the syllabi for your Spring 2026 courses as soon as possible.
Faculty Meetings: All faculty are encouraged to attend the Faculty Meetings, which generally take place Fridays 2-3:30pm in Rapaporte Hall (with a Zoom option). For the most updated meeting scheduled, please visit the Faculty Affairs website.
Course Approval Resources: Requests for new courses for Fall 2026 should be submitted via the Registrar’s form. Information on syllabus design may be found here.
Course Proposals: Faculty who would like to submit proposals for courses to fulfill Brandeis Core requirements can find course criteria and proposal information at the Brandeis Core Resources for Faculty.
Undergraduate Peer Assistants: Undergraduate students may receive one semester course credit by serving as Peer Assistants. To receive course credit, eligible Peer Assistants must enroll in a PEER 94 course by submitting the PEER 94 Add Form to the Registrar's Office at the beginning of the semester. A student may earn a maximum of 4 credits for serving as a Peer Assistant. Students may not simultaneously receive course credit and pay for the same course. Please see the Best Practices and Tips for Supervising Undergraduate Teaching Assistants for more information.
Absences: In accordance with the Faculty Handbook (III.c.2.b.ii,vi), faculty who must cancel classes or office hours due to unavoidable circumstances are expected to inform the department and, in consultation with the chair, make appropriate arrangements for make-up classes. In the case of planned absences for professional or other reasons, faculty are expected, in consultation with the chair, to follow established university approval procedures.
Inclement Weather: As ever, we ask that each instructor include in their syllabi their policy for days when campus is closed or when there is a delayed start or an early closing because of inclement weather (see Inclement Weather Policy). We recognize that every class is different and, as a result, inclement weather policies may vary from course to course depending on the material being covered, the pedagogy of the instructor, and the needs of students. Whatever your expectations/policies, it is important to communicate them to your students via your syllabi.
Student Accessibility Support (SAS): Students disclose disability accommodations to faculty via an accommodation letter from Student Accessibility Support. The letter signifies that the university has received appropriate documentation of the student's disability and that we have determined reasonable accommodations specific to the impact of the disability/condition. However, they do not apply retroactively to the time before the letter was sent to you. When faculty receive a letter from SAS and have concerns about whether an accommodation would fundamentally alter their course, they should consult the Reasonable Accommodation Guide (PDF) to help determine next steps in collaboration with SAS. If you need exam proctoring support for students with exam accommodations, you may fill out this request form. For further questions about how to implement academic accommodations, please check our Faculty FAQs or reach out to SAS directly at access@brandeis.edu.; when inquiring about a specific student, please name the student in your email.
Employee Support and Wellbeing: We hope you will also take time to care for yourselves. We encourage everyone to take necessary precautions and not to work or teach while sick. Please visit our Employee Support and Wellbeing website for resources such as the faculty and staff vaccination clinic, free physical fitness classes, and the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) through our provider KGA.
Our best wishes for a successful semester.
Carol A. Fierke, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
Olga Papaemmanouil, Senior Associate Provost of Academic Affairs