University Facilities

Major Academic Support Facilities

Library Services

The Brandeis University Library offers comprehensive library, research, and information support to the Brandeis community. Librarians in every subject area are available to help with research sources, citations, and expertise in navigating information. Library staff offer instruction and guidance in research skills through several programs customized for undergraduate and graduate students. In-depth research consultations are available to all students, faculty, and staff. Professional reference librarian assistance is also available online through email and chat services.

Traditional information resource collections can be found in the Goldfarb Library and Farber Library. The University offers collections of more than one million print volumes[SS2] , as well as a large collection of music, film, and special resources. In addition to our physical resources, the Brandeis Library makes available more than 28,000 current serial and journal subscriptions in digital format, over 300,000 e-books, and a wide variety of other digital resources and primary source databases. Check our online catalog, OneSearch, for information on books, databases, journals, and other information resources.

In addition to the resources owned by the Brandeis Library, members of the Brandeis community may take advantage of the University’s membership in the Boston Library Consortium, which enables access to the collections of 18 academic and research libraries in New England. Materials from other libraries can also be requested through interlibrary loan via our online system. Articles from other libraries will be delivered in electronic format. Document delivery service for locally owned articles is also available.

The Brandeis Identification Card serves as a library card. Students, faculty, and staff must present this card in order to check out library materials, including loaner laptops, tablets, chargers, and other peripherals. Library accounts can be managed online.

Materials assigned for classes—whether print, audio, or visual media—may be accessed in one of two ways: “traditional” reserve materials (print materials, music CDs, films) can be found in the library and used onsite or borrowed for limited loan times. Electronic reserve materials (including streaming audio and video) are offered through the LATTE learning management system, which is used by over 500 classes a semester and is supported by the Information Technology Services staff.

Library staff also offer assistance with technology used in teaching and learning. Students, faculty, and staff interested in creating multimedia projects for their classes are invited to make use of the computers, equipment, and software in the Getz Multimedia Lab, which provides members of the community with training and support for project work in video production, audio production, digital photography, graphic design, and animation. Media digitization and conversion services are also available.

The Library’s MakerLab, located on the Farber Mezzanine, supports educational, social, and technological innovation, by enabling students, faculty, and staff to create things with their hearts, hands and minds. MakerLab resources include 3D printing, Virtual Reality headsets, custom computers, 3D scanning, drones, and more.

Information Technology Services

Brandeis’s networking services provide high-speed Internet and campus wide connections. High-speed communication with other members of educational and research communities is facilitated through membership in Internet2. Brandeis is part of the eduroam wireless network, allowing students to use their Brandeis credentials to connect to the eduroam wireless network at participating peer colleges and universities. ITS provides students, faculty, and staff access to Google’s G Suite for e-mail, calendar, file storage, and the complete suite of Google products.

Brandeis students have access to public computer labs with networked Dell and Apple computers, printers, digital scanners, and specialized software. There are approximately 200 computers in eight classrooms and clusters located in the Library and the Shapiro Campus Center. Most classrooms and clusters are open up to 15 hours per day, and the Shapiro Campus Center cluster is available 24 hours a day.

In campus residential rooms, students will have access to cable TV service. More than 70 channels are offered, including 11 foreign language channels. Students who reside on campus also have access to a TV streaming service offered by Xfinity.

ITS provides telephony services to the community. Residence halls are equipped with telephones for community use in common areas of residential buildings. Staff and faculty typically receive an individual telephone and phone number as well.

Desktop and mobile computing assistance is available for students, staff, and faculty through the ITS Help Desk. Assistance is available by phone, walk-in, or through an online ticketing system. ITS staff help with computer hardware and software issues to help community members access University resources and keep their devices free of viruses.

Wireless Internet is available in all buildings and in many outside locations.

Library Facilities

Most of the electronic resources available via the Library may be accessed through the workstations provided in the Library, as well as through any computer authenticated to the campus network, either on or off campus. They are available 24 hours a day.

The Main Library comprises three connected buildings: the Bertha and Jacob Goldfarb Library, the Leonard L. Farber Library, and the Rapaporte Treasure Hall. The Goldfarb/ Farber Libraries house resources and services supporting the humanities, the social sciences, Judaica, and creative arts. The Rapaporte Treasure Hall is the site of many events and lectures during the academic year.

The main floor of the Goldfarb Library offers a variety of services. Students, faculty, and staff will find research assistance here, as well as computer help services, borrowing services, and course-reserves services.

The University Writing Center is located on the Mezzanine of Goldfarb Library. The Writing Center offers free writing tutorial services to all Brandeis University undergraduate and graduate students.

The ITS Service Center is located on the first level of the Goldfarb Library. Community members can receive software and hardware support for their mobile computing devices. Apple and Dell computers may be eligible for warranty and fee-based repair, while IBM, Lenovo, HP, and other name-brand computers may be repaired for a fee.

The Judaica Library, located on the mezzanine level of the Goldfarb Library, contains one of the country's most important collections of reference materials and core texts in major areas of Judaic studies, the ancient Near East, and the modern Middle East. The Judaica book collection includes more than 150,000 titles in Hebrew, Arabic, and Western European languages.

The Robert D. Farber University Archives & Special Collections Department is located on the second level of the Goldfarb Library and houses Brandeis University's unique and rare historical primary sources, which support teaching, research, and scholarship at the university and beyond. The University Archives contains materials related to Brandeis University, documenting the origin, development, and achievements of the university and its faculty, staff, and alumni. Special Collections contains rare books and manuscript material, ranging from the year 120 CE to the recent past, on many different subjects. These collections also include photographs, correspondence, visual materials, and other documents, including materials related to Joseph Heller, Louis Brandeis, Lenny Bruce, Alfred Dreyfus, the Spanish Civil War, World Wars I and II, the Holocaust, Jewish feminism, and much more. The department also offers research assistance and consultation on the management and disposition of university records.

The Media and Technology Services Department is located on the third level of the Goldfarb Library. This department maintains the university's technology-rich classrooms and learning spaces, manages and supports online learning and conferencing programs, automated lecture capture, the campus video server environment, and digital signage initiatives, while providing loaner equipment such as sound systems, computers, data projectors, and BluRay and DVD players. Audio and video production, editing, and conversion services are also available.

The Norman and Rosita Winston Creative Arts Center is located on the third and fourth levels of the Farber Library. The center houses more than 15,000 music scores and more than 35,000 sound recordings.

The Brandeis MakerLab is located on the Farber Mezzanine, and offers resources for creation in both virtual and practical environments.

Residence Halls

The Department of Community Living manages all residential facilities on campus. First-year students are assigned to double rooms or triple rooms on corridors with shared bathrooms in either Massell Quadrangle or North Quadrangle (Leon Court). It is important to note: The university cannot honor requests for a specific roommate or for a roommate with a particular religious or cultural background. Upperclass students choose accommodations at room selection held each spring.

Students are guaranteed four consecutive semesters of on-campus housing, unless they are part of the entering midyear class. Members of the midyear classes are guaranteed three consecutive semesters of on-campus housing.

In recent years, upperclass students not housed through room selection, who remained patient and flexible, either found off-campus housing or were accommodated on campus through a waiting-list process. Entering transfer students are admitted with the understanding that they may not be eligible for campus housing.

Charles River Apartments

This apartment complex houses upperclass students and students. Each apartment is equipped with a full kitchen, common area, bathroom and a varying number of single bedrooms. Included in the facility is the Charles River (Gornstein) Commons, where community events are held.

This area includes the Max and Ann Coffman Building, the Ollie A. Cohen Building, the Morton May Building, and the George I. Lewis Building.

East Quadrangle

East Quadrangle houses undergraduate students in double- and single-student rooms, several offering views of the Boston skyline. Located in the Swig Student Center connected to East Quadrangle is the Intercultural Center, with study space and computer connection to the main library.

The East Quadrangle residence halls include the Henry and Marion Hassenfeld House, the Lawrence J. and Anne Rubenstein Hall, the Fred P. and Gerta Pomerantz Hall, the Hyman and Mary Krivoff House and Shapiro Brothers Hall.

Foster Student Living Center

This complex of undergraduate student housing features apartments built around a courtyard-duplex format. Each apartment can accommodate four to six students and is complete with living room, dining room, kitchen, bedroom-study areas, bathrooms and private entrances.

The Foster Mods are made up of four clusters of nine units apiece, including the Frank and Matilda Casty Residences, the Ben Tobin Residence Hall and the Norman and Adele Morris Residence Hall.

Massell Quadrangle

Massell Quadrangle consists of four buildings, overlooking a central quadrangle, with walks encircling the Anne J. Kane Reflecting Pool and the Albert Yakus Meditation Area. Each unit has fully equipped student rooms and common-area lounges for studying and community programs.

Massell includes the Mr. and Mrs. Morris Shapiro Hall, the Helen L. Deroy Hall, the Anna Renfield Hall, the Edyth and Irving Usen Hall and the George and Beatrice Sherman Student Center.

North Quadrangle (Leon Court)

The Adolf and Felicia Leon Court, also known as North Quadrangle, contains four residence halls, in addition to the Milton and Hattie Kutz Hall, which houses administrative offices. Each residence unit contains fully equipped student rooms and common-area lounges.

Residence halls in this quadrangle include the Ethel and A.W. Link Scheffres Hall, the Maurice and Dorothy Gordon Hall, the Robert P. and Fannie Cable Hall and the Mr. and Mrs. Frank H. Reitman Hall.

Ridgewood Apartments

The Ridgewood Apartments consist of three residence halls that provide apartment-style housing, with all single bedrooms, full kitchens, bathrooms and living rooms.

The northernmost of the three buildings includes the South Campus Commons (Ridgewood Commons), a 3,200-square-foot multipurpose space for events, dances, presentations and general student use, as well as a kitchen that will allow for larger-group meals.

Rosenthal Residence Halls

Adjacent to Massell Quadrangle, the Anne and David Rosenthal Student Residence Halls accommodate upperclass students in eight-person suites with living rooms and private bathrooms.

The Village Quadrangle

The Village is a facility that houses upperclass students. With community kitchens, spiral staircases and quaint living rooms nestled in the corners of the building, the Village boasts the best of both worlds – independent living in a community atmosphere.

The Village includes a multipurpose room, a cardiovascular work out facility, TV Lounge, piano lounge and a lecture room used for classes or study groups.

567 South street is a small apartment building that houses upperclass students. 567 South Street is part of the Village/567 community.

Ziv Quadrangle

The Sy and Gladys Ziv Residence Quadrangle includes William Mazer Hall among the four residence halls. The four halls accommodate undergraduate students in suite style accommodations. Each suite has six single bedrooms, a living room and two bathrooms.

Student Facilities

The Three Chapels

The university's three chapels – the Leah and Mendel Berlin Chapel (Jewish), the Bethlehem Chapel (Catholic) and the C. Allen Harlan Chapel (Protestant) – serve the Brandeis community through services that take place here under the aegis of the Hillel Foundation, the Bethlehem Chapel Community and the Harlan Chapel Christian Community.

Traditional and innovative services are held regularly. Regular Muslim services, including weekly Juma prayers, are held in the Usdan Student Center. Regular prayer and meditation for students from Hindu, Jain, Sikh, and Buddhist students takes place in the Dharmic Prayer Space in the Shapiro Campus Center, and events for students from the Dharmic faiths is organized by the Sangha and Namaskar groups.

Hassenfeld Conference Center

The Rita Dee and Harold Hassenfeld University Conference Center contains a banquet/lecture hall and six rooms for meetings and conferences.

Sherman Student Center

The ground-floor dining hall of the George and Beatrice Sherman Student Center serves over 1,000 students daily and includes the university's kosher food preparation and dining facilities. The upper level includes The Stein, the campus pub/restaurant and the Feldberg Lounge.

Benjamin H. and Mae Swig Student Center

The Swig Student Center is the home to the University's vibrant Intercultural Center (ICC). Outfitted with a conference room, classroom, lounge, multi-purpose room, kitchen and library, the center houses 17 student organizations. Space is available for reservation.

Usdan Student Center

The Nathaniel H. and Suzanne Usdan Student Center complex incorporates student social, cultural and recreational facilities, as well as some student and administrative services. It is located close to academic and residence facilities and houses the following: ballroom seating for 900 people, post office, mailroom, convenience store, campus cafeteria and dining, lounges, game room and rooms for formal and informal student uses.

The Carl and Ruth Shapiro Campus Center

The Carl and Ruth Shapiro Campus Center, which opened in fall 2002, is the center of campus for the university community, comprising our students, faculty, administration, alumni and guests.

Located adjacent to the Hassenfeld Conference Center, the main administration buildings and Massell Quad, the center includes many group and individual study spaces; a 249-seat theater designated specifically for undergraduate theater production; a computer room; Einstein Bros. café; a television lounge; and the university bookstore. This center combines with the Usdan Student Center and the Intercultural Center in the Swig Student Center to represent a well-considered plan for community life at Brandeis.

The center also houses the administrative offices of the Division of Student Life and Success, Department of Student Activities, Department of Community Service and Department of Student Rights and Community Standards. Additionally, the center houses social areas and student club and organization spaces, including offices for the Campus Activities Board (the major programming board), WBRS-FM (the radio station), the Justice and The Hoot (campus newspapers), the Waltham Group (community services organization), BTV (Brandeis Television), Student Union and much more.

Athletic Facilities

Opened in January of 1992, the Gosman Sports and Convocation Center is one of the largest multipurpose, indoor athletic facilities of its kind in New England. It is part of the Joseph F. and Clara Ford Athletic and Recreation Complex, which includes the renovated Abraham Shapiro Athletic Center and the recently renovated Joseph M. Linsey Center.

The 70,000-square-foot Gosman Center houses the Red Auerbach Arena, seating approximately 2,500 for basketball and volleyball, as well as a 200-meter six-lane running track, seven squash courts, three multipurpose rooms, two weight rooms, a trophy room, concession area and department offices.

The Shapiro Center features three intramural/recreation courts, as well as locker rooms, saunas, equipment and training rooms to serve the entire Ford Complex.

The Linsey Center includes a six-lane, 25-yard pool that recently underwent extensive upgrades. It also includes four newly renovated multi-purpose rooms.

This combination of athletic facilities serves the varsity, intramural and recreational needs of the Brandeis community, as well as providing space for concerts, commencement, convocations, cultural events and major conferences.

Outdoor athletic facilities include the Celia and Samuel Gordon Field and running track, fully lighted for nighttime use, the Abraham Marcus Playing Field, which includes the Morry Stein Baseball Diamond, and the Goldie and Maurice H. Rieger Tennis Courts.

Dining Facilities

There are many options located in a variety of locations throughout the Brandeis campus. Food options are managed by Sodexo USA, Domenic’s, and Brandeis students. Many of the facilities accept the residential meal plans complemented by locations featuring national brands such as Einstein’s Bagels, Starbucks, and Dunkin Donuts. There are a variety of meal plans for undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and staff.

Usdan Student Center

Usdan Student Center features an all you care to eat Residential Dining location complemented retail venues such as Dunkin Donuts, SubConnection, Currito’s Burritos without Borders, Louis Kosher Deli, Sushi, and a full service convenience store, The Hoot Market.

The Stein

Located in the Sherman Student Center, The Stein is a restaurant that offers sandwiches, light meals, beer and wine. The Stein also serves as the campus pub. It is a popular gathering place for students throughout the academic year.

Faculty Club

The Brandeis University Faculty Club is located in the Wien Faculty Center. The club offers membership to all in the greater Brandeis community and serves as a central location for formal and informal gatherings. Luncheon is served Monday through Friday from noon to 1:30 p.m. during the academic year.

Starbucks

There are 2 locations on campus that feature Starbucks We Proudly Brew coffee located in Farber Library and the Science Center.

Einsteins Bagels

Located in the Shapiro Campus Center just next to the bookstore, this very popular location features a variety of coffee drinks, sandwiches, and of course, great tasting bagels.

Bookstore

Located in the Shapiro Campus Center, the campus bookstore is operated by a private, non-Brandeis agency.

The bookstore, through close association and coordination with academic departments and faculty members, offers students a comprehensive stock of textbooks and paperbacks related to the academic program. School supplies, computer supplies, clothing, health and beauty aids and gift items may also be purchased at the bookstore.

Post Office and Student Mailroom

The campus mailroom is located in the Usdan Student Center. All undergraduate student mail is delivered to the campus post office, and a separate mailbox is maintained for each undergraduate student. All graduate student mail is delivered to the graduate department, where a separate mailbox is maintained for each student.

All U.S. postal services are provided, including the sale of stamps and money orders, registry of mail, handling of parcel post packages and express mail delivery.

The Carl and Ruth Shapiro Admissions Center

The Carl and Ruth Shapiro Admissions Center is located in a state-of-the-art admissions facility at the foot of campus. The center serves as the focal point for prospective students and their families. It includes offices for student interviews, a media presentation room and computerized workstations for processing applications and related documentation.