The Brandeis University Division of Student Affairs comprises 15 departments and offices, each dedicated to supporting student success outside the classroom and working collaboratively with academic affairs to integrate curricular and co-curricular experiences in a holistic approach to student life.
The Brandeis Counseling Center is a multicultural treatment center that strives to meet students' developmental, emotional and mental-health needs. The center focuses on stabilization and short-term individual therapy and group therapy, as well as offers psychiatry and medication management. When students are interested in longer term, exploratory individual work, the counseling center offers referrals to off-campus resources, with the assistance of the case manager, who can help find appropriate referrals off campus.
The Brandeis Health Center is an on-campus resource for Brandeis graduate and undergraduate students, providing episodic, primary and preventive medical services by board-certified, licensed medical doctors and nurse practitioners. The center's services are respectful, inclusive, accessible and confidential.
Brandeis Hillel supports Jewish life on campus. Students forge new friendships, meet dedicated mentors, celebrate the Jewish holidays, engage in service to others and are inspired by Jewish texts and traditions. All Brandeis students are welcome at Hillel’s programs and activities, including Friday Shabbat dinners when school is in session.
The Center for Spiritual Life provides regular worship opportunities, sacred spaces, holiday celebrations, and social and educational programs. Brandeis chaplains offer counseling, support and community to students of all faiths.
Community Living cultivates an inclusive, diverse and symbiotic living and learning environment in all Brandeis residence halls. The department empowers students to respectfully challenge one another and engage in opportunities of holistic enrichment through critical thinking, constructive dialogue and leadership development.
The Dean of Students Office serves the needs and interests of students and has broad responsibility for the services and activities that enhance the quality of student life outside the classroom. The office works directly with the offices of student activities; community service; and student rights and community standards to assist students through academic, personal, safety and family concerns.
The office also assists undergraduate students and their families by providing support during moments of challenge or crisis, connecting students with additional offices and personnel and providing environments for lifelong learning inside and outside the classroom.
The Department of Athletics, Physical Education, and Recreation enriches the current and future lives of the Brandeis community through sport, fitness and wellness offerings. The department provides opportunities for students to seek competitive excellence, encourages students to explore interests and habits which lead to a well-balanced lifestyle and the development and appreciation of lifelong health and fitness, and fosters an inclusive community in which all can learn, play and compete.
Brandeis fields 19 Division III varsity athletic programs. The Judges compete in the University Athletic Association (UAA).
The Department of Orientation creates, implements and evaluates all elements of the comprehensive new-student orientation programs in August and January. The staff advises and supervises two orientation core committees, small groups of undergraduate student leaders who are chosen through a selective process to create and coordinate orientation programming. Additionally, more than 100 volunteer orientation leaders are selected for the August and January orientation programs to serve as mentors and role models to incoming students.
The Department of Student Rights and Community Standards works with Brandeis students to provide educational opportunities for personal growth and values clarification. The department performs educational outreach around the university's core values; deals with inappropriate student behavior in a fair and responsive manner, offering restorative justice as an option for harm repair, when appropriate; oversees alcohol and other drug education; and provides interpersonal communication, academic integrity and leadership development.
The Hiatt Career Center helps Brandeis undergraduate students and alumni to develop career skills and strategies that develop and harness their adaptability, creativity, entrepreneurship and resilience to be successful in an ever-changing professional world. The center's nationally recognized staff comes from a wide range of backgrounds and careers, and brings valuable and varied methods of training and expertise to its work.
The Office of Graduate Affairs recognizes that separating students into academic and nonacademic personas is not always helpful, and we commit to various and diverse resources and programming relevant to a holistic understanding of our students' lives. The office also provides resources and programming that focus on graduate students' overall health and wellness, professional development, and future career prospects.
The Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs serves as a central resource for Brandeis students. Additionally, we provide information for families, opportunities for students to voice their opinions on pressing campus matters, and moments for the community to come together with a shared school spirit.
The Prevention, Advocacy and Resource Center works to prevent interpersonal violence — sexual assault, dating/domestic violence and stalking — and advocates for and with those who have been impacted by violence through a combination of education, awareness-raising and support. The center offers confidential, in-person support with professional staff or Peer Advocates, a 24/7 hotline, and the Violence Prevention Education program, which provides training sessions across campus on Pro-Social Bystander Intervention, Consent, Healthy Relationships, and more.