At the end of December 2020, the "Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021" was passed, and it included important changes to the rules governing Health Care and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts. The changes affect plan years 2020 and 2021. The provisions are optional for employers/plan sponsors to adopt. As noted in a previous edition of InBrief, here are more details on the FSA plan changes and how they impact participants:

1. Midyear Election Changes Permitted
2. Expanded Grace Period for the Health and Daycare Flexible Spending Accounts
3. Increase of Maximum Age of Dependents

For complete details please visit the Office of Human Resources website.

Brandeis is pleased to announce that a second round of Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) Grants, for expenses related to COVID-19, will be available to eligible students in mid-March.  Please visit the HEERF II website for more information. 

Email is essential to our everyday communication and interaction with one another. Did you know that more than 90% of data breaches start with a phishing email? Phishing attacks are scams that look like they come from a trusted source but trick you into giving up private information. Even with Brandeis’ sophisticated security measures, YOU are still the best defense against phishing emails. To help the community become experts in detecting phishing or fraudulent emails, ITS is launching a two-part program to increase security awareness. 

Beginning in mid-March, faculty and staff will be enrolled in a security awareness course hosted by KnowBe4. Individuals will receive an email notification when the training is available. The message will have the subject line of “Now Available: Security awareness training.” The first module is a short video that provides a foundation for identifying social engineering and phishing attacks. ITS will provide additional modules to conduct ongoing security awareness training. Starting in April, we’ll see if you can pass the Security Office’s simulated phishing test. ITS will periodically send you simulated phishing messages designed to imitate real scams. These simulations are done in a safe, educational environment and there are no negative consequences if you mistakenly reply to the simulated message. If you click on a link, you will be redirected to an informational page identifying the message as a phishing simulation along with helpful tips on identifying these messages in the future. If you recognize an email as a phishing scam, we encourage you to report it. 

Don’t get caught by a phish! Report any phishing or suspicious email you receive or may have responded to by forwarding the message to phishing@brandeis.edu. Visit the ITS website to learn more about phishing awareness and tips for staying secure. For questions or more info, contact security@brandeis.edu.

Tell us what you think about campus dining and enter to win a $100 shopping spree at the C-Store by completing the Dining Satisfaction Survey.  The survey will remain open until March 20.

Beginning Monday, March 15, members of the Brandeis Benefits team will be available via Zoom for "drop-in sessions" to answer general benefits questions.

The Benefits team will also be offering the following topic related sessions via Zoom:

• Flexible Spending Account, Wednesday, March 17
• Retirement Plan, Wednesday, March 24
• Health and Welfare Benefits and Workday, Friday, March 26,
• Paid Medical and Family Leave,Wednesday, March 31

All sessions are offered from 2-3 p.m. To join any of these sessions please use this Zoom link.

On Saturday, March 13 Workday will be upgraded to a new version. The system will be unavailable on Saturday from 2 - 10 a.m. while the system is updated with new and improved features that improve accessibility and improve the user experience. Here is some helpful information to prepare you for the upcoming changes. Non-exempt hourly staff and student workers will see some new features when entering time including an easier way to navigate to a specific week and the ability to review time entered before selecting submit. Check out the updated time entry job aids (non-exempt, hourly employees or student workers) for details on the changes to time tracking. Please visit the Workday@Brandeis website for additional resources. For questions, please contact workday-help@brandeis.edu.

With the new dining contract, Brandeis put forth eight sustainability goals that will drive significant improvement in Brandeis Dining Services. Join The Office of Sustainability to learn what they are and how they are measured on Friday, March 19, 11 a.m. -12 p.m.  Register

The financial aid renewal application deadline for the 2021-2022 academic year was March 1.  If you have not already done so, please complete your application as soon as possible. Students receiving need-based scholarship funds must submit the 2021-2022 CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE, the 2021-22 Free Application for Federal Student Aid , and copies of 2019 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 was sent to students and parents in early December.

The Office of Student Financial Services is currently operating remotely. If you have questions about financial aid, billing or student employment/I-9's, please contact us at 781-736-3700 or sfs@brandeis.edu from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., M-F.  The lobby is now open for in-person I-9 completion/financial aid document appointments. Please schedule your lobby appointment here.

Sign up for one of our new one-on-one financial literacy sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays!  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 a 20-minute appointment today.

If you are an instructor or TA with questions about LATTE, please join the library's Zoom drop-in hours, offered every Friday from 2-4 p.m. Please visit the Center for Teaching and Learning website for the Zoom information.

The Library is offering the following workshops for faculty, staff, and students this month:

• Excel with Excel: Overview, Tips and Tricks. Part II, 1 p.m., Thursday, March 25
• Find Funding Opportunities using Library Databases, 11 a.m., Monday, March 15
• Introduction to Zotero, 11 a.m., Tuesday, March 16
• Qualitative Research Analysis: Intro to Atlas.ti 9 ( PC users), 2 p.m., Tuesday March 16
• Researching in the Archives, 2 p.m., Wednesday, March 17
• Text Analysis using R, 12 p.m.,  Friday, March 19
• Qualitative Research Analysis: Intro to Atlas.ti 9 ( Mac users), 2 p.m., Tuesday, March 23
• Data Services Drop-In, 9:30 a.m., Fridays
• Using the Jamboard software for Teaching, 10 a.m., Mondays
• Intro to 3D Scanning, 9 a.m., Wednesdays
• Introductory Module of Arduino Electronics Workshop, 12 p.m., Wednesdays
• MakerLab, Automation Lab and Digital Scholarship Lab VIRTUAL Tour!, 9 a.m., Thursdays
• Advanced Arduino Electronics Workshop, 11 a.m., Fridays

SaveOhno is back. Ohno is your fictional grandchild, suffering from the negative effects of climate change. Your team takes virtual actions each day to make Ohno’s future better. Each member of the winning team (up to 10 people) gets a Patagonia fleece. Other prizes are available for second and third place teams. The competition runs March 12 to April 2. Teams of up to 10 people each can join. The competition is open to faculty, staff and students, on campus or off.  Register

At the Community Check-in on Tuesday, February 23, President Liebowitz announced a new administrative and academic holiday, Juneteenth, as recommended by the Brandeis University Staff Advisory Council (BUSAC). Juneteenth is a 155-year-old holiday celebrating the emancipation of African-Americans from slavery in the U.S. It is celebrated on June 19 because on that date in 1865, Major General Gordon Granger of the Union Army landed in Galveston, Texas and informed slaves that the Civil War had ended and slavery had been abolished. Juneteenth has always been both a day of remembrance and an opportunity for African-Americans to honor their history and celebrate Black culture. It is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States.

This virtual workshop will provide strategies for intervening when witnessing potential or actualized violence, focusing primarily on sexual violence, dating/domestic violence, and non-physical violence (such as discrimination and harassment) both in and out of the workplace. The workshop will also cover how to respond with support if someone tells you they have experienced violence.

Register here. Please email parc@brandeis.edu with any questions.

Calling all instructors - did you know you can use Echo360 to manage, host, and record academic video including Zoom recordings? Take advantage of the recent integration between Echo360 and LATTE which makes posting videos to LATTE quick and easy. Also, Zoom cloud recordings are automatically copied to your Echo360 library for extended storage, management, and sharing. Echo360 is also available to students and is a great solution for submitting course video assignments.

• Why should you consider using Echo360 for teaching?
• Manage and store your video lectures including your Zoom recordings
• Quickly and easily post videos to LATTE
• Make your videos accessible with editable auto transcripts
• Add interactive quizzes to your videos
• Edit your videos with the integrated editing tool
• View analytics to see how your students are engaging with the content


Want to learn more? Check out the Echo360 resources on the ITS website for more information about key features including the Echo360/LATTE integration or email help@brandeis.edu for assistance.

The Workday Student team is excited to share that the second milestone of the Workday Student implementation is fast approaching. Watch this short Intro to Workday Student video to learn more about the phased transition from Sage to Workday as the university's student information system. This spring, students will begin using Workday to view and manage personal information and register for fall 2021 courses, while faculty will be able to view student records and information about their advisees. 


The project teams are working together with partners from functional offices, academic departments, and the community for the upcoming rollout. The team will be using multiple approaches and communication channels to prepare the community for the upcoming transition including video tutorials, virtual training, and drop-in sessions. More information will be provided in the upcoming weeks. Visit the Workday Student project website to learn more including project overview, upcoming milestones, and functionality. Please contact the Workday Student team at workday@brandeis.edu with any questions.

The Academic Technology Advisory Committee receives, proposes, prioritizes, and submits recommendations related to the acquisition and use of technology in support of the academic mission of the University including the areas of teaching, learning, research, and scholarship. 

The IT Governance web page lists the products approved for this academic year including Gradescope, Prism, BeyondLabz, MacMillan Achieve and LaunchPad, Sapling Plus, and PsychLearn. Overleaf has recently been approved as well, and more information regarding the university-wide license for the product will be available soon. For additional information regarding these products, please contact library@brandeis.edu.

With tax season well underway, ITS Security wants to remind the community to be aware of tax-related scams. Thousands of people have lost millions of dollars and their personal information to tax scams. The IRS does not initiate contact with taxpayers by email, text messages, or social media channels to request personal or financial information. As a reminder, never give out your social security number, credit card, or other personal information to telemarketers or in response to emails or text messages requesting this information. Watch this helpful video to learn how to spot a possible tax scam. Additionally, beware of any emails related to your W-2. Brandeis employees can download their electronic W-2 from Workday. 



Visit the IRS website to view a current list of known scams. Report all unsolicited emails claiming to be from the IRS or an IRS-related function to phishing@irs.gov. For more information or questions, contact the ITS Security Office at security@brandeis.edu.

Human Resources is offering the following three-hour virtual workshops in Spring 2021 presented by Skill Path:

• Thursday, March 25, 1-4 p.m. – How to be an Effective Virtual Team Member
• Tuesday, April 27, 9 a.m.-12 p.m. – Returning to the Workplace: An Employee’s Guide
• Tuesday, May 11, 9 a.m.-12 p.m. – Managing Conflict and Confrontation

A series of trainings for managers detailing how to implement specific Brandeis policies and procedures in light of COVID-19. Trainings will be presented virtually via Zoom.

• Wednesday, March 17, 10-11 a.m. – Conducting One-On-Ones
• Tuesday, March 30, 1-2 p.m. – Intro to Leaves Policy
• Tuesday, April 6, 10-11 a.m. – Legal Considerations of the Supervisor
• Monday, April 12, 10-11 a.m. – Performance Reviews: Coaching and Counseling

Additional Workshops presented via Zoom:

• Thursday, March 18, 10-11 a.m. – Leading Employees Through Change
• Friday, March 26, 9-11 a.m. – Improving Business Writing
• Tuesday, April 13, 10-11 a.m. – The Road to Resiliency
• Thursday, May 13, 10-11 a.m. – Un-clutter to De-stress: Simple Steps to Simplify Your Life

Please visit the links for more information and registration. For questions please email Cynthia Farquhar.

New Direction is offering a series of webinars with sessions at both 12-1 p.m. and 3-4 p.m. ET on Wednesday.

• Wednesday, March 17 – Work-Life Harmony
• Wednesday, March 24 – Shaping Your Workplace Culture
• Wednesday, April 21 – Substance Use and Your Loved Ones
• Wednesday, May 19 – Overcoming Loneliness

For a description of each webinar and directions to register please visit the Office of Human Resources Training and Professional Development webpage.