Welcome. You made it. You are here. We could not be more excited that you are.
You are joining a community of diverse, talented, and passionate people who share in the vision and mission of CU Boulder. The purpose of onboarding is to move new employees to higher levels of productivity faster. Our campus onboarding philosophy encompasses the entire first year experience of a new employee. Onboarding is a process, not an event.
Before Your First Day
To-Do List
- Begin the I-9
- Active your IdentiKey
- Send for your Buff OneCard
- Connect with your supervisor
Instructions
In accordance with the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 ("IRCA"), the University of Colorado Boulder must verify employment eligibility of each employee within the first three days of employment.
Completing Section #1
Completion of Form I-9 is a shared responsibility of both the employee and the university.
- You will receive an email from Hire Right inviting you to complete Section #1 of the Form I-9.
- Form I-9 can be completed as soon as, but not before, a job offer has been extended and accepted.
Employees who are working out of state or the country should contact i-9forms@colorado.edu about options for completing the I-9. All federal timelines still apply.
Get Ready to Complete Section #2
- Section #2 must be completed by an I-9 partner, or authorized university representative, on or before the third day of employment.
- You will need to provide original, acceptable documents to complete the I-9.
- To complete section two of the I-9, please visit one of our two locations.
Claim and activate your IdentiKey
An IdentiKey consists of a CU Boulder user name and password.
- You will receive an email from the Office of Information Technology (OIT) when you IdentiKey is ready to be claimed.
- You must activate your account in order to set your security questions and password.
- You will need your unique employee ID number to activate your IdentiKey. If you do not know your employee ID number, contact your supervisor or email newatcu@colorado.edu.
- After you claim your Identikey, you will gain access to your email account.
- Email help@colorado.edu or call the Office of Information Technology at 5-HELP (303-735-4357) from any campus phone for assistance.
Your Buff OneCard is your official university identification. Cards are often used for building access, campus cash, campus services and some events.
How to get your card:
Email boc@colorado.edu and include the following:
- Your full name and employee ID (if available)
- Your mailing address. If you would prefer to pick your card up at the Buff OneCard Office on campus, please request that it be held of pick-up.
- Send a photo to be placed on your Buff OneCard. Attach the photo of yourself following these guidelines:
- Photo should be facing forward in front of a plain, light background.
- No hats or sunglasses.
You will receive a confirmation from the Buff OneCard office that the photo has been received and accepted within two business days. The Buff OneCard office will mail card directly to your mailing address. Delays in mailing services may delay receipt of the card.
Communicate with your supervisor or department HR liaison. Questions you may want to ask are:
- Start time, when to arrive or what your schedule will be
- Where to report when you first arrive or how remote work should take place
- How to get set-up with technology, if applicable
- Dress-code expectations, if applicable
- What to bring on your first day, if applicable
- Your supervisor’s phone number or who to contact for questions.
Your First Week
To-Do List
- Complete the COVID-19 Vaccine Requirement
- Finish the I-9
- Set-up Direct Deposit and your W-4
- Verify and Update Personal Information
- Complete Required Training
- Understand Your Leave Benefits
- Get Set-Up for Time & Leave Tracking
- Register for New Hire Programs
- Know How to Access IT Resources
Non-Portal Tasks
All CU Boulder staff and faculty need to complete the COVID-19 vaccine requirement. Visit the Faculty/Staff COVID-19 Vaccine Requirement to complete the requirement.
- New employees have 30 days from their start date to complete the requirement.
- CU is in the process of adding new employees to the vaccine verification system, please allow 1-3 days from your start date before attempting to upload your vaccination information or submitting an exemption. If you log into the system and receive a blank screen, you have not been uploaded yet.
Where to Complete Section #2
Starting Monday, August 23
-
Administrative & Research Center- Monday through Friday 9:00 am to 3:00 pm
3100 Marine St., Third Floor
Boulder, CO 80309 -
Regent Administrative Center - Monday through Wednesday 9:00 am to 3:00 pm
Room 1B28, Basement
2055 Regent Drive
Boulder, CO 80309 - What to Bring: The employee should provide acceptable documents to complete the I-9.
*Appointments no longer required.
Under the following circumstances employees should not come to the I-9 office. Please contact i-9forms@colorado.edu to make arrangements to complete the I-9 remotely.
- individuals with confirmed COVID-19,
- individuals showing symptoms and under investigation of COVID-19,
- for household members, intimate partners, and caregivers in a non-healthcare setting of those individuals identified above.
How to access:
- Outlook Email via Microsoft 365
- Access your Office 365 online applications with a combination of your IdentiKey@colorado.edu and IdentiKey password. Please note: only IdentiKey@colorado.edu will work for accessing Office 365 applications, not the common preferred email address format of first.last@colorado.edu.
- Zoom
- VPN
- Microsoft Teams
- Google Workspace
- Access your Google online applications with a combination of your IdentiKey@colorado.edu and IdentiKey password. Please note: only IdentiKey@colorado.edu will work for accessing Google applications, not the common preferred email address format of first.last@colorado.edu.
- Tip! When setting up a Google doc, sheet, slide, or form using a CU Boulder account, it will default that individuals it is shared with will need to be logged into to their colorado.edu Google account. This means if you receive a "Request Access" notice when you should have access, you may need to be logged into Google through your CU Boulder account.
- Review the Acceptable Use of CU Boulder's IT Resources policy.
Need IT assistance? Email oithelp@colorado.edu or call 303-735-HELP.
Your offer letter has a few key pieces of information that will help you with onboarding tasks as you get set-up at CU Boulder.
- In the main letter, look for:
- Type of appointment: paragraph two, first sentence.
- Percent of time
- Employee group: University Staff, Classified Staff, Research Faculty
- Type of appointment: paragraph two, first sentence.
- Under Additional Terms & Conditions, look for:
- Overtime Eligibility
MyCUinfo Portal Tasks
Direct Deposit
Direct deposit must set-up by the 17th of the month to ensure it is in the system before payroll runs. If there is not direct deposit in the portal when payroll runs, you may receive a paycard. We recommend getting direct deposit set-up in the MyCUinfo portal as soon as possible.
- How to set-up Direct Deposit
- Learn more about paycards.
W-4
Set-up your Federal Income Tax withholdings through the MyCUinfo portal. Review the instructions for completing the W-4.
Faculty and staff in permanent positions are paid monthly. Learn how to view your paycheck, find pay dates and understand your pay stub on the Paychecks page.
Verify and update personal information in the MyCUInfo portal:
- Log into the portal.
- Ensure you are on the CU Resources (do not go to the Buff Portal if that is an option.)
- Open the top center CU Resources Home drop-down menu, then select My Info and Pay.
- Choose the My Info tile.
Information You Can Update Yourself:
- Mailing Addresses: Correct home addresses help determine state taxes and up-to-date mailing addresses ensure important documents, such as your W-2, quickly get to you by mail.
- Contact Details: Make sure you can be reached: Add or update your phone numbers and email addresses.
- Emergency Contacts: In the event of an emergency, make sure your contacts can be reached by adding or updating their information.
- Text Alert Preferences: You are opted in automatically. Verify you have a cell phone number on file. If not, change it in the Contact Details tab.
View instructions on updating personal information.
Verify and update personal information in the MyCUInfo portal:
- Log into the portal.
- Ensure you are on the CU Resources (do not go to the Buff Portal if that is an option.)
- Open the top center CU Resources Home drop-down menu, then select My Info and Pay.
- Choose the My Info tile.
Preferred Name: If you have a preferred first name, other than your legal first name you can update it here. View the Preferred Name webpage to learn what impacts making this update has.
Voluntary Identification
The University of Colorado Boulder is committed to achieving full equal opportunity and affirmative action for all applicants and employees. We are required to collect certain demographic information to meet federal reporting requirements. Learn more about Affirmative Action. You have the ability to voluntarily identify in the MyCUinfo portal in the following areas:
- Disability Status
- Veteran Status
- Race and/or Ethnicity
Understand Your Leave Eligibility
- Review your offer letter to determine your position type and leave eligibility. Are you classified staff, university staff, faulty, research faculty? Is your appointment full-time or part-time?
- Visit the leave webpage to find what kind of leave you are eligible for and accrual information based on your position type.
- View the My Leave Step-by-step guide* pages 14 for instructions on how to read leave balances.
- Leave must be accrued before it is used.
- Any leave taken without pay is at supervisor discretion and should be taken with supervisor approval.
Vacation & Sick Leave Overview
Visit the leave webpage for comprehensive leave information. Leave is pro-rated for percent of time.
Classified Staff
- Classified employees accrue annual leave based on length of service. Full-time classified employees in years of service one through five accrue 8 hours of vacation/annual leave, for a maximum accrual of 192 hours.
- Full-time employees accrue leave at 6.66 hrs./month, for a maximum accrual of 360 hours (45 days).
University Staff/ Research Faculty/ 12-month Faculty
- Full-time university staff and faculty on twelve-month appointments are eligible to receive twenty-two (22) working days of paid vacation annually, earned as 14.67 hours per month. The maximum number of hours an employee may accrue is forty-four (44) days, except as indicated in Regent Policy.
- Full-time university staff and faculty on twelve-month appointments are eligible to receive fifteen (15) working days (120 hours) of paid sick leave annually, earned as 10 hours per month. There is no maximum accrual.
Time Tracking and Timesheets: My Leave*
*Not all departments on campus use My Leave. Please verify with you supervisor or HR liaison which time tracking system you use.
Step 1: Find your overtime eligibility
Check your offer letter to verify if you are eligible for overtime or not.
If you are eligible for overtime (non-exempt), you will track:
- All hours worked
- Exceptions (accrued leave, requested leave, comp time, overtime, ETC.)
If you're not eligible for overtime (exempt), you will track:
- Exceptions only (accrued leave, requested leave, ETC.)
Step 2: Set-Up Preferences in My Leave as a first time user
Check with your supervisor or department HR liaisons to verify which time tracking system you use. Many departments use a system called My Leave, but not all.
- If you use My Leave, please proceed.
- If you do not use My Leave, please work with your supervisor or department HR liaisons on how to get set-up on your time tracking system.
All employees who use My Leave, including supervisors and approvers, need to set up their preferences in My Leave before they can enter time, request leave or approve timesheets.
Instructions: View the full My Leave Step-by-step guide pages 2 - 4 for instructions with screen shots. View pages 15 - 19: Setting Up a Flexible (9/80) Work Schedule, if applicable.
- The first time you log into My Leave, the My Leave Preferences page appears with a message containing a link to a step-by-step guide. Click OK to close the message. The My Leave Preferences page appears. You can also find the preferences button at the top of the My Leave page.
- Holiday Schedule: From the Holiday Schedule drop-down list, select the correct holiday schedule for the Boulder campus. If you are employed in a position that is not paid holidays (such as a student), select No Holiday Schedule.
- Click Select Email Notifications. The first time you log into my leave, this button appears. You must click this button in order to save the preferences. The email notification options will display default values.
- Select email triggers for which you want to receive notifications, either as an employee or as a supervisor.
- From the Overtime/Comp Time Eligible drop-down list, select an option. If you are in a non-exempt position, select whether you receive compensatory time or paid overtime (CompTime). If you are in an exempt position and not eligible for comp or overtime, select Not Applicable. Students will default to Overtime.
- In the My Leave Start Date box, type your start date. If you are a new employee, enter your hire date as your start date. This directs My Leave when to start tracking time. If you are a rehired employee, the My Leave start date can be changed to your current rehire date.
- Leave the Weekly Schedule drop-down value as Standard Week. 8. From the Week Begin Day drop-down list, select the value as Sunday.
- In the scheduling grid, enter your regular schedule by selecting Work Days and Hours for each. You can set up the weekly schedule to reflect the normal hours you work. Setting up the default schedule lets you add time to My Leave using the Add Time button in My Leave Calendar View for a range of dates. If you are approved to work a flexible schedule, see Setting Up a Flexible Work Schedule on page 15 in the My Leave Step-by-step guide. Note: Hours are entered using military time (24-hour clock).
- If you do not use your work email regularly, you may want to add your personal email in the CC All Emails To box.
- From the email triggers grid, select the activities for which you would like to receive messages, both as an employee and as a supervisor.
- Click Save & Return for your changes or additions to take effect. Preferences can be changed at any time if your job information has changed.
Step 3: Learn how to enter time.
- If you are eligible for overtime, view the My Leave Step-by-step guide
- Pages 6 - 8: Entering Time on Your Calendar
- Page 10 - Entering All Time Worked - Non-Exempt Employees and Students
- If you are NOT eligible for overtime, view the My Leave Step-by-step guide
- Pages 6 - 8: Entering Time on Your Calendar
- Page 9: Entering Exception Time - Exempt Employees
Step 4: Submitting time sheets at the end of the pay period.
- Ask your supervisor or department HR liaison about when timesheets should be submitted.
- My Leave Step-by-step guide pages 11 - 12: Submitting time sheets at the end of the pay period.
Mandatory Discrimination and Sexual Misconduct Training
This training is offered by the CU Boulder Office of Institutional Equity and Compliance (OIEC). CU Boulder requires all employees (faculty, staff, and student staff) and affiliates to complete the required OIEC training on Discrimination and Sexual Misconduct every three years after initial completion when new to the Boulder campus. Some departments require employees to complete the training more frequently.
Instructions: Select the Boulder campus and after logging in, the course will automatically load in a separate window. The course title is "Discrimination and Sexual Misconduct, CU Boulder and System." After successfully passing the course, it takes approximately 3 business days for the score to be reflected in an employee’s training record.
Access the Discrimination and Harassment Mandatory Training
Campus Security Authority Training
For those designated as a Campus Security Authority
Campus Security Authority training is required for all campus security authorities, including CU faculty and staff members with significant responsibility for student and campus activities. It focuses on learning the crime-reporting requirements under the Clery Act. The Clery Act requires gathering crime data from a wide variety of campus security authorities (CSA) and publishing it to ensure students know about dangers on campus.
CU: Information Security and Privacy Awareness
This 30 minutes course will provide an overview of information security principles, as they apply to information at the University of Colorado.
Instructions :Select the Boulder campus and after logging in, the course will automatically load in a separate window. Access the CU Information Security and Privacy Awareness course.
Access Based Training
Check with your supervisor or department HR liaisons about applications or systems access (e.g. CU-SIS, HCM, CU Finance, CU-Data, Marketplace) you need access to for your role:
- Visit the Request Access page to understand training requirements to request access.
- Common Systems:
- CU Student Integrated Systems (CU-SIS) Access
- Student Integrated Systems (CU-SIS): FERPA training is mandatory for any system access and can be completed through Skillsoft
- Human Capital Management (HCM) Access
- Finance and Marketplace Access
- Travel Card
- Procurement Card
- CU Student Integrated Systems (CU-SIS) Access
Onboarding is a year-long process. These programs are part of our comprehensive, year-long onboarding program offered to new hires at CU Boulder. All new hires (temporary or permanent) are invited to attend virtual programs.
New Employee Welcome Experience
A storytelling tour of campus designed to increase the understanding of CU Boulder’s campus, community, traditions, values and more! Currently offered as a virtual, this course connects you with other new hires on campus and shares the story of how CU Boulder became the institution it is today.
Register for the New Employee Welcome Experience
CU Discover Webinar Series
Offers opportunities to learn from campus experts about the values, mission, initiatives and resources of the CU Boulder campus. Held monthly, these 1-hour webinars present an opportunity to learn more about working in Higher Education and at CU Boulder.
First 31 Days: Enroll/Waive Benefits
Verify in your offer letter if you are eligible for benefits. Generally, permanent appointments that are 50% or greater are eligible.
Online Benefits Orientation & Resources
Instructions
If you are eligible for benefits, you must choose whether to enroll in or waive your offered benefits within 31 days of your hire date. Some benefits will enroll you automatically if you take no action, so please review all your options. You can easily waive or enroll in your benefits by using the benefits enrollment tool in your employee portal. As a new hire, your elections will remain effective for the remainder of the plan year (July 1– June 30).
- Enroll in or waive your health, vision, dental, and retirement benefits through your MyCUinfo Portal.
- If your hire date is the first of the month, your coverage will begin immediately, regardless of the date you actually enroll. If your hire date is any other day than the first of the month, your coverage will be begin the first of the following month.
- Benefits counselors are available by phone 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday 303-860-4200 or benefits@cu.edu.