What to Expect

When you start your career here at UMD, there will be a lot of things to learn. It can help to have a checklist of “to-dos” to get started. Below are suggestions for “to-dos” for your first day, your first week, and your first month of employment. Many of these may already be a part of the orientation schedule developed by your supervisor or department. If you have questions, make sure to check with your supervisor.

You may also want to print these additional resources to help your onboarding process:


First Day

  • Meet your supervisor and co-workers: Get to know the people you will be working with and ask to join them for lunch. Try to learn the names of at least four of your co-workers by the end of the day.
  • Tour your work area and building: Get to know your work space. This includes the mail room, break room, emergency exits, restrooms, and parking locations.
  •  Fill out employment forms: I-9, W-4 form, etc. Your Department Liaison (DL) will help with this, but you can start some of the forms before starting work by filling out your portion of the I-9 form. An I-9 Reference Guide is available to help you through the process.
  • Get your employee identification: You will be assigned an Internet ID once you are entered in the University's payroll system. The TechCenter Help Desk in ITSS can help you set up your email account and password.
  • Attend New Employee Orientation:  Each semester, we offer a New Employee Orientation session online and in-person. You will learn more information about UMD, its resources and get the chance to network with other new UMD employees. Be sure to register in advance for our January and September sessions, or check out our on-demand session any time!


First Week

  • Get a U Card: The U Card is your official UMD photo ID. Your U Card will give you access to many campus facilities and services such as secure work locations, librarycomputer labs, ITV, and RSOP. You must bring a government-issued photo ID with you when you get your U Card.
  • Sign up for direct deposit: Direct deposit allows payroll to deposit your pay directly to your bank account. You must have your Internet ID and password to do this. To sign up, go to MyU and look at My Pay, and then Direct Deposit Set-Up.
  • Parking and transportation services: Visit the Transportation & Parking Services website for information about parking, and bus schedules.
  • Review training and development plan: Talk to your supervisor about which training courses you will need and be sure you get them scheduled. Courses may include Code of Conduct, HIPAA (medical privacy), FERPA (student privacy), PeopleSoft (enterprise software for finance, human resources, and student data), or data privacy.
  • Sign up for benefits: New employees must enroll in benefits within 30 days from the start of their employment. University benefits include medical, dental, pharmacy, life insurance, financial counseling, and more. Be sure to read through the Enrollment Guide for New Employees (pdf) for information about all University benefits.
  • Enroll in the Wellness Program: If your benefits effective date is before September 1, you can participate in the Wellness Program to earn points toward a potential savings of  $500 or $750 on your UPlan medical rates for the upcoming year.
  • Explore the campus and sign up for a tour: Visit the many beautiful campus sites and buildings. Campus maps for UMD will help you find your way around your campus. Here are two self-guided tours with information just for employees. You may also sign up for a tour.


First Month

  • Information Security Awareness Training: You will receive an email inviting you to take the University Information Security Awareness Training, a required 20- to 30-minute online course. Because it's likely that you will come in contact with private data in your work, it's important that you complete this training as soon as possible. Check with your supervisor if you have questions about this training requirement.
  • Check your emergency contacts and other information under the My Info tab in MyU and sign up for emergency notifications using the TXT-U system.
  • Learn about your employee group: University employees belong to either the Labor Represented, Civil Service, P&A, or Faculty employee groups. Research what your employee group does and what guiding rules, contracts, and policies affect your employment.