New Employee Orientation
Date of Current Revision: October 2007
Responsible Officer: Director, Human Resources
- PURPOSE
This policy will communicate and define the university’s vision and plan for new employee orientation.
- AUTHORITY
University administration has set forth the mandate that new employees be given a thorough introduction to the university and their roles as members of the university community.
- DEFINITIONS
Orientation:
A systematic, strategic program designed to educate and affirm new employees for the purpose of making their employment experience more fulfilling and their work more productive.
Administrative & Professional Faculty:
This is a faculty member whose primary responsibility is management or administration but is not teaching (as opposed to instructional faculty).
Classified Employee:
A non-faculty full or part-time employee who is covered by the Virginia Personnel Act.
Instructional Faculty:
Normally a part of the Division of Academic Affairs, Instructional Faculty members are those persons, full or part time, whose primary duties include teaching, service, and research. Occasionally, an Instructional Faculty member may take on an administrative faculty role, such as when a teaching member of an academic department is appointed to serve as dean. Instructional Faculty also have specific guidelines for employment set forth in the University Faculty Handbook.
Wage employee:
As defined by the Commonwealth, a wage employee is a part-time, temporary, or seasonal employee who is limited to working no more than 1500 hours in any 365-day period.
- APPLICABILITY
This policy applies to all full-time classified employees, and, where indicated, to wage employees, Administrative & Professional Faculty members, and Instructional Faculty members.
- POLICY
Orientation occurs in two phases. Phase One (traditional benefits and general information orientation) is required for all full-time, classified employees. Phase Two (non-traditional benefits) is required for all new full-time classified employees and A&P Faculty members and is optional for wage employees, part-time faculty and Instructional Faculty members.
- PROCEDURE
The orientation program is designed to provide new employees with general information about the university and its programs, benefits and personnel policies and procedures. Employees also complete paperwork associated with their employment. Phase One orientation is held every two weeks while Phase Two orientation is held once per month. The new employee is scheduled for the orientation program closest to the employment date.
To assist supervisors in the orientation process, a checklist is available in the Human Resources office. Additions may be made to the checklist to cover unique departmental requirements. The form for classified employees must be returned to the Human Resources office and is maintained in the employee's personnel file.
- RESPONSIBILITY
Division heads, deans, directors, department heads, and supervisors are responsible for the application of this orientation policy. As such, supervisors are required to ensure that all new full-time employees covered under this policy attend the Human Resources Orientation Program. In addition, division heads, deans, directors, department heads, and supervisors are responsible for providing newly appointed, promoted, or transferred employees with job training and information specific to departmental operations.
The formal orientation sessions are the responsibility of the Department of Human Resources.
- SANCTIONS
Sanctions will be commensurate with the severity and/or frequency of the offense and may include termination of employment. - EXCLUSIONS
This policy does not apply to instructional faculty members. New Instructional Faculty orientation is normally coordinated by the Office of Academic Affairs and occurs in late August just before the start of the fall semester. Instructional Faculty are encouraged to attend Phase Two.
- INTERPRETATION
The authority to interpret this policy rests with the President, and is generally delegated to the Director of Human Resources.
Approved by the President: April, 2002
Index Terms
Orientation
New Employee Orientation