Table of Contents

Onboarding and New Hires

  • New faculty hires can complete some of the new hire tasks and view pertinent documents such as the Faculty Handbook, Conflict of Interest Policy, Confidentiality Agreement, FMLA Fact Sheet, and many others online. Please note that new employees are still required to complete their I-9 verification that is coordinated by the EHHD Business Operations team, and documents are verified with authorized representatives through Human Resources.
  • New Employee Orientation (all employees, campus-wide) is provided around the employee's start date. For details about specific trainings and dates of New Employee Orientation (NEO) and New Employee Benefits Orientation (NEBO), please refer to the welcome email each new hire employee receives directly from Human Resources. If you have not received this email, please check with your Department Head, as this information is also provided to them and our EHHD Business Operations team.
  • New Employee Benefit Orientation (NEBO) will be available as a self-paced *on demand* video at the following link Banner Training. Required benefits, such as retirement, health, and dental, as well as optional benefits, including Flex Plans and life insurance, will be discussed.
  • New Faculty Orientation (campus-wide) is set at the beginning of the academic year in the fall semester. All pertinent details (dates and types of orientations, including Benefits Orientation and trainings) are sent directly by Human Resource sto faculty via email. If you have not received this email, please check with your Department Head, as this information is also provided to them and our EHHD Business Operations team.  
  • Faculty Jumpstart Sessions are on the set dates and cover details about getting paid, MyInfo, and other important topics necessary to know as a new faculty member. This is also an opportunity for new hires to review paperwork that cannot be done online such as their W-4, direct deposit form, decedent’s warrant, I-9, and others.

  • The New Faculty Orientation is facilitated by the Center for Faculty Excellence is typically at the beginning of Academic Year, in mid of August. Details regarding this orientation are sent each year in a separate email.  

  • **Choices selections must be made through the benefits platform  CHOICES - MUS Employee Benefits Programs | Montana University System  before the 30th calendar day of employment! Employees with incomplete enrollment will default to basic coverage after this deadline! **

  • Please do not hesitate to reach out to EHHD Business Operations team at jobsehhd@montana.edu for information regarding departmental onboarding, HR Service Center at hrservicecenter@montana.edu for info about campus wide-onboarding, or your EHHD HR Business Partner if you have any questions.

Key Calendars, Events, and Holidays

Teaching and Learning Technologies

  • Brightspace - D2L Brightspace is the learning platform used by Montana State University.  Please visit MSU's Faculty & Staff page to access your D2L, as well as your MSU email account, MyInfo, and other employee resources.
    • Instructors use D2L to post, at the very least, the syllabus and all course readings (not a textbook). However, you can also use it as your gradebook and students can submit their assignments electronically through this platform. If you are teaching a blended course this is where you would operate the online component to the course. If you are not teaching blended or online, but would like to use the discussion posts you are welcome to do that. Unless you are teaching blended or online, it is up to you how much or how little you want to use D2L.
    • Once you are assigned in the system to teach the course a shell will automatically be generated for you. You have to activate your course before students can see it. You do this by opening up D2L, finding your course and next to it there will be a pencil symbol, click on it and it will open up an editing page. You will need to check the box that says Active (Make course active).

  • Brightspace Support - The campus Brightspace team is very friendly and helpful – feel free to contact them (or take one of their courses) Monday through Friday from 8am-5pm for support.

  • eLearning & Innovation - Academic Technology and Outreach (ATO) offers resources to help improve your on-line teaching. E-learning courses also can help you develop responsive and visually stunning learning experience for students. ATO also offers collaboration tools such as WebEx videoconferencing.
  • Continuing, Professional & Lifelong Learning - ATO offers various personal enrichment programs.
  • The Office of Outreach & Engagement offers assistance with classroom or other off-campus collaborations, and periodically invites applications for mini-grants to develop collaborations.  The office can assist with "Broader Impacts" requirements for NSF grants, for example.

Benefits & MUS CHOICES

MUS Choices Benefits Enrollment - This is your guide to Choices- the Montana University System's employee benefits program that lets you match our benefits to your individual and family situation. This page includes a link for active, eligible staff and faculty to participate in Annual Choices Enrollment which takes place in April/May for the fiscal year period starting in July and ending in June next year. Here, you can find information about who is eligible for benefits, as well as the "Special Enrollment Period" (a period of time allowed under the Plan, other than the employee’s initial enrollment period or during Annual Enrollment, in which an eligible dependent may request to enroll in or disenroll from coverage under the MUS Plan as a result of a qualifying life event).

Center for Faculty Excellence

Housed under the Office of the Provost, CFE offers a wide range of workshops and other programming to assist both the teaching enterprise and the research efforts of faculty. 

Campus Civil Rights

Campus Civil Rights support students, faculty and staff experiencing protected-class discrimination or harassment, including sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, or stalking.

Disability and Accommodation in Employment

  • The Montana Human Rights Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA) prohibit discrimination because of a physical or mental disability. To be protected under the Montana Human Rights Act and the ADAAA, an applicant or employee with a disability must:
    • Have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities; or
    • Have a record of such an impairment; or
    • Be regarded or perceived as having such an impairment; and
    • Be able to perform the essential functions of the position with or without a reasonable accommodation.
  • Disability Services - Disability Services is dedicated to providing accommodations and support to students with disabilities to ensure access to all university programs and services. 

Facilities Services

  • Facilities Services is charged with the maintenance and operations of all university buildings, grounds, and infrastructure systems.
  • Building Supervisor - Your Building Supervisor coordinates office moves and assignments, orders your office/lab keys, grants building access via CatCard, manages Telephone Services requests, and fields other facilities-related requests.
  • To report an issue with cleanliness, restrooms, trash and recycling, or lightbulb replacements, please submit a Custodial Service Request.

Parking and Transportation Services

  • Purchase your parking permit through MyInfo.  Parking is monitored through electronic surveillance of your license plate.  Avoid getting a ticket!  Read the Parking Regulations.
  • For questions related to departments' guest parking codes (for guest speakers, meetings with donors, etc.), please contact the EHHD Dean's Office at (406) 994-4133.

Library Services

  • Instructional Services for Faculty - Our library faculty offer guest lectures and create resources to support instructors teaching research and information literacy skills in the classroom.
  • Publication Services - Visit for publishing, copyright, open access, and open educational resources at the MSU Library.
  • Research Data Services - Visit for research data management and sharing resources to help you meet funder & journal requirements and promote open science.
  • Research Recognition: ORCID, Faculty Success, and Documenting Your Scholarly Work - ORCID provides researchers with a unique identifier and a mechanism for linking their research outputs and activities to their ORCID iD. ORCID is integrated into many systems used by publishers, funders, institutions, and other research-related services.

University Information Technology (UIT)

  • For immediate support, call the UIT Service Desk at (406) 994-1777. For non-emergent requests, you may submit a help ticket to helpdesk@montana.edu. 
  • IT Services for Faculty and Staff - Visit this page for the following resources: 
    • Adobe Creative Cloud Suite
    • Anti-Virus
    • Banner and Enterprise Services
    • Brightspace D2L Support
    • Chrome River
    • Class Roll Services
    • Faculty and Staff Email Login
    • File Storage Options
    • IT Security
    • LinkedIn Learning
    • NetID, IT Accounts, and Password Reset
    • New Employee IT Information
    • Microsoft 365
    • MyInfo
    • Printing
    • Software
    • Teaching and Learning Technologies
    • Telephone Services
    • UIT How-To Trainings
    • UIT Purchasing
    • Video Teleconference Resources
  • Safe Computing - Visit this page for the following resources for keeping your computer safe: 
    • How to update your operating system
    • How to update your applications
    • How to enable your personal firewall
    • Antivirus for personally owned computers

University Police

  • For emergencies, call 911
  • For non-emergent police matters, call (406) 994-2121
  • Emergency and Public Safety Alert Notifications - All students, faculty, and staff are automatically enrolled into MSU Alert. Contact information is gathered from student and employee MyInfo accounts. Please ensure your MyInfo account is up to date with your current cellphone number, work email, and personal email addresses. You can verify your information by logging into MyInfo and selecting the “personal information” link.
  • Safe Cats - Safe Cats is available for free in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app features multiple services (such as an emergency button to dial 911, sending your real-time location, silent witness reporting, etc.) which can be accessed with a click and the services can differ time to time based on the demand:
  • Emergency Actions - This page provides resources on how to prepare for and respond to a variety of emergency situations.
  • Motor Vehicle Assistance - This page provides information on assistance regarding accessing locked vehicles, jumpstarts, weather-related vehicle problems, and towing. 

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