UConn offers several programs to orient and onboard new employees and leaders to UConn (and existing employees to new roles), including New Employee Orientation (a component of New Employee Welcome), New Faculty Orientation, and more. Review the programs below for details.
New Employee Welcome
Starting a new position brings excitement and some trepidation - there is much to learn in a short time. To help ease the transition into the UConn workforce, HR has developed a New Employee Welcome page that covers (1) what to do before you start at UConn, (2) New Employee Orientation, which takes place bi-weekly and aligns with employee start dates, and (3) your first month on the job.
For details, visit New Employee Welcome.
New Faculty Orientation
Prior to the start of each semester, the Provost's Office offers New Faculty Orientation sessions, which take the place of the bi-weekly New Employee Orientation for all other UConn employees.
For more information on New Faculty Orientation, visit the Office of the Provost.
New Associate Dean and Department Head Orientation
Each year, the Office of the Provost holds an orientation session for newly appointed deans and department heads. This session is held prior to the start of the academic year and occasionally in January for newly appointed academic leadership hired outside of the usual hiring cycle. Topics for the orientation include an overview of the role, University policy, and campus resources.
Associate Deans and Department Heads who are new to UConn will also attend the HR-led New Employee Orientation on their first day of work.
For more information, visit the Office of the Provost.
Whether employees are hired into executive roles internally from the UConn’s ranks or externally from another institutions and setting, UConn is committed to supporting executive success.
The University leadership team collaborates with offices across the University to implement an Executive Leaders Onboarding program to provide information and guidance to support your effectiveness as a UConn leader. The Executive Leader Onboarding Program:
- Orients new leaders to the multifaceted aspects of UConn, including its operations across multiple campuses and regions of the state.
- Builds understandings about the University’s role as Connecticut’s flagship land, sea, and space grant university.
- Provides insights about the various forces the influence our actions and decision making.
- Provides opportunities for leaders to form connections with other leaders so they can consider ways enhance the University’s operations, programs, and reputation.
Executive and Senior Leaders Defined
Executive Leaders: Executive Leaders are leaders at the highest level of management within the institution. These individuals are assigned to lead the University or an institutional division (i.e., an administrative unit with programs that serve the entire University) or unit (e.g., school/college) and have high-level and broad-reaching responsibilities. They typically hold specific powers delegated to them by the University By-Laws. Their primary responsibility is to set the strategic mission and vision for the University. Executive Leaders include individuals with the following titles at UConn or UConn Health:
- President
- Executive Vice Presidents
- Provost and EVP for Academic Affairs
- EVP for Health Affairs
- EVP for Administration and Chief Financial Officer
- Deans (I.e., CEO of Schools/Colleges)
Senior University-Level Leaders: Senior Leaders are individuals who report to executive leaders and have responsibilities to lead and support efforts (or aspects of efforts) to help the University achieve its goals. They are responsible for enacting the University’s mission and vision as directed by the Executive Leaders, by setting strategic direction and objectives for their specific units with the primary goal of supporting the University in achieving its mission and vision. Senior university-level leaders include, but are not limited to individuals, with the following titles:
- Vice President or Vice Provosts
- Assistant/Associate Vice President or Vice Provost
- Regional Campus Directors
- Chief of X (e.g., Chief of Staff, Chief of Police)
Executive Leader Program Description
The Executive Leader program involves a series of in-person and virtual onboarding sessions designed to:
- Describe UConn’s organizational, operational, and political context as Connecticut’s public flagship institution
- Facilitate a peer network of new executives
- Inform about current system-wide goals and initiatives
- Present UConn’s diversity, equity, and inclusion history, status, and aspirations
- Identify and introduce key personnel important for new senior or executive leader success
- Help leaders understand how decision making occurs at the institutional level, including who influences it and where the centers of (informal and formal) power resides
- Provide a resource for discussing new executive driven questions
Topics addressed include, but are not limited to:
- Organizational Structures -- How is UConn Organized and Why?
- Governance Structure (BOT, Faculty Governance)
- Government Relations (Dos and Don’ts)
- Communications (Dos and Don’ts)
- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion -- Supporting the vision
- Policy Development and Compliance Issues at UConn
- Human Resources: practices, resources, and understanding union relationships
New senior and executive leaders are notified about the schedule of activities, which include sessions at each of the UConn campuses (i.e., Avery Point, Hartford, Stamford, Storrs, & Farmington – UConn Health)