Checklist for New Faculty

The information below will help any faculty as they get started at UMaine. Please note you will be prompted to do many of these things by Human Resources during online onboarding.

Getting Started Checklist

  1. Attend New Faculty Orientation!
  2. Activate your University of Maine System (UMS)* account.
    To complete the activation process, you must have both your 7 digit UMaine Employee ID number and an account activation key. Your UMS user account (also referred to as your UMS ID) is used to access system-wide technology services such as Brightspace (our learning management system), MaineStreet (our personnel management system), and UMS Email (Gmail). If you do not have your Employee ID number your departmental administrative assistant will be able to help you locate it. If you do not have an activation key contact the IT Help Center at 207.581.2506. If you would like to get started working with these tools, but do not have an Employee ID number, your hiring department can fill out a Person of Interest form to get you access to the system-wide technology services.
  3. Complete your I-9 form.
    Payroll/Benefits can help you finalize any of your I-9 paperwork.  Please complete this form and bring with you the approved documentation outlined on page three to the HR office on the first floor of Corbett Hall (207.581.1581). If you need to submit documents electronically, it is possible – follow their recommendations here (requires login with UMS ID)
  4. Get your Parking Permit.
    Parking passes are 35$ for the year (Jan-Dec), and prorated from the time of purchase. Permits can be ordered online – but you will need your UMS ID (Step 1).  Permits are also available at Parking Services (5702 DTAV Community Building).
  5. Get your MaineCard.
    Your official UMaine ID is the MaineCard. Fill out this application form and return it to the MaineCard office. It is easiest to go in person to the office to get your card, but if you are unable to do so and need to request it remotely, please read here for instructions. For questions, you can visit their contact page.
  6. Share your information with Marketing and Communications.
    As we begin each new academic year, we welcome new full- and part-time faculty to the University of Maine community. Please complete this form (requires UMS ID) to briefly share your experience and expertise. Your information will be included in our next “Meet our new faculty” website when published at the start of the Fall semester.
  7. Schedule a meeting with the Employee Benefits Center.
    The Employee Benefits Center is ready to help answer your questions. The Employee Benefits Center is available to assist employees by phone or email or virtually from 8am to 4:30pm, Monday through Friday.
  8. Complete the FERPA Training.
    Before you start teaching you must complete the FERPA training. The Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) places restrictions on who should have access to student data; only those employees who need to know certain information to perform their duties have access to that information. If you are a new University employee teaching a class, please complete the University’s FERPA training  as your first step. Until this training has been completed, access to your course Brightspace shells will be limited, and requests for access to student data within MaineStreet cannot be approved.
  9. Submit Your MaineStreet Access Request.
    Access to Campus Solutions in MaineStreet is required to directly access student record data for grading, advising, and other purposes. Please note that the MaineStreet Faculty Center page houses the official rosters for each course, and must be used to submit official grades and any subsequent grade changes. Details about Campus Solutions access and how to submit a request are available here:  MaineStreet Access to Student Information.
  10. Start Building your Brightspace Course.
    The University of Maine supports Brightspace as the learning management system.  You can access your Brightspace course via the portal (look for the orange “B”).  Any course you are scheduled to teach in the Fall should appear in your course list.  Start learning and building in Brightspace with support from CITL through workshops, tutorials, self-paced learning or one-on-one consultations.

Download this Checklist Here (opens in Google Docs)

*Established in 1968, the University of Maine System is the state’s largest educational enterprise. The University of Maine System is accessible with seven universities—some with multiple campuses—located across the state, as well as a law school, an additional 31 course sites, and Cooperative Extension.