For New Employees: Onboarding Resources
We are thrilled that you made the decision to join Virginia Tech. We understand that the first days, weeks, and months of employment are filled with excitement, a wealth of information, and many questions. Your supervisor and Human Resources are here to provide you with the help and support needed for success in your new role. This site contains information that is helpful as you begin your new role with Virginia Tech. Please feel free to refer back to this page as you have questions.
Welcome to Virginia Tech. We are so glad you will be joining us. To assist in your transition, here are some resources that might help.
We know that feeling connected to others and the community is an important part of the employee experience. Below are resources you may find valuable in making connections or engaging in the community.
Interest groups on campus. Interest groups allow employees to come together outside of their professional roles. There are a number of categories, such as crafts, outdoors, and volunteer opportunities
Next Three Days (New River Valley events calendar).
Comprehensive list of resources.
If you are an emergency hire or adjunct faculty, you will receive onboarding tasks from your hiring department.
If you are newly hired staff, faculty, and non-student wage, you will receive a series of email messages through the PageUp onboarding portal about important tasks to complete before you start your new role. Please check in with your manager or onboarding coordinator if you have any questions about those tasks. Because we want your onboarding to be successful, you will continue to receive messages with reminders, tasks, and new information through your first year. We encourage you to read this information and ask questions as needed.
From comprehensive insurance plans to tuition assistance, Virginia Tech offers employees a robust benefits program. This full range of benefits, services, and discounts is an integral part of the university's total compensation package and just one of the many things that make Virginia Tech a great place to work.
Make sure you are aware of your deadlines for optional benefits, health insurance, retirement, and leave.
Tuition benefits, a great benefit opens up to salaried employees after 90 days. Take some time to review this benefit and determine if it fits into your career goals.
Virginia Tech has a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion and we hope you will take some time to become familiar with the resources/information listed below:
- Inclusive VT
- Principles of Community
- Caucuses representing various communities at the university. This includes the Black Caucus, Hispanic/Latinx Faculty, and Staff Caucus, LGBTQ+ Caucus, Veterans Caucus, and many more
- Women’s Center at Virginia Tech
In addition to the resources above, there are also training opportunities for you. For example, you can earn diversity and inclusion credentials through digital badge pathways, become SafeZone certified, or take inclusive pedagogy courses.
Your parking options depend on your work location. Information about parking options for the Blacksburg campus and certain Greater Washington D.C., metro area locations are below. For other work locations, please contact your hiring manager.
Blacksburg
- All new employees located on the Blacksburg campus receive a 30-day free parking permit, which you can obtain either through your onboarding portal or on your hire date by visiting Parking Services in person.
- Visit the page above to review parking permit options and to purchase a parking permit.
- For your convenience, view a map of available campus parking.
- A variety of alternative transportation options are available. Please contact the Alternative Transportation Department at gettingaround@vt.edu if you have questions.
Roanoke
If you work at Riverside 1, 2, or 4 in Roanoke, VA, you can park on any level of the large parking garage other than the ground and first levels reserved for patients. You can park anywhere on the second floor or above. There is no cost to park and no parking sticker/tag is required.
Greater Washington D.C., metro area
- Because of the excellent public transit options in the Greater Washington D.C., metro area, Virginia Tech offers the Commonwealth Commuter Choice program:
- Full-time Virginia Tech employees (faculty and staff) who commute to certain identified Northern Virginia counties and cities can receive a monthly benefit in free SmarTrip credit to use on public transit or vanpool to get to work. This benefit is tax-free and you are eligible if you commute to work at least one day a month using either public transit bus, commuter trains, subways or van pools, and your office is located in the counties of: Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William, Spotsylvania, and Stafford or the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Fredericksburg, Manassas, and Manassas Park.
- Everything you need to know about the Commonwealth Commuter Choice program is available on the program's website.
- If you plan to drive and park onsite, please contact your hiring manager regarding your specific parking options, as it varies by work location.
Required training for all new hires
New employees have required training that they must complete within the first 90 days of their employment with Virginia Tech. Following is more information on the training:
All employees are required to complete the following compliance courses. Additional courses may be required based on a position’s responsibilities.
The following courses must be completed once as a new hire:
- State of Virginia: The Road to Cultural Competence: This course is provided to assist in engaging positively with a world that is complex and diverse and fostering an inclusive workplace. This must be completed within 90 days of hire.
- Office of Emergency Management: Safety, Security, and Preparedness at Virginia Tech: This training covers an overview of emergency offices on campus, campus notifications through the VT Alert system, what it means to shelter-in-place versus secure-in-place, what to do in an emergency including how to contact help, emergency kits, an overview of the Clery Act, and programs and training available for your department.
- Statement of Business Conduct Standards: The Statement of Business Conduct Standards is the university guide of key principles for ethical business and administrative conduct for faculty and staff.
- Safety, Security, and Preparedness at Virginia Tech: This training covers an overview of emergency offices on campus, campus notifications through the VT Alert system, what it means to shelter-in-place versus secure-in-place, what to do in an emergency including how to contact help, emergency kits, an overview of the Clery Act, and programs and training available for your department.
Courses that must be completed as a new hire and then yearly or every two years:
- State of Virginia: Employee Safety and Disaster Awareness: This course is designed to improve employee preparedness for on-the-job safety and other potential hazards. This is an annual requirement. This must be completed within 90 days of hire.
- READ: Respect, Equity, and Anti-discrimination Training: This highly interactive workshop takes approximately 45 minutes to complete and covers the university's key information about the university’s anti-harassment and anti-discrimination policies, federal civil rights laws, complaint procedures, and employee reporting responsibilities. This is a biannual requirement. This must be completed within 90 days of hire.
All courses are available in PageUp Learning Management System (LMS) and is accessible using your PID and password. All employees must complete any required training during their normal working day.
Training by role
Additional training by role is provided for select positions. These do not take the place of any departmental training, but rather, serve as a resource for the system accesses, trainings, and guides that are available for your use.
PageUp Learning Management System (LMS)
The PageUp Learning Management System (LMS) has a number of programs/training available and it is accessible using your PID and password. Some trainings are on broad topics applicable to all employees, while others are specific to roles (like Banner training). We encourage you to search for opportunities that best meet your needs/interests. Below is a small sample of the trainings available:
- “Creating a Career Plan”
- “Setting Goals to Improve Your Career”
- “How to Organize Your Time and Your Life”
- “Impromptu Speaking”
- “How to Learn New Skills”
Gallup® CliftonStrengths
Virginia Tech also offers the Gallup® CliftonStrengths assessment free to all faculty, staff, and students. The online assessment is a way to discover what you naturally do best, learn how to develop your greatest talents into strengths, and use your personalized results to maximize your potential. To access the free assessment, you will need to use your VT username (PID) and password. Please note that the landing page for the assessment uses student-centered language but all VT community members do have access!
More development opportunities
Employees may take advantage of these other development opportunities and resources at Virginia Tech.
- Sign up for VT Alerts, Virginia Tech's emergency notification system. When a situation arises in which the university determines that immediate action is required on the part of students, employees, and others, a VT Alert is issued to the impacted region(s). Go to the page above to sign up then select “Students and employees” to complete your registration.
- All employees with Virginia Tech email addresses are automatically registered to receive the VT Daily email soon after their hire date. The newsletter is published by email, Monday – Friday when the university is open and is managed by the VT News team. Electronic delivery of information via email is the primary vehicle for internal communications at Virginia Tech. Review Policy 12200: Virginia Tech News Daily E-mail Policy for more information.
- When you set up your e-mail signature, make sure to follow Virginia Tech guidance on formatting. If you need instructions on how to create an e-mail signature, you can find them on the Microsoft support page.
- If you are in a role where you will participate in meetings via Zoom, consider downloading some of the Virginia Tech Zoom backgrounds. This is a fun way to show your Hokie spirit.
Virginia Tech offers a variety of services and benefits to encourage well-being. Please take some time to become familiar with them:
- Hokie Wellness provides general wellness programs/services for employees. In particular, you may want to check out their work/life resources.
- Employee Assistance Program.
- TimelyCare is a virtual service that includes free mental health counseling, health coaching, on-demand wellness services, and more. It is available to full-time faculty/staff and non-student wage employees. Employees can connect to TimelyCare by computer, tablet, or smartphone using their Virginia Tech email address.
- Check of the Recreational Sports page for employees. Did you know there is a free 30-day McComas Trial for all employees?
- The Ombuds Office can help you navigate through conflict when it comes up. They offer many services, which include: acting as a confidant, being a sounding board, offering information about policies and procedures, and offering informal mediation.
- Connecting with others can be an important part of well-being. There are several interest groups on campus. Interest groups allow employees to come together outside of their professional roles. There are a number of categories, such as crafts, outdoors, and volunteer opportunities.
If you are working on the Blacksburg campus, consider taking one of your breaks outside! Virginia Tech has a beautiful campus and a short walk can be invigorating. Visit the campus highlights page to get ideas on where to walk/visit. If you are not on the main campus, make note of the attractions when you next visit Blacksburg!
Governance at Virginia Tech
If you don’t know much about the structure of governance at Virginia Tech, we would encourage you to learn more by visiting the governance website. It can be helpful to understand how university policies are created. You will find a number of educational resources on this page, as well as information on how to get involved in the various commissions, committees, and councils. You might also have an interest in participating in a senate:
Peer to Peer Program
The Peer to Peer Program is a mentoring program designed to seamlessly integrate AP Faculty new hires into the vibrant workplace culture at Virginia Tech by pairing them up with experienced colleagues. The program offers a holistic view of the new hire. It does not only consider the new hire’s professional integration but also their assimilation into the workplace culture and the broader community
Interest groups
We also have several interest groups on campus. Interest groups allow employees to come together outside of their professional roles. There are a number of categories, such as crafts, outdoors, and volunteer opportunities
Events around campus
Have you found the time yet to attend a Virginia Tech event? There are a variety of events that can be found on the Blacksburg campus, some of which are listed below. We hope you can explore all that Virginia Tech has to offer.
- Moss Arts Center.
- Virginia Tech Athletics.
- Student Engagement and Campus Life.
Caucuses
Virginia Tech has a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion and we hope you will take the time to become familiar with the resources and information listed below:
- Inclusive VT.
- Principles of Community.
- Caucuses represent various communities at the university including the Black Caucus, Hispanic/Latinx Faculty and Staff Caucus, LGBTQ+ Caucus, Veterans Caucus, and many more.