Preboarding: New Employees

After accepting your offer you will receive an invitation to NEOED Onboard. NEOED Onboard will guide you through all required steps with a checklist of tasks and timelines. Complete all assigned tasks as early as possible and no later than one week before your start date. 

Your checklist will include tasks assigned by HRS such as completing new hire paperwork. Complete all tasks and reach out to HRS or your manager if you have questions about a specific task. 

Required tasks completed through NEOED Onboard includes: 

• Federal and state tax withholding forms 

• Personal information and emergency contact information 

• Benefits enrollment where applicable 

If you have not received your NEOED Onboard invitation within a few days of accepting your offer, contact HRS at AskHR@mso.umt.edu or 406-243-6760. 

Federal law requires all employees to complete a Form I-9 to verify their identity and authorization to work in the United States. You must complete your I-9 on or before your start date. You are not authorized to begin work until your I-9 is complete. 

To complete your I-9 you must present original documents that establish your identity and employment authorization. Acceptable documents are listed on the Form I-9. Copies are not accepted.  A task in your onboarding checklist will provide instructions for presenting your documents. 

If you do not present the required documents by the deadline, you will not be authorized to begin work until the I-9 is complete. No exceptions. 

UM schedules new employee start dates on a biweekly basis to allow time for all preboarding tasks to be completed across HRS, IT, and your department. Your Recruitment Specialist will confirm your start date. Starting outside the biweekly schedule may mean your system access cannot be set up in time for your first day.

Your manager will be in touch with information about your first day including where to go, what to bring, and what to expect. If you have not heard from your manager in the week before your start date, reach out to them directly or contact HRS. 

Your first day is just the beginning. Onboarding is the broader process of settling into your role and the university community and continues through your first several months. Visit the Office of Organizational Learning and Development for information about orientation programs and other resources available to you as a new employee. 

On your first day you will attend a University of Montana Account Setup (UMAS) session to activate your email and computer accounts. UMAS is a mandatory technology orientation held at 9:00 a.m. on biweekly start dates in the Liberal Arts Building, Room 139. You will be automatically registered for the session on your start date. 

You will not have access to your email or computer accounts until UMAS is complete. Your manager or a colleague may walk you to the session if you are not yet familiar with campus. 

Contact the IT Help Desk at 406-243-4357 with questions about UMAS. 

Preboarding covers the administrative steps needed to set you up as a UM employee before your first day, including paperwork and system access. Onboarding is the broader process of welcoming you into your role and the university community. Onboarding begins on your first day and continues through your first several months. Visit the OOLD Onboarding page for more information.

Check your spam or junk folder first in case the invitation was filtered. If you still cannot find it, contact HRS at AskHR@mso.umt.edu or 406-243-6760.

The Form I-9 lists all acceptable documents. You must present originals. Visit the USCIS I-9 Central page for the full list of acceptable documents.

Your NetID is your university login credential. It is generated after your information has been entered into the university system. You can look it up using the NetID Lookup Tool. If your NetID does not appear, contact HRS.

Your UM ID is your university employee identification number. It will appear in your hiring record once your information has been entered into the university system. Your manager can help you locate it, or you can contact HRS.

Yes. You will need to know your 790 number and NetID for identity verification. Your manager can help you locate these before your first day if needed.

A Canvas account will be created automatically after your job has been built in the university system and gone through a 24-hour processing period. To check whether your Canvas account is active, try logging in at canvas.umt.edu using your NetID and associated password. Contact UM Canvas Support at 406-243-4999 with any questions.

Yes.  Our goal is for faculty to have access to Canvas 2-3 weeks prior to the start of the semester. Preboarding must be completed for access to be granted. 

Once you have access, visit the Office of Educational Initiatives and Innovations for resources on course design and Canvas support.