New Faculty Success Checklists
The checklists below, part of the Early Career Faculty Success Program, are designed to help new faculty (tenured, tenure-track or non-tenure track or instructors) confidently transition into their roles at Montana State University (MSU). Based on checklists created in Extension and Human Resources, They provide clear, organized guidance for essential tasks and training, promoting early engagement with campus systems, student support services, and pedagogical best practices. By using these checklists with their department head, colleagues, and mentor network, new faculty will quickly acclimate to their roles and start to develop a sense of belonging within the MSU community.
Checklists
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Item |
Instructions |
Contact |
ALL FACULTY—Complete by First Day |
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HR Onboarding |
You will receive onboarding material from HR through DocuSign that will contain your MSU email, GID and NetID and important tasks to complete your onboarding.
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Human Resources Tel: 406-994-3651 hrservicecenter@montana.edu |
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Setup your Microsoft Office 365 Email for Faculty & Staff
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UIT Service Desk Tel: 406-994-1777 |
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Log into MyInfo |
Go to: https://www.montana.edu/facultystaff/
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UIT Service Desk Tel: 406-994-1777 |
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Attend Orientations |
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Center for Faculty Excellence Tel: 406-994-4555 |
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Meet with your Unit Administrator |
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Unit Head |
TEACHING |
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Learn about your Classroom
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More information on your classroom can be found in MyInfo. Consider visiting your classroom to see the layout and/or look up specs in Ad Astra. |
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Review Info for First Day of Class |
Review Information for your first day of class including resources for viewing classroom and technology resources
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Center for Faculty Excellence Tel: 406-994-4555 |
RESEARCH |
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Find your Space
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Work with your Unit Administrator to find out about your lab/studio and office space |
Unit Administrator |
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Learn about Research Compliance |
Visit the Research Integrity & Compliance webpage to learn about programs designed to ensure compliance with federal, state, and local regulations for research.
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Research Integrity & Compliance Tel: 406-994-6732 |
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Item |
Instructions |
Contact |
ALL FACULTY—Complete by First Week |
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Complete Tax Forms |
Complete your State and Federal W-4 Forms (Employee’s Withholding Certificate).
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Human Resources 406-994-3651 |
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Explore MyInfo |
From the Main menu, click through the tabs across the top: Personal Information, Employee Services, Parking Services, MyApps, and Notifications.
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UIT Service Desk 406-994-1777 |
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Faculty Success Tool |
Faculty Success is a central online tool to collect information about faculty activities. It’s also the source of information for your faculty webpage.
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University Data & Analytics
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Ways to stay informed |
To stay informed on campus activities and events.
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See links |
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Explore Campus & the Community |
See links |
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Review the Following |
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Ask your Unit Administrator if you have questions. |
TEACHING |
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Review the Academic Calendar |
Review Academic Calendar – familiarize yourself with the dates for drop, course evaluation, grades due date and other important dates.
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Registrar’s Office 406-994-6650 |
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Create your Syllabus |
Learn about Creating Your Syllabus and how to incorporate it into your first class.
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Center for Faculty Excellence 406-994-4555 |
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Access Course Evaluations |
Access your faculty course evaluation account and review the Course Evaluation Questions to understand how your teaching is being evaluated.
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Center for Faculty Excellence 406-994-4555 |
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Sign up for a Workshop |
Consider signing up for Active Learning: Rethinking Your Teaching to Promote Deeper Learning on August 27th
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Center for Faculty Excellence 406-994-4555 |
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Learn more About… |
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See links |
RESEARCH |
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Learn about Procurement Services |
Procurement Services provides professional purchasing services for instructional, research, and administrative components of the University—Learn more about making purchases for your research here.
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Procurement & Contract Services 406-994-3211
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Learn About Smartbuy
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You’ll use the SmartBuy system for purchasing. |
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Complete Training
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Via the Office of Research Integrity and Compliance Training Webpage.
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Research Integrity & Compliance 406-994-6732 |
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Review Startup Funds |
Check with your Unit fiscal manager to discuss what your package entails and how you can use it to support your success.
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Unit fiscal manager |
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Item |
Instructions |
Contact |
ALL FACULTY—Complete by First MonthThe following three items must be complete within 30 days of your start date. |
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New Employee Benefit Orientation (NEBO) |
IMPORTANT! Accessing Choices: Account access for benefits enrollment may take 2-5 business days after your start date.
IMPORTANT! Enrolling Spouses and Supplemental Plans: Please refer to On Demand Training. |
Human Resources 406-994-3651
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Complete Retirement Enrollment |
Learn about retirement from MSU Faculty Employees (TIAA) - Complete Online TIAA/CREF Retirement Enrollment.
Retirement System Information for Previous Employment (if applicable)
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TIAA Retirement Specialist 800-842-2252 |
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Complete MyInfo trainings |
My Apps
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University Compliance Compliance@montana.edu |
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OTHER ITEMS |
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Travel procedures |
We use a purchasing card and Chrome River to manage the travel authorization and payment process. |
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Purchasing card |
A purchasing card should only be obtained if you plan on traveling for your position and/or will be making purchases on behalf of your department. |
University Business Services 406-994-5727 |
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Annual Reviews |
Speak with your Unit administrator about expectations for your role and how you will be evaluated at your annual review in January/February. |
Unit administrator |
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Meet with your mentor |
Meet with your faculty mentor through the CFE mentoring program. |
Center for Faculty Excellence |
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Safety & Risk Info |
Visit the Safety & Risk Management website.
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Safety and Risk Management 406-994-2711 |
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Attend learning community sessions |
Attend Early Career Learning Community in September to get to know your colleagues and talk about getting started at MSU. |
Center for Faculty Excellence |
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Learn about upcoming CFE events |
View upcoming CFE events. |
Center for Faculty Excellence 406-994-4555 |
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Think about generative AI |
Think about how generative AI plays into your role as a faculty member. |
Research Alliance |
TEACHING |
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Consult with Instructional Designers |
Consider setting up a consultation with an instructional designer to talk about the structure of your course and class assignments.
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Center for Faculty Excellence 406-994-4555
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Learn NavMSU |
Learn how to use NavMSU – An online platform that streamlines communications with students.
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Office of the Registrar 406-994-6650 |
RESEARCH |
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Attend a Research Training |
New faculty will receive an email invite to meet with our Research and Economic Development (RED) Leadership team to give an overview of our research enterprise and to share information about our units that will be helpful with the transition. |
Office of Research and Economic Development 406-994-2891 |
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Learn about Upcoming Research Related Events |
Learn about the upcoming workshops and events such as Idea Incubator: Brainstorming Creative Research Ideas, Intro to Grants and Finding Funding. |
Office of Research Development |
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Learn about Undergraduate Research Support |
Visit the Undergraduate Scholars Program (USP) website to learn how to involve students in your research and creative activities.
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USP 406-994-3561 |
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Visit the Research Alliance |
Visit the Research Alliance website to see how the Research Alliance can help you get started in your research.
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Research Alliance |
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Setup Alerts for Funding Opportunities |
GrantForward is a search engine dedicated to helping Montana State University investigators find grants to fund their research. |
Office of Research Development |
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Item |
Instructions |
Contact |
ALL FACULTY—Complete by First Semester |
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Complete Incomplete Tasks |
Complete incomplete tasks from previous checklists.
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Meet with Mentors |
Meet with your mentor regularly and begin cultivating a network of mentors for teaching and/or scholarship.
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Center for Faculty Excellence |
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Review your Role & Scope |
Tenure-Track: Role & Scope documents outline the expectations for Retention, Tenure & Promotion from your department, college and university. |
Office of the Provost |
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Review Cultural Awareness |
Review important cultural awareness and access initiatives at Montana State University via MSU Access & Success.
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Access & Success 406-994-1040 |
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Attend Learning Community Sessions and Explore Opportunities |
Attend the Early Career Learning Community session to continue to connect with your colleagues and start planning for your success. Successfully Navigating Challenges in the Classroom
Strategies for Enhancing Your Productivity in Research, Creative Practice, and/or Teaching
Departmental Expectations for Career and Tenure Track Faculty
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Center for Faculty Excellence 406-994-4555 |
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Attend Commencement |
Consider attending commencement on Friday, December 12th. |
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Provide Feedback |
Please provide feedback on the onboarding process.
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Center for Faculty Excellence 406-994-4555 |
TEACHING |
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Learn about your Role in Advising Students |
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Advising Commons Graduate School |
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Student Success Resources |
Allen Yarnell Center for Student Success (AYCSS) Early Alert - As faculty and staff, you are in a unique position to help identify and support students who would benefit from additional resources and guidance to foster academic success. Please submit an Early Alert if you have concerns about your student(s). |
AYCSS |
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Learn about MSU CARE |
MSU CARE Program - to promote the safety and wellness of the University, MSU CARE addresses behaviors that are disruptive or concerning and may include mental health and/or safety issues. Submit a CARE referral for a student. |
Office of the Dean of Students |
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Submit Grades |
Submit your grades through MyInfo. Deadline: Monday, December 15 by midnight |
Office of the Registrar 406-994-6650 |
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Review course evaluations |
Access your course evaluations from this webpage
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Center for Faculty Excellence 406-994-4555 |
SCHOLARSHIP |
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Apply for Internal Grants |
Consider applying for a Faculty Excellence Grant to support your scholarship. Deadline: Friday, October 31, 2025.
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Center for Faculty Excellence 406-994-4555
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Apply for External Grants |
Explore the finding funding resources and other resources from the Office of Research Development.
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Office of Research Development |
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Attend Required Principal Investigator Training |
The Principal Investigator training is designed to ensure that all investigators have the information needed to conduct their research in compliance with both federal and state regulations. Learn more and find out when the next training will be held. |
Office of Sponsored Programs |
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Learn about the Core Facilities at MSU |
Core facilities provide access to research resources such as state-of-the-art instrumentation and expertise, which are shared by the entire MSU campus community, external academics, and industry. |
Core Facilities |
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Learn about the research computing resources |
Research Cyberinfrastructure serves as a central resource for the Information Technology (IT) and Cyberinfrastructure (CI) systems, services, and support needed to enable and promote advanced research |
Research Cyberinfrastructure |
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Think About your Data Management Needs |
The MSU Library - Research Optimization, Analytics, and Data Services (ROADS) provides research visibility and publishing support, data archiving and sharing, and research projects in support of open knowledge for all. |
Learn about the ROADS group |
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Laboratory Equipment |
Need laboratory equipment? Consider these options:
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See links |
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Item |
Instructions |
Contact |
ALL FACULTY—Complete by First Year |
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Complete Incomplete Tasks |
Complete any tasks from the first semester checklist that remain incomplete. |
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Attend RTP Training |
Tenure-Track: Training on putting together your dossier for Retention, Tenure and Promotion (RTP) is offered each spring. Learn more about RTP and when the training will be held. |
Office of the Provost |
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Keep Faculty Success Current |
Update your accomplishments and activities in Faculty Success. |
University Data & Analytics |
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Attend commencement |
Consider attending commencement on Friday, May 8th. |
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TEACHING |
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Review course evaluations |
Access your course evaluations from this webpage.
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Center for Faculty Excellence 406-994-4555 |
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Apply for Teaching Grant |
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Center for Faculty Excellence |
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Submit grades |
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Office of the Registrar |
SCHOLARSHIP |
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Attend Mentor Trainings |
Attend mentoring trainings offered through CFE and Undergraduate Research (May 2026). |
Center for Faculty Excellence |
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Apply for Research Grants |
Consider applying for a Faculty Excellence Grant to support your scholarship (Spring 2026). Explore the finding funding resources and other resources from the Office of Research Development
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Center for Faculty Excellence Office of Research Development |