Congratulations on Joining KPU!
Welcome to KPU! You've joined a community of professionals committed to helping students achieve their academic goals. KPU is an innovative and transformative university that has opened the doors to success for more than 200,000 students since 1981. You're now part of our story and we're delighted you've chosen to share your skills and experience with us. We invite you to learn more about the KPU community.
KPU is guided by an overarching set of policies and procedures and an Employee Code of Conduct. Familiarizing yourself with these over time will augment the positive experience of working at KPU.
As a new employee, you probably have questions about what comes next. Our onboarding section will help familiarize you with KPU and our campuses and prepare you for your first day.
Our Unique Name
Our university proudly takes its name from the Kwantlen First Nation. The spirit of the word kwantlen, which means “tireless runner”, is reflected in KPU’s motto: “through tireless effort, knowledge and understanding”.
Our Campuses
KPU has five campuses located in the unceded traditional and ancestral lands of the Coast Salish peoples, including the Kwantlen, Musqueam, Katzie, Semiahmoo, Tsawwassen, Qayqayt, and Kwikwetlem.
To reduce the challenge of getting to know your new workplace, please visit the following links to find helpful campus information, including maps, hours of operation, parking and more.
Our Vision
KPU’s Strategic Plan and Academic Plan reflect the voices of our community and serve as roadmaps setting out our collective vision and priorities for the future. We invite you to visit our strategic planning page and Academic Plan page and familiarize yourself with the meaningful journey you are embarking on by joining KPU as a new employee.
Our Governance Structure
In accordance with the University Act, KPU has two governing bodies, the Board of Governors and the Senate. The Board of Governors provides strategic oversight of the management, administration and business affairs of the university, while the Senate is resposibile for academic matters.
Onboarding
As a new employee of KPU, you will spend your first few days and perhaps even weeks becoming accustomed to your role here - a role that, in some direct or indirect way, supports students.
Whether you are full-time or part-time, casual or permanent, and working on the frontlines with students or supporting their learning in some other way, you are making a valuable contribution here.
Before You Start
Here are some things to keep in mind before your first day:
- Submit your HR forms early, including your Direct Deposit Form, Tax Forms, Data Gathering Form, and Union Dues Form (if applicable) so we can generate your employee ID and logins in time for your first day
- Know the time and location to meet your supervisor or department support person on your first day
- Have a contact number for your supervisor or department support person
- Familiarize yourself with parking and transit information
- Know the appropriate dress code for your area
- Enroll in your benefits
- Download the KPU Safe app
Once your HR forms are submitted, your employee ID and login information will be generated.
Your First Day
You will receive your employee ID and login information from your supervisor or department support person when you start. With this, you will be set to do the following and more:
- Login to Online Self-Service to access personal and pay-related information
- Login to the Employee Portal on SharePoint (also known as Our.KPU) to access useful resources
- Obtain a KPU ID Card which serves as your employee ID, library card, and photocopy and print card
- Obtain a parking permit
- Complete mandatory training programs
- Order KPU business cards and/or your name tag through Print and Logistics Services
- Use KPU’s inter-campus shuttle service to move between campuses, if you need to
Resources for Faculty and Instructional Staff
If you are a new faculty or instructional staff member, you will want to:
- Review KPU’s Faculty and Instructional Staff Handbook as soon as you have your login access. Designed specifically with onboarding in mind, this handbook brings together the forms, procedures, processes, and support services that will assist you as soon as you start your first semester, and will be a point of reference you will keep coming back to.
- Visit the Teaching & Learning Commons, a key resource for supporting teaching excellence and student learning.