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Welcome to Northwestern! We are so excited that you are joining our community!
You are joining a team that is committed to being UNWavering & Uplifting in our missional pursuit and your being here is no accident. We have prayed for you and are thrilled you are now part of Northwestern. You have joined an organization that is set apart through Christ-centered principles and a faith-focused community and work you do is essential to fulfilling our mission. Our desire is for you to transition well into your new workplace and feel at home quickly in our culture. As part of this process, we have designed a self-guided online experience that walks you through key organizational overviews and training sessions. Thank you for joining us in this amazing mission!
Our Mission and Vision
Our Mission
The University of Northwestern exists to provide Christ-centered higher education equipping students to grow intellectually and spiritually, to serve effectively in their professions, and to give God-honoring leadership in the home, church, community, and world.
Northwestern Media exists to lead people to Christ and nurture believers in their spiritual growth through Christ-centered media—a mission that started with our first radio station in 1949.
Our Vision
By 2030, Northwestern will be a nationally recognized voice that shapes society and speaks into contemporary culture, influences how people think, and equips Christian leaders for lives of purpose, service, and civic engagement through the transforming power and platform of Christian higher education and Christian media.
UNWavering: The Mission of Northwestern Explained
Our History and Heritage
Northwestern began in Minneapolis in 1902 as Northwestern Bible and Missionary Training School with an attendance of seven students. Take a moment to learn about our History & Heritage here and see how these foundations have set our course over the years.
Our campus architecture is unique and we are deeply grateful for the heritage of several architectural gems on campus. One of those is the beautiful and intentionally designed spaces is Nazareth Chapel.
Northwestern Media started with our first radio station in 1949. Our network has expanded across 10 states and continues to grow! Our stations and our WOW God Podcast network reach over a million listeners each week and thousands more through live internet streaming.
Leadership
Northwestern has many different areas of Leadership, including President, Cabinet, Board of Trustees and the President's Advisory Council.
The Cabinet is the executive leadership team for the institution, consisting of the president and vice presidents. Please take a moment to learn about our Cabinet.
What's Ahead? Required Trainings & Reading
- Employee Handbook: Review the Employee Handbook and sign the Employee Handbook Acknowledgment Form.
- KnowBe4 Training. IT will automatically enroll you in KnowBe4 security awareness training and you have three weeks to complete the training. Be looking for an email from KnowBe4 to complete the training. Questions? Contact servicedesk@unwsp.edu.
- FERPA Training: The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974, as amended, requires schools to ensure privacy of student education records is maintained. It also states student rights in relation to this privacy protection. All UNW employees are required to watch the FERPA training video, complete FERPA Training, complete the quiz, and sign the Confidentiality Policy and Agreement form that is immediately after the quiz. If you have questions, please contact Andy Simpson, FERPA Compliance Officer, at 651-631-5239 or alsimpson@unwsp.edu. (required training)
- Title IX Sexual Misconduct Training: The Sexual Misconduct Policy provides the philosophy and standard exercised by the University of Northwestern regarding all forms of unlawful sex discrimination in its community. All employees are required to complete the Title IX Sexual Misconduct Training. Contact Bret Hyder at 651-628-2077 or bmhyder@unwsp.edu for any questions or concerns. (required training)
What's Ahead?
First Week Opportunities
- Get to know myUNW – our internal information hub.
- Get to know the departments listed on myUNW.
- Set up your email signature.
- Wondering what the organizational structure looks like in your department and across the organization? Here's our Organizational Charts that are updated quarterly.
- Review Employee Benefits.
- Access your Online Employment Details.
- Employees are paid biweekly. Read about the staff work weeks described in the 402a Paydays policy. Contracted employees have their pay day information noted on their contract.
- Are you hourly/nonexempt staff? Go to Banner Self Service for step-by-step instructions on how to submit your timesheet hours.
- Are you classified as half time to full time exempt staff? Go to Banner Self Service for step-by-step instructions on how to submit your PTO hours.
- To learn about departments on campus and their various resources and policies – go to myUNW > Self-Service.
- Emergency Response – Be informed – Emergency Response Procedure - Faculty & Staff.
- Learn about our Performance Feedback System – 651 Resources.
First Month Opportunities
- Finalize any benefit paperwork with HR Benefits
- Work on the Passport to UNW (optional)
- Read Safety Training Policy
First Year Opportunities
- Complete your Passport to UNW (optional)
Ongoing Training Opportunities
- Watch the Announcements on myUNW for training opportunities
Chapel
Chapel is held daily at Northwestern during the school year. We prioritize weekly participation of the entire community—students, faculty, and staff—as part of a regular Northwestern weekly rhythm. We understand this may not be possible for everyone but encourage you to attend regularly, as able, and determine what best fits the needs of your team to allow for this participation.
For Supervisors/Financial Managers
- Read through the New Supervisor Orientation.
- Browse through the Supervisor Resources.
Are you responsible to approve time or leave for staff? Become familiar with Approving Timesheets and Leave (Supervisor Instructions) in Banner Self Service where you will find step by step instructions on how to approve time/leave.
- Are you a financial manager? Check out the Financial Manager Information resources.
- Looking for reports on your employees or your department? Learn more about our Argos Reporting Solution. Once you've learned basics of Argos, check out the Reports (Argos Reporting Solution) overview on reports that are geared towards supervisors of employees.
- Get to know our applicant tracking and approval system ATA (Applicant Tracking & Approvals).
- Learn about our Performance Feedback System – 651 Resources.
- Are you a supervisor of student employees? Check out our Student Employment resources.