Information for New Employees

We are excited that you are joining the UNC System Office team! This page contains resources that may be helpful to you as a new employee. It includes information on a variety of topics including the UNC System Office, benefits of working here, payday information, and timekeeping.

About the UNC System

In 1971, the Higher Education Reorganization Act placed the 16 baccalaureate-granting institutions that make up the University of North Carolina under one governing board. The Act emphasized basic objectives for the University: to foster the development of a well-planned and coordinated system of higher education, to improve the quality of education, to extend educational benefits beyond campus borders and to encourage economic and effective use of the state’s resources.

In its efforts to move forward with strategic planning, the University recognized the importance of establishing an overall mission, and defining the role each campus would play in fulfilling the mission.  In 1992, the Board of Governors adopted a general mission statement, and after some modification, the official statement was given statutory status in 1995.

Who We Are

The University of North Carolina is composed of 17 campuses that extend from the state’s mountains to the coast. The system consists of 16 universities, the North Carolina School of Science and Math, and the UNC System Office. Our system currently enrolls nearly 225,000 students and graduates over 30,000 students each year. Institutions in the UNC System include:

  • Appalachian State University
  • East Carolina University
  • Elizabeth City University
  • Fayetteville State University
  • North Carolina A&T University
  • North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics
  • North Carolina State University
  • UNC Asheville
  • UNC Chapel Hill
  • UNC Charlotte
  • UNC Greensboro
  • UNC Pembroke
  • UNC Wilmington
  • UNC School of the Arts
  • Western Carolina University
  • Winston-Salem State University

The UNC System also has a number of affiliate organizations, including:

  • The North Carolina Education Assistance Authority (SEAA)
  • The North Carolina Arboretum
  • UNC Press
  • UNC-TV
  • WUNC
  • UNC Health Care System

Our Leadership

  • The UNC System is led by President Margaret Spellings, who began her tenure on March 1, 2016. She is nationally known as an education thought leader and public policy expert.
  • The UNC Board of Governors is the policy-making body charged with “the general determination, control, supervision, management, and governance” of the University of North Carolina. Its members are appointed by the NC General Assembly for four-year terms. Former board chairs may continue to serve for limited periods as non-voting members emeriti. The president of the UNC Association of Student Governments or that president’s designee is also a non-voting member.
  • The UNC System Office has six Divisions, each led by a Senior Vice President, including:
    • Chief of Staff (Meredith Didier)
    • Academic Affairs (Kimberly van Noort interim)
    • External Affairs (vacant)
    • Strategy and Policy (Andrew Kelly)
    • Finance and Administration (Clinton Carter)
    • Governance, Legal, Risk, and General Counsel (Tom Shanahan)

Onboarding

  • New hires will receive an email providing information about the required documents necessary to begin employment. This documentation must be completed in the first three days of employment. Generally on the first day of employment, new hires will meet with the Payroll & Leave Coordinator to complete this documentation and receive an overview of the payroll and timekeeping systems.
  • The Benefits Consultant will then meet with new hires to review the University’s benefits programs. These meetings can be scheduled on different days, depending on the employee’s availability, but since certain benefits decisions must be made within the first 30 calendar days of employment, it is important for new hires to review their benefits documents soon after starting.
  • A policy orientation session is held once a month for new employees, covering employment types, equal opportunity and conflicts of interest, and performance management, among other topics. This session is generally 90 minutes to two hours.
  • There are online training modules that must be completed within an employee’s first 30 days: training on prohibited harassment/discrimination and training on information technology security. New hires will receive emails explaining how to access this training.

Parking

  • Parking for UNC System Office employees is free at the Spangler Center and Center for School Leadership Development.

Getting Paid

  • All UNC System Office employees are paid by direct deposit.
  • EHRA employees are paid monthly, generally on the last weekday of the month.
  • SHRA employees are paid every other Friday. Please note that SHRA employees are paid two weeks in arrears, so employees do not receive their first pay check until the third or fourth Friday after they begin employment with the System Office as an SHRA employee.
  • All employees track time worked (FLSA non-exempt employees) or leave taken (FLSA exempt employees) through the TIM System in our online system, ConnectCarolina, under the Self-Service Tab. Access TIM Training Modules.
  • Permanent UNC System Office employees are granted 12 paid holidays a year.
  • Permanent employees also accrue 8 hours of sick leave each month (pro-rated for part-time employees)
  • Vacation leave accrues monthly at different rates depending on employee classification type:
    • EHRA SAAO TIER I Employees: 26 days/year
    • EHRA SAAO TIER II Employees: 24 days/year
    • EHRA Instructional, Research, and Information Technology Professionals: 24 days/year
    • SHRA Employees: Accrual is based on years of service with the state of North Carolina:
      • 0-4 years of service: 14 days/year
      • 5-9 years of service: 17 days/year
      • 10-14 years of service: 20 days/year
      • 15-19 years of service: 23 days/year
      • 20+ years of service: 26 days/year
  • Vacation leave (up to 240 hours) is paid out at the time of separation, as is all eligible bonus leave (periodically provided by the NC General Assembly to active employees) and remaining compensatory time off (overtime) or other eligible paid time off.
  • Sick leave is not paid out upon separation, but it is retained on record for five years and will be restored if the employee returns to permanent State employment or credited toward their TSERS retirement service calculation if the employee retires within five years of their separation date.
  • Permanent employees are also eligible for other types of leave benefits.

Training and Development

UNC System Office employees are eligible to take training programs through UNC-Chapel Hill’s Organization and Professional Development unit. Program catalog offerings and a calendar are available online and employees may sign up for training programs through ConnectCarolina using the Self-Service section.