Before You Arrive

Before You Arrive


We are excited to have you join our community at Teachers College. This page will help you prepare for your arrival on campus so you can hit the ground running on your first day.  Your manager and the TCHR team are ready to provide guidance throughout the onboarding process so please don’t hesitate to reach out with questions.

In the meantime, to get a head start with onboarding, please complete Section 1 of the Form I-9 on or before your first day of work. Federal Law requires the employee to complete Section 1 on or before their first day of employment. Section 2 of the form I-9 is to be completed no later than three (3) business days from their employment start date. If you are not within commuting distance we can assist in arranging for you to visit a consortium location nearest you. 

You must accept your online job offer in our applicant tracking system PageUp - also known as PUP - before you can begin working at TC. If you have not accepted your job offer, please follow the steps outline below:

  1. Log into your Applicant portal. If you have forgotten your password, please click on the 'Forgotten Password' link. A new password will be generated and sent to your email address.
  2. Click on the 'View offer' link to view your employment contract.
  3. After viewing your employment contract indicate your online acceptance by clicking on the 'I accept' button.
  4. Once you indicate your online acceptance, you will be prompted to complete an online 'New Hire form'. Please note these forms must be completed in order for you to be processed as a new hire.

I-9 Employment Eligibility Form

Federal Law requires Teachers College, Columbia University to have a valid Form I-9 on file for every employee and requires the employee to complete Section 1 no later than their first day of employment, and Section 2 of the Form I-9 must be completed no later than three business days from their employment start date.

  1. Once your offer letter has been signed, Section 1 of the Form I-9 Employment Eligibility will need to be completed online, on or before your first day of work. The link to your Form I-9 will be emailed to you from hr@tc.columbia.edu within 24-48 hours after accepting your offer. 
    • Once Section 1 is completed, review the list of acceptable documents you may present to complete Section 2. Please bring the required documents within three business days of your start date to complete Section 2 of the I-9 in person.

  2. Section 2 may be completed by appointment, in person in the Human Resources office, within 3 business days of employment. Additionally, we offer walk-in hours Monday-Thursday, 10 am-4 pm.
    • You must present original, unexpired documentation to the Human Resources department. Click here to view a list of acceptable documents you may present.
    • You will be contacted by an HR representative to book an appointment to complete Section 2. If you have not been contacted by our office by your first day of employment, please contact us at hr@tc.columbia.edu or call us at 212-678-3175.

  3. Working Remotely: As a remote hire, you must complete the I-9 within three business days of your hire date.

E-Verify

E-Verify is an Internet-based system that enables employers to electronically verify United States work eligibility of employees. The system compares employee information taken from the Form I-9 against the Social Security Administration and Department of Homeland Security databases.

As both a Federal Contractor and an institution that employs students who have earned degrees in certain science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields, the College participates in the Federal E-Verify program.

The E-Verify process is integrated with the Form I-9.

Social Security Number

A Social Security Number (SSN) is not required for the Form I-9, but is required for E-Verify. If you do not yet have a SSN when you complete the Form I-9, you will leave the Social Security number empty on the i-9 form. For assistance applying for a SSN, please contact the Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS).

Once you have a Social Security Number, you must present your card to Human Resources. The E-Verify process will be completed once Teachers College has received your Social Security Number.

All full time faculty and full time staff (union and non-union) must complete a background check as part of the hiring process. Once you have accepted your offer and have completed the new hire paperwork associated with it, you will receive a background check request email. Please follow the prompts of the background check request email to ensure your background check is successfully submitted so that your start date is not delayed.

 

Once a new employee completes the online onboarding form, they may go to uni.columbia.edu within 24 to 48 hours to activate their UNI.

A UNI account is used to access TC email and enter myTC Portal.

To activate the UNI, follow the steps below:

  • Go to uni.columbia.edu
  • Click the Activate UNI link
  • Read and accept the policies provided
  • Click the “Don't know your UNI? Click the HERE to activate” Link
  • Enter the necessary information and proceed

Identification Documents:

Section 2 of the Form I-9 must be completed by your third day of employment. To do so, you must present our office with your employment authorization documents. Please refer to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website for acceptable documents you can bring to confirm your identity and authorization to work.

You will also need your identification documents to obtain your Teachers College ID card on your first day of work.

Water Bottle and/or Coffee Mug:

Reusable drinking containers are part of the Teachers College Initiative for Sustainable Futures. You can help make a difference by bringing your own reusable container.

Located on West 120th Street between Broadway and Amsterdam, our campus consists of 5 residence halls and 8 interconnected buildings.

Click here to view maps, directions, and accessible entrances.

  • TC will no longer link any COVID-19 vaccination or testing requirements to campus access.
  • If you feel sick at any point during the semester, DO NOT COME TO CAMPUS. Please remain home until you are feeling well.
  • If you develop symptoms of COVID-19 at any point during the semester, DO NOT COME TO CAMPUS. Seek a rapid or PCR test 3-5 days after symptoms onset. If you test positive, complete the health screening form to report your results. If you test negative, you can return to campus once your symptoms resolve.
  • Once you have been infected with COVID-19, you may continue to test positive even after your infection has cleared. Please read further guidelines about this circumstance here.
  • TC strongly recommends community members get a flu shot and an additional COVID-19 booster, if you are eligible.
  • Please see the Teachers College Preparedness website for more information about Teachers College and COVID-19.
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