New Employee Checklist

Welcome to Western! In order to help you get up and running as quickly as possible with technology at Western, we created the following checklist to help you and your supervisor request the technology and access you need.

Another helpful resource is our New to WWU tab at the top of this page. The direct address is https://atus.wwu.edu/new-wwu. The New to WWU tab will help you get connected to your email, OneDrive, and other technology resources at Western.

Getting Help

Western provides centralized IT support for all faculty, staff, and students through the Academic Technology & User Services (ATUS) Help Desk. Some departments and colleges also have their own IT staff who can assist you. They may work with you and your supervisor to help you get started. 

Whenever one of our web pages recommends contacting the Help Desk, simply click the Get Help tab at the top of this web page, or if you have printed this out you can browse to http://atus.wwu.edu.

WWU Universal Account

This is your primary universal computer account for Western. After all hiring paperwork has been processed, and you have completed the I-9, you should receive an email at your personal email address that includes your username and instructions for setting the password on your universal account. If you have completed the I-9, but you have not received this email, contact the Help Desk for assistance. 

For more information on what your Universal Account provides access to, click the New to WWU tab at the top of this page. 

Computers and other devices

Your supervisor may issue a computer and other devices to you, or they may coordinate with your department's IT support staff to have one provided. If you need special software, you can purchase it through the ATUS Software Services office.

Phones & Voice Mail

Western's telephone service is through Microsoft Teams Voice. This is a digital voice telephone service that allows you to answer your phone number, or make calls, using the Teams app on your computer or mobile device. 


Visit our Teams Voice page for links to Teams training videos, documentation, equipment recommendations, and forms for requesting a telephone number or access to a call queue.

Email and Calendars

Your WWU email address is your username@wwu.edu. This is the address used to send and receive email. 

  • You will also use your username@wwu.edu to sign into cloud applications like Office 365, Teams, Canvas, and more. 
  • Employees also have a friendly proxy address in the format of FirstName.LastName@wwu.edu. You should only provide this email address to people, because it will be easier to remember than your username@wwu.edu.
    • Never enter your FirstName.LastName@wwu.edu address into a web page or software app. It is just a proxy address - this means you can receive email at this address but you can't send email as this address. Web pages and software apps will only work well when you enter your username@wwu.edu. If you use your proxy address, some features may not work or the software may not recognize your account.

For instructions on setting up your WWU email on your devices, visit our Email, Communications, & Calendars page

Access to shared file storage and other collaboration tools

Your department may use more than one tool for file sharing, communication, and collaboration. The possibilities include:

  • A Microsoft Team, Office 365 Group, or SharePoint site
    • There is usually someone in your department who can add you to the correct team, group, or site. You may need access to more than one. 
    • If you (the supervisor or employee) are not sure how to add this access, contact the Help Desk or your departmental IT support for assistance.
  • A shared email address and/or calendar
    • Access to shared mailboxes for email and calendar, as well as access to reservation calendars, should be requested by your supervisor through the Help Desk
  • A shared network folder that is mapped to a drive letter (e.g., P: Drive, T: Drive)
    • Contact the Help Desk or your departmental IT support

Administrative Enterprise Applications 

Banner is the primary administrative application at Western, and many departments and staff utilize Banner for a variety of tasks and queries. There are other tools as well, so talk to your supervisor about what systems you will need to access. Access to most of these systems can be requested through our Esign Web Forms system.

  • Note that there are multiple request forms for Banner. The first one you must complete is the Banner Login Request. After that, you can request access to specific information in Banner using the appropriate web form.  

Additional Resources

What an employee should do before leaving Western

Visit our New to WWU tab to watch a two-minute video on tech resources at Western

Keep Working: Checklist for Temporary Work from Off-Campus

Browse our Knowledgebase Articles