Skip to main content
Vice Chancellor for Health Sciences VCHS
  1. VCHS
  2. Administration
  3. Academic Resource Center
  4. For New Employees
  5. Onboarding Expectations

Onboarding Expectations

This page provides an onboarding checklist for faculty, academics, MSP Staff Physicians, and Postdoctoral Fellows as new hires to UC San Diego Health Sciences.  

BEFORE YOUR ARRIVAL:

FACULTY, ACADEMIC AND MSP STAFF PHYSICIAN BENEFITS

Review your benefit options and eligibility. You have 31 days to enroll from your start date. 

  • If you are appointed at 50% or more, you are eligible for full benefits found here BENEFITS ELIGIBILITY (pg.5) 
  • Visit the benefits website to read or watch informational videos about your benefit options BENEFIT PLANS. 
  • Even prior to your start date you may attend a benefits orientation hosted by Health HR and ask questions about benefits as well as voluntary retirement accounts from a Fidelity Investments representative. 
  • Orientations are held via zoom Mondays from 2 - 4:30PM (From Zoom.us Meeting ID: 860 0697 1008; Passcode: Benefits). 
  • If you cannot attend, view the online benefits orientation video found here BENEFITS OVERVIEW. 

POSTDOC BENEFITS

  • The policies and benefits postdoctoral scholars differ from Faculty, non-faculty academics and the MSP Staff Physicians. 
  • Postdoc benefits are administered through Gallagher Insurance.  
  • Postdocs may enroll online at the UC Path website 
  • International scholars without a social security number may be required to complete the form as a PDF. 

ONBOARDING

You will receive an invitation from the Academic Resource Center (ARC) to complete new-hire paperwork, including verification of your right to work in the U.S. This should occur on or prior to your start date. 

UPON YOUR ARRIVAL

ON YOUR START DATE

  • EMAIL & EMPLOYEE ID#: Once you’ve met with ARC for your onboarding (see above) You will receive a post-onboarding email with your assigned UCSD email address & employee ID from the ARC Onboarding Analyst (via ARCrequest@health.ucsd.edu).  
  • DIRECT DEPOSIT: Enroll in direct deposit at the UC PATH website 
  • BUILDING ACCESS: You will be provided information to obtain a badge at onboarding or with your department. Your department will work with Health Security to ensure you have the appropriate building access. 
  • CAMPUS ID CARD: An optional campus ID card is available if you wish to have ID associating you with the University (that is separate from your building access). Campus ID card allows Geisel Library checkout priveleges and various campus eatery discounts. To request your Campus ID card, you will need your Employee ID# Ask your department business office for the funding source for this ID card. ID CARD REQUEST. 
  • INTERNATIONAL SCHOLARS & EMPLOYEES: Should check in with the International Services and Engagement Office (ISEO) as well as attend the appropriate orientation based on your visa status. 

BENEFIT RESOURCES

INFORMATION ON BENEFITS

  • UC NET will provide an overview of your benefit eligibility. 
  • This website contains a comparison of Employee Medical Plan Costs. 
  • Pre-recorded webinars to help you select which plans are best for you can be found online. 
  • Some plans only allow you to enroll during your first 31 days including supplemental disability, life insurance, and dependent life insurance. Enrollment after this initial period may require additional steps including a health screening.  
  • You will need your UCSD email address to log-into the benefits website. 
  • Additional enrollment resources can be found online which explains what to do if you have a new family member (marriage, birth, adoption, etc.), if you lose other group insurance coverage, and when UC’s open enrollment occurs. 
  • Aside from medical, dental, vision, and supplemental benefits, university offers additional benefits such as Adoption Assistance, Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) for Dependent Care and Health Care Expenses, Home/Auto, Legal and Pet Insurance. 
  • Veterans Affairs (VA) Faculty appointed at UCSD less than 50% will have a **different enrollment process**  outside of the UC system

RETIREMENT INFORMATION

RETIREMENT

Elect which retirement option, Savings Choice or Pension Choice.  

  • You have 90 days to elect your plan.  
  • University will not begin to contribute until you have made your election. Meaning, the University's contributions to your retirement will be prospective from the date you enroll RETIREMENT ELECTION. 
  • If you don’t choose a primary retirement option, you automatically will be enrolled in Pension Choice at the end of the 90-day period. Enrollment in Pension Choice is permanent and irrevocable. 

RETIREMENT PLAN COMPARISON

  • Pension Choice is a UCRP pension benefit with a Supplemental 401(k) style component and is designed for a pension with a predictable benefit payment throughout the employee’s lifetime in retirement.  It includes disability benefits and options for income for eligible survivors. 
  • Pension Choice requires an employee to vest with five years of UCRP service credit. 
  • Savings Choice is a Stand-alone 401(k) style with an account you withdraw money from during retirement.   
  • Savings Choice is a portable retirement benefit that you can roll over into an IRA or another employer’s retirement plan if you leave UC. 
  • For more information visit the plan comparison site. 

VOLUNTARY RETIREMENT PLANS

  • Information on UC’s vast Voluntary UC Retirement Saving Plans are available online and through the Fidelity website, which administers the plans for UC. 
  • Plans include 403(b) – pretax and new Roth; 457(b) - pretax and new Roth, and the Defined Contribution Plan. 

POSTDOC RETIREMENT

  • Postdocs who are residents for taxation purposes are required to contribute to UC’s Defined Contribution Plan (DCP). This contribution is in place of social security and is yours to keep or reinvest when your UC San Diego employment ends. 
  • Postdocs may also contribute to the voluntary retirement plans. 
  • More information can be found here.

UC SAN DEIGO REQUIRED TRAININGS

UCLearning Center (UCLC)

Required training will be auto-assigned based on your role. You can log into UC Learning to view the current, upcoming, and past due training modules that are required. UC LEARNING Center (UCLC) 

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

UCSD Abbreviations & Acronyms: 

To view common UCSD abbreviations and phrases. 

Health Human Resources: 

The Human Resources shared service for Health faculty, academic, and MSP Staff Physicians where you can inquire on questions related to benefits. 

Health Sciences IT: 

To make a request or obtain technical support for Health Sciences IT related issues contact  

619-543-4357(3-HELP) or create a case.