Getting started at the Department

We are pleased to welcome you to the faculty. Here you will find all the information you need to get started. This page has been created for all new members of the academic staff and is not limited to doctoral candidates.
"This page is a report of experiences regarding what needs to be done in the first days and weeks as an academic staff member at the Department of Economics and Management. Additionally, it provides helpful tips for working at the department. This guide does not replace the onboarding process at your institute or chair.  

(As of June 2024)
 

Administrative Matters

As usual, there are a few administrative steps to be taken in the first few weeks.

Password

The IT of the KIT is managed by the SCC (Scientific Computing Center). You will receive a letter from them (or you can pick up the letter) in which your initial password is given. You can activate your KIT account with this initial password. The assistent will guide you through the next steps. Once you have completed the activation process, you can use various services of the SCC, such as the Exchange-Mailbox or WLAN access.

Token Setup

In addition to your regular password, you will need a token for certain services (e.g., logging into the CAS system or the User Portal) as part of the implementation of two-factor authentication at KIT. You can set this up in SCC's self-service portal. Further information, including token generation options, can be found here.

Personal Data and Access Levels

In the self-service portal, you can also add, update, or delete your personal data to a certain extent. Additionally, you can set the access levels for your data, i.e., determine which data is publicly visible, accessible within KIT, or protected (restricted to a closed user group).

VPN

To access the KIT intranet and related services from outside the KIT campus (e.g., when working from home), a VPN connection must be established. Additionally, there are special VPN access points (VPN2VLAN), which allow access to subnets of KIT, e.g., the subnet of your institute. A separate request must be submitted for this. Information on setting up OpenVPN at KIT can be found here.

KIT Card

As an employee, you will receive a KIT Card. This serves as your employee ID and is primarily used for access control to buildings on campus as well as access control for Campus North. However, additional functions are integrated, such as a library card and a wallet for the cafeteria. Once your card is ready, you will receive an email from the ID office, where you can then pick up the card.

For PhD Students: Doctoral Agreement and Registration at the Department

Within the first 6 months after starting your doctoral studies or after receiving the commitment from your KIT supervisor, a doctoral agreement must be signed, and an application for acceptance as a doctoral candidate must be submitted to the department. You can find related information in our PhD Guide.

For PhD Students and Postdocs: Registration at KHYS

Doctoral candidates must register with KHYS (Karlsruhe House of Young Scientists) as part of their application for acceptance as a doctoral candidate. Postdocs can also register with KHYS via the Docata portal and benefit from KHYS offerings, such as career development tips or information on research stays abroad. More information about KHYS offerings for postdocs can be found here.

As a KHYS member, you will also receive regular informational emails about calls for applications (e.g., for scholarships and awards), workshops, events (e.g., the Welcome Event for Doctoral Researchers), and more.

Further Information

Please don't forget to complete the onboarding process of your institute as well. Common additional tasks include:

  • Setting up the messaging system used in the research group (Teams, Elements, etc.)
  • Setting up the team calendar
  • Subscribing to mailing lists (especially the Doctoral Conventi mailing list and the Networking Lunch List ;) )
  • Setting up your phone
  • Updating your personal webpage
  • Clarifying data exchange procedures within the institute/group

Tips for working at the Department

The following provides some helpful tips about life at KIT and the Department of Economics and Management.

Representatives of the PhD Students

As all universities in Baden-Württemberg, the department has a Doctoral Convent. This convent advocates for the interests of the department's doctoral candidates and is available via email for any questions or concerns about the doctoral process. You can find more information about the Doctoral Convent here. Unfortunately, doctoral candidates do not automatically receive the newsletter of the convent. To receive these emails, which contain useful information about the doctoral process, you must register here.

Portals

Frequently used portals are the following:

  • Self-Service Portal of SCC: Management of personal data, KIT Card, token, etc.
  • User Portal: Portal for all SAP applications for employees, such as accessing pay statements, time bookings, etc.
  • Campus Management System (CAS): Information system for managing teaching activities, e.g., for managing course and exam data as well as room bookings.
  • ILIAS: Learning platform at KIT (for providing learning materials, learning forums, online tests, etc.)
  • Wiwi-Portal: Faculty-specific portal that simplifies the organization of teaching (e.g., student registration for seminars, allocation of student seating for exams).
Microsoft Office

KIT provides Microsoft 365 licenses, allowing the use of common Microsoft Office programs (Outlook, Teams, PowerPoint, Excel, Word). The procurement process can be found on the respective SCC page.

Further Software

KIT also offers a wide range of additional software. This includes, for example:

  • Overleaf: Collaborative Online-LaTeX-Editor
  • Matrix/Elements: Secure and encrypted chatting and video calls with other KIT members
  • bwSync&Share: Secure online storage (cloud) for members of universities in Baden-Württemberg
  • GitLab: GitLab-Service, hosted by SCC
  • Rainbow: Cloud-based application for virtual voice communication, allowing the KIT phone number to be used while being away from the desk

In addition, a wide selection of software licenses and packages can be found in the KIT software shop.

Certificate for Teaching and Learning at University Level

KIT offers courses for further education in the field of higher education didactics. In addition to a general introduction ("Fit für die Lehre 1+2"), a variety of topic-specific courses are also available. The annual program for higher education didactics courses can be found here.

Dedicated teaching persons can also obtain the Baden-Württemberg Certificate for Teaching and Learning at University Level through KIT, which internationally certifies teaching competence. The procedure is described in detail on the PEBA (Personalentwicklung und Berufliche Ausbildung) website

Job Ticket

KIT offers a subsidy for purchasing the Job Ticket. Particularly when combined with the Deutschlandticket, this option is very lucrative. The application process can be found here.

Networking

Do you want to connect with other members of the department in a relaxed setting? Then join us for the Networking Lunch. Here, we meet for lunch to discuss our research topics, teaching at KIT, but also our leisure activities. Invitations are sent out via a separate email distribution list, which you can join here.