New Staff at KIS

KIS runs New Staff Orientation programs for all new staff and families before the start of each semester. We try our best to integrate new staff into community life at KIS as soon as possible. We also recommend that new staff try and arrive prior to the orientation program to allow time to get to know some of the KIS community and Kodaikanal town before the pre-semester flurry begins.

Each new staff member is met by a KIS host or host family upon arrival who is responsible for looking after new staff members and assisting with any settling in needs for the first few weeks. Official KIS volunteers and families are also included in this orientation program. KIS Human Resources is actively involved in greeting new staff members and is in communication with new staff and families well before arrival at KIS regarding their relocation and travel arrangements as well as any refurbishment preferences.

KIS New Staff Orientation program normally runs over one or two days and begins with an evening welcome event and features:

1. group sessions with academic, administrative and senior management staff
2. service fair where staff can connect with community services such as banking finance, medical, maintenance and communications
3. cultural workshops
4. IT sessions

New staff orientation officially culminates with tours of KIS campuses, Kodai environs and the local community, but continues unofficially for some weeks afterwards with day trips to investigate shopping opportunities in nearby Madurai and Coimbatore and tailored opportunities to hike in more secluded parts of the Palani Hills conservation zone.

Click here to read the Vanakkam Kodai booklet introducing Kodaikanal and KIS, to new staff.