Annual Reviews

The evaluation process for Category A, B, and C academic staff and instructions for conducting annual performance evaluations are contained in Procedures for Evaluation of Non-instructional Faculty and Category A and C Academic Staff, the complete text of which may be found in Chapter 4D, Section 15.

A & C Staff

Academic staff performance evaluations are conducted to:

• enable employees to understand fully what is expected of them;
• help employees assess the quality of their work;
• give employees constructive feedback;
• gain information to help make accurate personnel decisions on such matters as retention, merit, and promotion; and
• encourage employees to do their best work.

Performance evaluations conducted under these policies and procedures shall serve as the basis for making personnel decisions relating to renewal, reappointment, indefinite status, merit, promotion, and salary.

All fixed term, probationary, or indefinite appointment academic staff shall be evaluated annually on how they meet unit and individual performance objectives. Near the middle of each evaluative period, an interim meeting shall be held with the academic staff member to discuss progress toward the objectives and to revise objectives as necessary.

Performance Objectives

Each unit, in consultation with the appropriate vice chancellor or with the dean, shall specify in writing the relative importance of these performance objectives:

• Ability in Performing Primary Responsibilities: the success of the academic staff member in timeliness, accuracy and quality of the work; achievement of job objectives; and innovative approaches to tasks required.
• Professional Disciplinary Growth: participation in formal or informal activities which indicate continued study and increased expertise in one's field, including such things as additional course work; leadership roles in professional organizations; attendance at seminars, workshops, or conferences; and research activities.
• General Educational Service: the acceptance and fulfillment of professional responsibilities outside the unit (i.e., to the university and the community). Service may be shown by participation in organizations related to one's area of expertise, by acceptance of professional responsibilities within the university, and by professional relationships within the community.

Student Evaluations

The use of student evaluations may be appropriate if contact with students is a primary and an integral part of the position responsibility. Decisions on whether to use student evaluations shall be made by supervisors, in consultation with the staff members to be evaluated.

• No student or peer evaluations of classroom teaching shall be used in performance evaluations of Category A or C academic staff in their primary position responsibilities except in those cases where the supervisor and the individual being evaluated agree that student evaluations of teaching are a necessary or appropriate part of the evaluation process.
• Any student evaluations of classroom teaching shall be conducted by the appropriate academic department under existing departmental policies.

Except as specified in the first bulleted paragraph above, such evaluations are exclusively for professional development and other uses as provided by departmental policies.

Evaluation Procedures

Each academic staff member shall meet with the staff member's supervisor at least once each year to assess performance and establish performance objectives. At this meeting:

• the supervisor shall afford the academic staff member the opportunity to present any information or materials on the academic staff member's behalf; and the two shall:  Review the academic staff member's current position description; the supervisor shall provide a current, 1-page position description which the two review to assure that it accurately describes duties and responsibilities; review progress toward achieving objectives agreed upon at the last review (or for an initial review, as discussed in the appointment process);
• develop appropriate goals, objectives, and priorities to be accomplished in the coming year;  The goals, objectives, and priorities shall be consistent with the duties and responsibilities delineated in the abbreviated position description.
• identify material to be used to assess progress toward achieving the goals in the next year, and the method by which this material will be collected;
• set a time schedule for the next evaluation; and
• discuss other relevant concerns of the academic staff member or of the supervisor.

Evaluation Report

Following the annual/supplemental review meeting but not later than May 1, the supervisor prepares and files a written evaluation report for inclusion in the academic staff member's personnel file. The academic staff member receives a copy of the evaluation report and may prepare a written response to the evaluation. Any response shall also be placed in the personnel file. The written evaluation report, which shall be signed by the supervisor and the academic staff member, shall include at least the

• updated position description;
• goals and objectives for the upcoming year;
• self-assessment; and
• complete record of the evaluation.

Review of the Evaluation

An academic staff member who believes the performance evaluation was unfair may request from the academic staff member's supervisor a review of the evaluation. Any such request

• shall be in writing;
• shall be received by the supervisor not later than 15 days after the academic staff member has received the evaluation report;
• shall address the particular concerns of the academic staff member; and
• shall be granted.

Supervisor's Response

The supervisor has 15 working days to review the entire matter and write a response to the academic staff member.

Further Action

If the academic staff member continues to feel that the review was unfair and that the supervisor's response does not rectify the academic staff member's concerns, the academic staff member may file a grievance under the provisions of Chapter UWSP 13.02.

Copies Filed

A copy of any request for review and a copy of the supervisor's response shall be placed in the academic staff member's personnel file with the original evaluation report.

Use of Raw Data from Responses

With the exception of the self-evaluation, respondents to the supplemental review questionnaire survey shall remain anonymous. Consequently, the raw data from a supplemental review shall not be made available to the employee under review. Following analysis of the information obtained from the questionnaire survey and self-evaluation, the supervisor shall share the results with the academic staff member. Statistical data gathered from the general questions may be used for institutional research.

Academic Staff Council and the Vice Chancellor's Office as Resources for Performance Reviews

Any Academic Staff member may request assistance on any aspect of the evaluation process at any time by contacting the Chairperson of the Academic Staff Council or the Vice Chancellor's Office.

Annual Review Procedure

Each year, employee performance is evaluated by the person to whom the employee reports according to the following procedure:

Responsible Person(s)	Actions
Person whom employee reports & employee	Review employee's current position description for accuracy Discuss progress toward objectives agreed upon at last review Agree upon objectives and priorities to be accomplished during the coming year
Person whom the employee reports	Submits a written evaluation report by May 1 to the Academic Affairs Office to be included in the employee's personnel file Includes employee's position description, goals and objectives, and the complete record of their evaluation in the annual report Gives the employee a copy of the report
Employee	Responds with written reaction to the evaluation to be included in the employee's personnel file

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Category B Staff

  For information on Category B Staff Evalutions please consult with the Office of the Provost.