Performance Evaluations. Timing of Evaluations. Benefits of Well-Written Evaluations

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1 Performance Evaluations As a member of the academic staff you are expected to prepare an annual selfevaluation. Your self-evaluation is a critical look at what you are doing and where you are going. This workshop will emphasize your role as a stakeholder in the performance evaluation process and your ability to use the process to take control and responsibility for your own success. Well-written self-evaluations can have an incredible impact upon how your supervisor views your performance. Hopefully, in this workshop you will receive some insights into how to write the evaluation in a way that benefits your career goals and protects your career advancement. Timing of Evaluations The UWM Academic Staff Annual Evaluation Schedule states that self-evaluations are usually due no later than February 1 st to your supervisor and the supervisor's response is usually due no later than March 1 st to the employee. The reason that academic staff evaluations are done at the beginning of the calendar year is so that they are completed before the annual pay plan (merit) exercise begins. In order to be eligible for a pay plan increase you must have a self-evaluation on file and your supervisor's rating of your performance must be at least a solid performance rating. If there is no response by your supervisor, the self-evaluation will be the official performance evaluation. Benefits of Well-Written Evaluations If you are on a fixed-term appointment, the self-evaluation allows you document your progress toward prefix promotions, title upgrades or changes in status like moving to a multiple-year or a probationary appointment. In addition, if you move from a fixedterm to a probationary appointment, a well-written evaluation can be used to negotiate the granting of prior year service toward indefinite status. If your title is in a prefix series (Associate, No Prefix, Senior), it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with the Criteria for Use of Prefixes at As you gain experience and knowledge in your position, you can use your self-evaluation as a means to record and demonstrate that you have met the criteria for promotion to the next prefix level. If you have a probationary appointment, your self-evaluations become a part of your Indefinite File which is presented to your Dean/Division Head, the Academic Staff Review Committee and the Chancellor. Your annual performance evaluation is an excellent time to set goals to meet the criteria required for your indefinite appointment. For more information, please see 1

2 Work-Related Motivators Survey results from the Labor Relations Institute of New York in 1946, 1981 and 1994* Employee Ranking of Motivators 1. Feeling appreciated for work done 2. Feeling of being "in" on things 3. Sympathetic help on personal problems 4. Job security 5. Good Wages 6. Interesting Work 7. Promotion and growth within the organization 8. Personal loyalty to employees 9. Good working conditions 10. Tactful discipline Supervisor Ranking of Motivators 1. Good Wages 2. Job security 3. Promotion and growth within the organization 4. Good working conditions 5. Interesting Work 6. Personal loyalty to employees 7. Tactful discipline 8. Feeling appreciated for work done 9. Sympathetic help on personal problems 10. Feeling of being "in" on things *Stress-Free Performance Appraisals: Turn Your Most Painful Management Duty into a Powerful Motivational Tool by Sharon Armstrong, July

3 Using the Campus Form The Kinds of Information to be Included in Each Category I. Evaluate your performance of the regular duties as stated in your position description and any special objectives or goals, which were established for the year at a previous evaluation. Your performance cannot ever be fully measured. However, you can strategically manage your performance using the selfevaluation process. Your self-evaluation is used to establish a record of your accomplishments and project a positive impression of yourself to your supervisor and those that may read your evaluations in the indefinite status review process or any other promotional opportunities. Below are a few questions to think about and mention in your discussion of your regular duties and last year's goals. Most of the questions below are the questions that your supervisor most likely will be thinking about when writing a response to your self-evaluation. It is prudent for you to think about the same type of questions when writing your own evaluation because the answers to the questions can help you describe how you have performed your regular duties. Be clear, direct and honest when you write your evaluation. It is helpful to ask yourself, "Why am I saying this?" Try and limit what your write to what is essential to your personnel record. Have you met objectives? Have you been timely? Do you make contributions to the group/department/team? Do you work effective with others? Do you share information with others? How is your customer service? What is your interest in new challenges? Do you assist others without being asked? Have you reviewed what it is you do and how to improve it? Have you worked on building trust? Have you shown interest in UWM's goals and do you see how your position fits into those goals? Do you roll up your sleeves in a crisis? What special actions, partnerships or discoveries have you made? Who have you made an impression on this year by just doing your job? 3

4 II. Describe special activities and projects which you completed and assess their contribution to the achievement of the objectives of your department. Typically, it is not difficult to list special projects you have accomplished during the year. The challenging part of writing this portion of your self-evaluation is identifying how what you have done is contributing to your department's success. Here are a few examples to help you complete this section with the special project listed first and its contribution listed second. Implementation of Version 8.0 Upgrade of PeopleSoft. Successful implementation meant that financial aid awards were awarded and disbursed in a timely manner. Collaborated with the Student Association on the following special projects: Improved and expanded communication with students about our services. Provided additional staff training and mentoring to new employees in the department at the request of the Director. Helped to provide a team spirit in the department while we all had little time for personal projects Hunger Clean Up. Increase community involvement of UWM students. Worked to establish a Business Process Document for the department. Created efficiencies in our processing of standard procedures Made training new staff in some of the complex processes less intimidating Production of new Information Packets and assisted with new web site design. Streamline and strengthen content for better communication with students. Helps to fulfill a number of items on the department's wish-list that have been accumulating over the years. Member of a department working group that formulated a new department policy on. Participation in policy making leads to valuable information as to how changes can be implemented in effective and efficient ways both in our department and campus-wide. Wrote a feature article for the UWM Report. Allows the department to take advantage of this publication as a means of communication with staff. 4

5 III. Indicate the nature of your professional development activities to enhance your job performance and professional skills. (Include courses, degrees, seminars, training, or participation in professional organizations.) Assess the impact on your professional development. Besides just listing the activities you were involved in during the past year, you might want to consider writing your requests for the next calendar year. If you were unable to participate in all the activities during the year that you would have liked to, then describe why not and what you would like to do to be able to participate the next time the activity is available. If your supervisor has disagreed with you in regards to professional development - try to write a positive business case scenario for why you feel pursuing a certain educational path will ultimately benefit your department and the university. Here are a few examples of activities and impact assessments. Diversity Learning Experience by the IDEAL Milwaukee Institute for Diversity Education and Leadership As a supervisor, it is worthwhile to learn how to leverage diversity and build inclusion within my department. I believe we can respond quicker to change when we allow everyone to contribute to the full extent of their talents, ideas and creative energy. The concepts learned at this training will be forever ingrained in everything that I do as a supervisor and/or team member. Grant Writing Workshop The ability to seek additional funding through grant activities is becoming a necessary skill for all of us. I am certain that what I learned in this workshop is only the beginning to what I will learn as I begin to actually receive grant awards. Graduate Level Course work This year, I purposefully applied my coursework to actual work problems I was encountering. This aided my learning by proving that much of the theory I was learning could be successfully applied in the workplace. In addition, a master's degree will allow me more career options in the future through promotional opportunities within the department and on campus. Phone conferences (and other means of delivery of educational resources) on regulatory updates or trends. My goal is to share the information learned at these events with my colleagues as we continue to improve delivery of services. Staying on top of my profession allows me to expand my resources and a chance to present material both formally and informally. I&MT Short Courses Short Courses help to expand and refine my skills. Short courses in web site design and advanced computer courses allow the department to take advantage of new technology. 5

6 IV. List activities that are beyond the scope of your departmental or Position Description related responsibilities. Appropriate examples include service on academic staff and/or faculty standing committees, academic staff governance and other campus-wide, college/school, department or unit activities or service projects. Under this category is where you might want to document what you have done as well as your goals for future service. If you haven't been able to get elected to an Academic Staff Committee - at least, mention that you were on the ballot. This is important at the beginning of your career when your name is not yet well known enough to win an election. Describe the things you would like to be involved in - this way your supervisor gets to know you and perhaps help to place you on committees you are interested in. A. University Service Gramm, Leach, Bliley Act Compliance and Security Awareness Team APBS Data Warehouse Team Department PeopleSoft Committee member COMPASS Guide Advisory Committee SECC Campaign Department Chair Advised the Golden Key Honor Society Black and Gold Commission Academic Staff Committee Academic Staff Senate Economic Benefits Committee Department Committee for University Accreditation Volunteered for Freshman Orientation Check-In Marshall at Graduation and Freshman Convocation Member of UWM Consumer Group Academic Staff Mentor Panther Hospitality Committee Volunteer at UWM Block Party Volunteer for the Student Accessibility Center UWM Mentor B. Community Service that is not Campus Related Tutor for One-on-One Program YMCA Board Committee Fund raising volunteer C. Professional Service Panel Speaker at Alverno College Staffed donations booth at national conference CUPA Member WASFAA Member 6