ASA Document 229. Chapter 10 - Performance Reviews (with ASEC revisions)
ASA Document #229
March 15th, 1999
CHAPTER 10
PERFORMANCE REVIEWS
Job effectiveness and accountability as well as career development can be improved through increased communications between academic staff and their supervisors. One component of this communication is the performance review, whether accomplished through departmental, team, or group meetings, individual performance evaluations, or other one-on-one meetings.
The diversity of programs at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has created an environment in which many methods of performance reviews have been developed to meet specialized needs of different units. Units are encouraged to develop, implement and maintain review procedures that best meet their needs.
- Opportunity for Review
Academic staff shall be reviewed in a manner appropriate to their work setting and responsibilities.
1. Academic staff shall have an opportunity for performance review in a manner appropriate to their work setting and responsibilities.
2. Academic staff, may at any time, document their professional and other work-related activities by preparing an activities and accomplishments report, updated curriculum vitae, position description, or other form of self-reporting. Upon request, these documents shall be placed in the staff member's personnel file.
10.02 Purpose of the Performance Review
The performance review is intended to serve various purposes, including but not limited to the following:
1. To provide an opportunity for academic staff to present an organized overview of their activities and accomplishments.
2. To identify ways to enhance academic staff job satisfaction and performance.
3. To enable academic staff to identify career opportunities and to integrate these with the goals of the work unit.
4. To encourage individual initiative and creativity in the work place.
5. To foster communication between supervisors and staff and among staff.
6. To provide a regular opportunity to build a record of performance for use in merit recommendations, indefinite appointment review, promotion, and other personnel actions.
10.03 Methods of Performance Review
1. Some units use a structured process of periodic performance review. Methods of performance review include peer review, committee review and individual consultation. These methods usually result in written documentation. Examples of review documents used in these units are on file in the Academic Personnel Office. Absent a review document in an employee’s personnel file, it shall be assumed that the employee’s performance has been at least satisfactory.
2. Other units use an ongoing performance review process in which academic staff meet frequently with supervisors to develop goals, review alternatives, discuss problems, evaluate progress toward achieving a desired outcome, and review performance on a continuing basis. While this process need not result in written documentation, supervisors are encouraged to acknowledge exceptional performance in writing and place a copy in the staff member's personnel file.
3. Academic staff may, at any time, document their professional and other work-related activities by preparing an activities and accomplishments report, updated curriculum vitae, position description, or other forms of self-reporting. Upon request, these documents shall be placed in the staff member’s personnel file.
4. Whenever a review process results in a document being placed in the staff member's personnel file, the staff member shall be given a copy. The staff member may respond in writing to any review document placed in the personnel file. This response shall be also be placed in the personnel file.
10.04 Establishing or Changing the Method of Review
1. Academic staff shall participate in establishing the criteria and defining the methods of academic staff performance review to be used in the unit. These criteria and methods shall be placed on file in the offices of the dean of or director. An Aacademic staff members who disagrees with the criteria or methods of performance review may file a statement of their objections with the unit head and the dean or director. The academic staff member may request that a A copy of this statement shall be placed in the employee's personnel file.
2. Staff members of a unit may request the criteria or methods of performance review be changed. Academic staff of the unit shall participate in developing and implementing the changes.
10.05 Individual Written Review at the Request of a Staff Member
Once each year a A staff member may request a written performance review from the supervisor regardless of the method of review used by the work unit as a whole. This request shall be in writing and should include pertinent documents, such as an activities report, updated position description, or other documents to be considered by the supervisor when conducting the review. The supervisor shall prepare a written review and provide a copy of the review to the staff member and place a copy in the employee's personnel file. Upon request of the staff member or supervisor, a meeting shall be scheduled to discuss the review. The staff member may prepare a written response to the review and place it in the personnel file.
10.06 Notification of New Employees
New staff members shall be notified of the unit's procedures for performance review at the time of appointment.
10.07 Relationship to Annual Merit
Salary considerations are not the principal purpose of performance review, but the assignment of an academic staff member's annual merit increment shall take cognizance of the results of performance reviews.