Performance Management

Performance Management

UCCS believes all employees are the key to our success. We strive to hire, develop, and keep the best employees. We encourage, support, and compensate employees based on our philosophy of recognizing and rewarding exceptional performance.

We believe that performance management is an on-going and daily process, not just an annual event.

We require managers and employees to conduct a formal annual performance review based on the requirements specific to their employment group. This review documents and highlights the previous year’s accomplishments and overall performance.

Requirements and timeline are different for university and classified staff as well as for faculty.

Three trainings related to performance management are available on the HR YouTube for on-demand viewing.

Evaluations

Evaluation Timelines and Forms

Classified Staff

The performance cycle for Classified Staff runs from August 1 to July 31.

CU requires a midyear progress review between employees and their supervisor. This meeting must be documented.

For employees hired after November 18, 2021, supervisors are required to conduct a performance discussion after completion of 90 days of the employee's probationary period or trial service.

Find more information about CU's Performance Management Program Plan.

August 1: The new performance cycle begins. Supervisors should complete the Planning and Evaluation Form for work and goals completed in the previous 12 months and schedule a time to meet with the employee.

August 31: Performance Planning and Evaluation forms for the previous cycle must be submitted to hrhelp@uccs.edu. Supervisors and employees should both retain copies of the final evaluations for their records. The reviewer MUST review the evaluation before it is given to the employee.

October 1: A new plan, with goals, must be in place for all classified employees. Upon completion of performance plans, departments should fill out the Performance Management Program - Department Certification Form (Annual) and store in department files.

January 31: Supervisors and employees must meet for a mid-year review of progress to goals. This conversation must be documented on the Planning & Evaluation form. 

Ongoing: When a new employee or an existing employee's job class or supervisor changes, the Performance Management Program -Department Certification For (Mid-Year) must be completed no later than 30 days after the hire or reclassification of a classified employee.

Classified Staff Forms:
University Staff

University Staff's performance cycle is from July 1 – June 30.

We do encourage ongoing conversations concerning performance to occur between the employee and supervisor throughout the year.

July 1 – June 30: Performance evaluation period

June 30: Evaluation period ends.

September 1: Annual performance forms must be submitted to hrhelp@uccs.edu. Supervisors and employees should retain copies of the final evaluations for their records.

University Staff Forms:
Faculty 

The university rates faculty members' performance each year and uses the results to determine merit and other pay adjustments. Tenured/tenure track faculty are assessed on a three year average and instructors are evaluated annually. 

Performance ratings are based on standards that each academic unit has developed, according to agreed-upon written expectations between the faculty member and his/her unit.

Faculty responsibilities (except those on leave):

  • Provide written evidence of your performance.
  • Use your campus'/college's/school's/unit's standard for reporting scholarly and other activities.

Faculty members who do not follow this process will receive a "below expectations" review and be considered for disciplinary action.

12-month Faculty

12- month faculty's performance cycle is July 1st - June 30th. This is the same cycle as university staff. We do encourage ongoing conversation concerning performance to occur between employee and supervisor during the year.

July 1 – June 30: Performance evaluation period

June 30: Evaluation period ends.

September 1: Annual performance forms must be submitted to hrhelp@uccs.edu. Supervisors and employees should retain copies of the final evaluations for their records.

9-month Faculty

May 16 – May 15: Performance evaluation period

September 1: Annual performance forms must be submitted to hrhelp@uccs.edu. Supervisors and employees should retain copies of the final evaluations for their records.

Faculty Forms:
Submitting Evaluation Forms
HR requires the Annual Performance Forms to be submitted. The planning and self-evaluation pages may be kept with the employee and/or department. The Performance Forms may be submitted by attaching the forms to an email to hrhelp@uccs.edu. Supervisors or department business partners may attach multiple evaluations to one email message. The due dates for the forms are listed at the top of the page, they differ for each employee class.
& expectations

Rating Scales

Classified Staff: 1-3 Scale

Select a rating level to view a detailed explanation
  • This rating level encompasses those employees whose performance does not consistently and independently meet expectations set forth in the performance plan as well as those employees whose performance is clearly unsatisfactory and consistently fails to meet requirements and expectations. Marginal performance requires substantial monitoring an close supervision to ensure progression toward a level of performance that meets expectations. Although these employees are not currently meeting expectations, they may be progressing satisfactorily toward a level 2 rating and need coaching/direction in order to satisfy the core expectation of the position. 

  • This rating level encompasses a range of expected performance. It includes employees who are successfully developing in the job, employees who exhibit competency in the work behaviors, skills, and assignments, and accomplished performers who consistently exhibit desired competencies effectively and independently. These employees are meeting all the expectations, standards, requirements and objectives on their performance plan and, on occasion, exceed them. This is the employee who reliably performs the job assigned and may even have a documents impact beyond the regular assignments and performance objectives that directly supports the mission of the organization. 

  • This rating represents consistently exceptional and documented performance or consistently superior achievement beyond the regular assignment.  Employees make exceptional contribution(s) that have a significant and positive impact on the performance of the unit or the organization and may materially advance the mission of the organization.  The employee provides a model for excellence and helps others to do their jobs better.  Peers, immediate supervision, higher-level management and others can readily recognize such a level of performance.

Faculty and University Staff: 1-5 Scale

Select a rating level to view a detailed explanation
  • Consistently fails to meet expectations and improvement is needed in most aspects of position.

  • Frequently fails to meet expectations and improvement is needed in these areas.

  • Consistently fulfills performance expectations and periodically may exceed them. Work is of high quality in all significant areas of responsibility.

  • Always achieves performance expectations and frequently exceeds them. Demonstrates performance of a very high level of quality in all areas of responsibility.

  • Far exceeds performance expectations on a consistent and uniform basis. Work is of exceptional quality in all essential areas of responsibility. In addition, makes an exceptional or unique contribution in achievement of the unit, department, and University objectives.

Training

Training Opportunities

Human Resources offers training sessions for supervisors and employees focused around how to prepare for annual performance evaluations but also how to manage performance throughout the entire year. It is important to understand the difference between performance evaluation and performance management. The available training helps provide an understanding that performance evaluations are a tool of performance management. Performance evaluations are used to document accomplishments and are a metric of how well an employee performed in a given area. Management is connected to the mission and larger vision and is used to plan and develop department business practices.

Three trainings related to performance management are available on the HR YouTube for on-demand viewing.