Statement of Purpose
The aim of the APR process is to provide an annual performance evaluation tool that encompasses performance in the main role as defined by the position description, recognition of additional personal and professional development throughout the year and any additional relevant activities. By doing so, it provides a focal point for recording, demonstrating and encouraging the professional and personal performance, engagement and development of academic team members. In the CEA accreditation site team report (April 2013), the APR process was identified as a strength of the INTO OSU Center.
The APR is worked on collaboratively throughout the calendar year from May to April between supervisor and supervisee. This aims to empower the individual academic team member by offering joint-ownership of the APR document and process between the individual and the supervisor. It also presents a framework for formal interactions between supervisors and supervisees on an annual cycle. The cycle is timed to coincide with the OSU appointment renewal cycle.
The APR process is one of the assessment tools for the academic team and the INTO OSU Center. Through the setting of personal objectives, it also encourages collaboration and the pursuit of personal and professional interests within the academic team and by doing so benefits the individual, the team, the students and the Center as a whole.
General Principles
The following are the general principles on which the APR process is based:
1) The process builds on guidelines for review by OSU and is approved by OSU. It is developed and designed beyond OSU guidelines to meet the needs of the INTO OSU
2) The process is joint-owned between the individual employee and the supervisor while being under the supervision of the supervisor.
3) The APR process is focused mainly on performance in the employee’s main role but also includes a focus on the professional development of the individual team member.
4) The role of the supervisor is to support, advise, encourage, engage, equip and empower the supervisee during the APR process.
5) Each supervisee’s APR document will be subject to change, development and addition by the supervisee throughout the APR calendar cycle although major changes should be agreed between both parties.
6) Each individual is responsible for pro-actively driving his/her own personal and professional development.
7) No member of staff shall be subject to any evaluation or assessment of their performance on paper that has not been clearly communicated to them in person.
8) Information discussed and held as part of this review process is considered confidential between the supervisor and supervisee. However, in the interest of ensuring equality across center, the content of this process may be discussed in confidence within the academic management team.
9) As part of the annual process, supervisees will have the opportunity to give feedback on their supervisors.
10) Mechanisms for complaint and/or appeal are built into the APR process.
11) The process may be influenced by and subject to rules or requirements from OSU. OSU guidelines for review of faculty members may be found in the Faculty Handbook at http://oregonstate.edu/admin/aa/periodic-review-and-evaluation-faculty .
Who is the APR for?
The APR is for all members of the INTO OSU academic team including, but not limited to, instructors, Associate Program Managers, Program Managers, the Associate Director, the Undergraduate Progression Advisor, the Graduate Progression Advisor and the Academic Success Coordinator (all unclassified OSU positions). The Director of Academic Programs is subject to performance review by the Associate Provost for International Programs.
Within the roles defined above, the APR applies to all appointment types and levels of FTE with the following exceptions:
- OSU classified employees.
- Members of the academic team who work one or two terms per year.
This document, the APR form and other supporting documents can be found on the INTO OSU Staff Info Depot [http://blogs.oregonstate.edu/staffinfodepot/faculty-staff/annual-performance-review/]
The APR Cycle
The whole process is incorporated in one single APR document. The reviewee should keep the master copy of the document and add to it throughout the annual cycle. The cycle of meetings represents the minimum, formal one-to-one contact time between supervisor and supervisee. These meetings may be held at times other to those in the guidelines, or more may be held if necessary. Regular informal contact between supervisor and supervisee should happen regularly on a weekly basis and is not necessarily part of the APR process.
Individuals going through the APR process should use the APR form as a central source to document achievements, professional development activities etc. throughout the year.
| May | The Planning Meeting between supervisor and supervisee takes place. The APR document is started. This is probably around a 2-hour meeting. It’s possible that the Planning Meeting is combined with the final review meeting from the previous year which takes place in March or April.The Planning Meeting will include:
Informal conversations and meetings start for that year’s cycle.
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| August-Sept | Interim Meeting 1 is held. This is probably around a 1-hour meeting.Professional development objective(s) may be altered, refocused or added during this interim meeting (or at any other time when either party feels that circumstances require professional development objectives to be re-assessed). Informal conversations and meetings continue. Student evaluations or supervisor observations may be discussed as part of this meeting. |
| Dec – Jan | Interim Meeting 2 is held. This is probably around a 1-hour meeting.Professional development objective(s) may be altered, refocused or added during this interim meeting (or at any other time when either party feels that circumstances require professional development objectives to be re-assessed). Informal conversations and meetings continue. Student evaluations or supervisor observations may be discussed as part of this meeting. |
| Jan – March | The review process for the Administrative Team takes place. Details of the review process will be made available each year. |
| Feb-March | Supervisees finalize the self-evaluation for the year on the APR document.Each employee is responsible for writing his/her own APR document evaluations which will then be agreed, signed off and possibly amended in the final APR review meeting with the supervisor. This has five main elements.
The final overall evaluation rating is given by the supervisor following discussions with the supervisee. This is based largely on performance in the main role but will also be influenced by the performance in the professional development objectives and any other specific achievements and service to the Center.
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| April | Final APR review meetings are held looking back over the year. This is probably around a 2-hour meeting and may be combined with the planning meeting for the next cycle.The APR document is signed off by both parties. Per OSU guidelines, the final rating is the responsibility of the supervisor (unsatisfactory; satisfactory; strong and positive; outstanding). It is not necessary for supervisor and supervisee to agree on the ratings for individual objectives. |
| June – July | Meetings are held to review the APR process from the previous year. Feedback is gathered. Normally, by the end of July, APR documents are finalized for the following academic year. If changes are made to APR document templates, reviewees transfer their information into the new format. |
Criteria for Evaluation of Performance
The “Outstanding” Category
The “outstanding” category is reserved for members of the academic team who demonstrate exceptional performance that separates them from their peers. Members of the academic team who achieve the outstanding category will have demonstrated exceptional performance in all aspects of work as outlined on the APR document, be outstanding members of the INTO OSU team, and through their personal and professional conduct have had a positive impact on the workplace, the INTO OSU Center, and OSU more widely. Outstanding members of the academic team include those who have been successful in leadership roles such as working with a program team to coordinate a course and those who have made significant and lasting contributions to the work of the Center.
The member of the academic team:
- substantially and consistently exceeds performance expectations of the job
- significantly enhances and advances the work and reputation of the Center
- looks for better ways of doing things, as well as adapts quickly to changing situations, and communicates effectively within the team
- sets well-defined and relevant professional development objectives which lead to positive and significant outcomes for the Center
- consistently demonstrates leadership and initiative that enhances the work of the Center
- demonstrates creativity and originality in the role that significantly enhances the work of the Center
- fosters and supports development in others
- is willing to take on difficult and challenging tasks within the organization that lead to positive outcomes in the Center
The “Strong and Positive” Category
The “strong and positive” category includes members of the academic team who have a positive impact on the work of their teams or language programs. They make active and constructive contributions to the courses they teach, have collegial relationships with faculty and students, and can be relied upon in times of need. Strong and positive members of the academic team include those who have volunteered for committees or other non-teaching opportunities. They engage in ongoing professional development that includes developing high-quality personal development objectives and seeking out opportunities to learn from others in the field.
The member of the academic team:
- consistently meets all performance expectations of the job, exceeding some
- makes contributions that advance the work of the team
- is positive and flexible in changing situations
- sets well-defined, relevant professional development objectives (PDOs) which lead to positive outcomes for themselves and others
- demonstrates leadership and initiative at times
- demonstrates creativity in the role that contributes to the work of the team
- contributes actively to course- and program-level tasks and processes
The “Meets Expectations” Category
The “meets expectations” category includes members of the academic team who meet all performance expectations as outlined in the position description. To meet expectations, an academic team member must complete all parts of the APR, including setting and meeting a Professional Development Objective.
The member of the academic team:
- meets all performance expectations of the job as described in the position description
The “Unsatisfactory” Category
If there are concerns about unsatisfactory performance during the APR cycle, the academic team member will be advised in a timely manner. Except in extreme situations, discussions about unsatisfactory performance will not be delayed until the end of the cycle. Instead, discussion between supervisor and supervisee will occur during the cycle to enable the member of the academic team to understand the performance issue and to improve performance.
Discussions of unsatisfactory performance may lead to the creation of a Performance Improvement Plan that outlines: a) areas for improvement, b) support that will be offered to assist with improvement, and c) the timeline for demonstrating improvement. If the terms of the Performance Improvement Plan are not met, there may be non-renewal of the appointment.
The member of the academic team:
- does not always meet the performance expectations of the job
- through action or omission, has a negative impact on the work of the team and Center
- does not demonstrate flexibility or ability to adapt to changing situations
- does not meet adequate professional development objectives
- may need regular supervision to perform basic job expectations
Crossover Categories
An evaluation may cross over between categories, in that there are elements of performance that clearly fall into two of the categories. Thus, a final evaluation may include ratings such as “meets expectations with some strong and positive elements,” “meets expectations with some unsatisfactory elements,” or “strong and positive with some outstanding elements.”
Professional Development Objectives
All instructors must set at least one professional development objective for the year. If only one objective is set, it is likely that this will be a substantial objective with multiple parts. Instructors may add additional objectives up to a maximum of four.
Members of the Manager team must set at least three objectives for the year, two of which should be focused strategically on the development of the program or the academic team to which they are assigned. Additional objectives may be added up to a maximum of four.
1. Professional development objectives are proposed by the supervisee and approved by the supervisor.
2. Professional development objectives may be personal to the supervisee’s own development. Equally, development objectives may be integrated with projects and work going on within the program teams or the center.
3. The supervisor may suggest professional development objectives that they believe are a good fit with the supervisee. The supervisee may request such suggestions.
Below, you will find ten examples of professional development objectives (PDOs). These should not be viewed as a list to pick from but should give a sense of what an objective may look like. The following gives a summary of each one.
Examples 1 and 2 are similar objectives where the instructor is setting out to conduct some low-level classroom-based research, discover something new and feed it back into the center.
Example 3 might be an objective suggested by a supervisor for an instructor to get involved in a key ongoing center-wide project. This allows the supervisee to contribute positively to the academic team and develop knowledge and skills that will be useful on a resume.
Example 4 shows a specific objective set by someone who wishes to improve and develop their own classroom skills. Equally, if a supervisor, in an observation, identifies an area that an instructor should work on developing, this type of objective could be a suggestion.
Example 5 shows an objective that will benefit a number of people throughout the center as well as the individual. Again, this is an example of something that will give the supervisee excellent experience and be useful on a resume.
Example 6 shows someone who wishes to develop technology skills in the classroom and sets specific goals to achieve that.
Example 7 is a very self-reflective and personal objective that may help to develop the person’s effectiveness in the workplace.
Example 8 is an excellent example of a powerful professional development objective set by a staff member who already has considerable experience. Not only will they probably learn something new by working with someone this closely, they will contribute significantly to the development of another staff member and be recognized for it.
Example 9 is an objective by someone who wishes to learn more about the organization as a whole and how it functions.
Example 10 is an objective by someone who wishes to have a clearer understanding of the goals that Pathway students need to achieve. This is an example of an objective that perhaps has too much and could be divided and expanded into two (or even three) separate objectives.
What is the relationship between the APR process and the OSU salary cycle?
Each year, if there are to be OSU-wide salary increases, OSU makes an announcement regarding the form that these increases will take.
There are different types of salary increases. For example, there may be a cost-of-living increase that everyone is given. Or, there could be an equity increase that can be applied to instances where there is some type of inequality in salaries within a unit. Sometimes, a specified amount of money is made available for merit increases. If this is announced, OSU also provides a definition of the criteria that must be met in order for a request for a merit increase to be submitted.
Normally, the merit increase is the only increase that may be affected by the outcome of the APR cycle. For example, it may be a condition of a request for a merit increase, that the employee has an ‘outstanding’ rating in the APR cycle.
Providing Feedback on Supervisors and the Academic Management Team
All members of the academic team will have the opportunity to provide comments on the performance of supervisors and the academic management team. This process broadly follows OSU’s guidelines and principles for administrative reviews[1]. The exact format of the process will be communicated out at the beginning of the year.
The feedback will be considered as part of the APR process for the academic management team member. It will also be used for development purposes for the personal and professional development of the academic management team members.
As with the OSU process, feedback is not given anonymously. All members of the academic team have a legal right to review all input from reviewers unless the reviewee has signed a waiver of access. If a waiver has been signed, this will be indicated in the review process. In this case, the supervisor will share a summary of the feedback with the reviewee without attributing comments to individuals.
Anyone wishing to submit anonymous feedback may do so at any time by addressing an unsigned letter to the Director of Academic Programs.
Feedback on the APR process
The Annual Performance Review process is subject to annual review and revision in order to continually improve and develop it. Any member of the academic team should pass any feedback on to their supervisor who will feed the comments into the review process. If, for any reason, an individual does not wish to pass the feedback to their supervisor, it may be sent directly to the Director of Academic Programs. Feedback may also be delivered anonymously by mailing an unsigned letter directly to the Director of Academic Programs.
The Appeal Process
In the case where a supervisee does not agree with the overall, final performance rating, the supervisee has the right to appeal and to document his/her opinion on the APR document.
Appeals will be processed independently by a sub-committee made up of three members of the academic management team (Program Managers, Associate Program Managers, Associate Director, and Academic Support Manager). The supervisor and supervisee will both be involved in the selection process of the three members. The committee will not include the supervisor or the supervisee. The supervisor and the supervisee will both be given an opportunity to state their case to at least one member of the sub-committee. The outcome of this appeals process will be final.
Following the outcome of the appeal, both supervisor and supervisee will have the right to add additional comments to the APR document.
Complaints
Anyone wishing to address an issue or voice a complaint regarding any aspect of the APR process should speak to their supervisor in the first instance. If this is not appropriate or there is no satisfactory resolution at this stage, then the issue or complaint should be taken to the supervisor’s supervisor and so on (per the org chart) until a resolution is reached. All members of the academic team can expect complaints to be taken seriously and addressed in a timely manner.
Complaints and/or grievances which are not solved following this informal process may be pursued further through OSU’s grievance procedures (http://oregonstate.edu/admin/aa/faculty-handbook-grievance-procecures ) or the Office of Equity and Inclusion (OEI) (http://oregonstate.edu/oei/ ). The University Ombuds Office also provides informal and impartial conflict management services to all members of the university community: oregonstate.edu/ombuds/
Anonymous complaints may also be delivered by mailing an unsigned letter directly to the Director of Academic Programs, the Center Director or the Associate Provost for International Programs.
Examples of Professional Development Objectives
Professional Development Objectives Examples 1&2
Professional Development Objectives Example 3
Professional Development Objectives Example 4
Professional Development Objectives Example 5
Professional Development Objectives Example 6
Professional Development Objectives Example 7
Professional Development Objectives Example 8
Professional Development Objectives Example 9
Professional Development Objectives Example 10
Annual Performance Review Forms
2014-15 Associate Program Manager APR Form
2014-15 Program Manager APR Form
2014-15 Associate Director APR Form
Ver. 10 Updated 10.2014
