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The state of Colorado determines the merit and performance cycles for classified employees.The University of Colorado Boulder has developed a performance management program in compliance with the State Personnel Board’s rules and procedures. The performance management program is designed to help employees achieve performance excellence and encourages collaboration between supervisors and employees, with an emphasis on continuous feedback. Timeline  Classified completes transition to new cycle: August 1 to July 31 Evaluations due September 15 Performance plans due October 15 Coaching Sessions The performance management process also requires that at least one coaching session/progress review meeting occur within the plan year. If only one coaching session is held, it should be scheduled midway through the plan year. 

Performance management serves as an important mechanism for providing feedback to university staff regarding performance expectations and achievements. Consistent with Regent Law, Regent Policies, and the Administrative Policy Statement on Performance Ratings for Staff, all university staff, including those who are partially or fully grant-funded, must receive an annual performance plan, a performance evaluation and an overall performance rating for each university staff position an individual employee occupies. Supervisors are not required to complete performance plans, evaluations and overall performance ratings for retirees occupying temporary university staff positions.  Timeline University staff cycle is July 1 to June 30 Evaluations due by September 15 Performance plans due October 15

Even though the CU System administration has shifted the merit cycle so that pay raises take effect in January, the performance review cycle is not changing for tenure-track, teaching or research faculty.  The Faculty Report on Professional Activities (FRPA) will continue to be due on Feb. 1 each year. Units will conduct their annual performance reviews on their usual schedule. This cycle better reflects the timing of faculty research and creative work accomplishments that figure into the merit review and pay process and maintains the timing of the review of merit. Shifting faculty performance reviews to the summer or as the fall semester commences would interfere with faculty teaching preparations, fieldwork, and vital preparation time for the academic year. In addition, faculty on 9-month positions are technically not on contract between mid-May and mid-August. Standard tenure and promotion raises will continue to take effect the first day of the fall semester.

Definition: Gaining the confidence and trust of others through honesty, authenticity, and acceptance of responsibility.

Key Behaviors:

• Accepts responsibility that come with working in the interest of the public good.
• Follows through on commitments- shows consistency between words and actions--does what they say they will do, and what they are expected to do—and makes sure others do the same.
• Accepts responsibility for one’s own conduct in creating a climate of inclusive excellence.                                          
• Acts with a clear sense of ownership.              
• Takes personal responsibility for decisions, actions, and failures.                                          
• Establishes clear expectations and processes, and uses data for monitoring work and measuring results.

Definition:Exemplifying excellence through diversity by creating a welcoming and inclusive environment that maximizes the success and inclusion of all students, staff, and faculty.

Key Behaviors:

• Actively seeks and engages with diverse perspectives.                                            
• Identifies and mitigates bias on a personal, institutional and process level.                 
• Identifies and addresses barriers to inclusion on the personal, institutional and process levels.
• Fosters the health and wellbeing of our campus community by welcoming and encouraging participation of all.
• Contributes to building diversity
• Accepts and honors diverse perspectives
• Understands the importance of diversity and inclusion
• Recognizes and mitigates dynamics created by power differences and hierarchy

Definition:Creating new and better ways for the organization to be successful. Adapting to change and engaging in continuous learning and critical thinking to promote the growth of the individual and the organization.

Key Behaviors:

• Develops useful ideas that are new, better, or unique.                                                               
• Introduces new ways of looking at problems.
• Can take a creative idea and put into practice.
• Embraces diverse perspectives to promote or nurture innovation.
• Fosters interdisciplinary/transdisciplinary work.
• Adapts to change.
• Promotes growth of the individual and the organization.
• Engages in continuous learning.
• Engages in critical thinking.
• Takes risks.

Definition:Building partnerships and working collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives.

Key Behaviors:

• Understands and prioritizes the goals of the university (‘university first’)
• Understands how their work supports the  mission of the university
• Works in partnership with others.
• Values and incorporates diverse perspectives.
• Removes barriers to solve problems.

Definition:Ensuring that key and critical information is shared in a timely fashion. Developing and delivering information in multi modes that demonstrate the needs of different audiences.

Key Behaviors:

• Effective in variety of communications settings (groups, size, position, styles, diverse audiences), and adjusts to fit the audience and the message.        
• Attentively listens to others.                                      
• Provides and encourages the expression of diverse ideas and opinions.
• Engages in candid and constructive dialogue on difficult topics.
• Is respectful of each other’s unique backgrounds and perspectives.

Definition:

Oversight of the productivity and progress over one or more employees

Key behaviors:

• Uses an appropriate/effective management style;
• Encourages employees to develop to the fullest potential;
• Develops performance plans and conducts annual evaluations in a thoughtful and fair manner and in compliance with university policies;
• Provides honest and on-going feedback;
• Supports employee training, development and recognition;
• Utilizes employee skills effectively;
• Seeks appropriate solutions to resolve personnel issues.

Definition:

Influencing and inspiring employees or an organization to fulfill goals and strategic imperatives.

Key behaviors:

• Promotes professional and ethical work standards and behaviors;
• Cultivates a standard of excellence that inspires and motivates employees;
• Leads by example;
• Develops trust and credibility;
• Fosters positive morale;
• Aligns individual and programmatic goals to the university’s mission and goals.

• Ensures supervisors are well versed in the definitions and application of the rating scale
• Helps supervisors have well thought through reasons as to why they gave a particular rating to an employee
• Helps prepare supervisors to have better performance discussions with their employees; provides supervisors with more confidence in their ratings after discussing the rating in a calibration meeting
• Ensures a more consistent and fair evaluation of an employee’s performance by identifying potential supervisor and reviewer biases
• Provides awell thought out basis for merit increases based on performance
• Provides for better professional development and succession planning as more people managers get insights into the capabilities of employees from other areas

Calibration occurs after an employee has provided self- reflection feedback for the evaluation and the supervisor has completed the evaluation but BEFORE the FINAL evaluation has been presented to the employee and signed by both the employee and supervisor.

Step 1

Upon completion of employee evaluations, and prior to holding the evaluation meeting with the employee, the evaluations should be sent to the reviewer. The reviewer is usually the supervisor’s manager, but that may vary in certain colleges and departments.

The reviewer reads each evaluation, looking in particular for constructive supervisory comments and ensuring evaluations are thorough and logical. If the reviewer decides a supervisor should alter a particular evaluation, the reviewer sends the evaluation back and waits for revision.

Once all employee evaluations have been examined and agreed upon by the reviewer – and any necessary changes are made, then a meeting is scheduled between all college/department reviewers. Supervisors may also be in attendance at these meetings if desired. It is up to the particular college and department to determine the level of participation at the calibration meeting.

Step 2

The HR Liaison pulls together the ratings distribution within that college/ department to be discussed in the calibration meeting. The executive Leader holds a meeting with all the reviewers, and supervisors if desired. In this meeting, the participants look at the rating distributions for the entire college/department and ensure the ratings are being consistently and fairly applied to all employees, and that no single supervisor is giving all employees the same numeric rating.

The group may ask questions about specific ratings and may suggest adjustments based on their experience with the employee. Following the discussion, reviewers ensure that the supervisors understand any changes that need to be made to the evaluations and that these changes are made prior to having the in-person performance evaluation meeting with the employee.

Communicate College/Department Goals. Goals for each area should be communicated in advance and as thoroughly as possible so employees understand how their daily work contributes to the success of the college/department, and so that employees understand the measures on which they will be evaluated.

• Educate supervisors. They need to understand what calibration is, why it is necessary, how it works, and what their role is.
• Don’t hide the process from employees. It could de-motivate employees, if the calibration process is seen as secretive. Be open about the process, but maintain confidentiality outside of the calibration meeting.
• Don’t expect perfection. The calibration process is imperfect because the people using it are imperfect. Each calibration meeting should have checks and balances built in so leaders are held accountable for their evaluation decisions.
• Get the right people involved. Make sure that the reviewer can adequately represent the employees being discussed at the calibration meeting or invite the supervisors if their input is needed.
• Set appropriate ground rules for meetings. Participants must feel open to challenge and debate. They must also feel comfortable asking their peers for advice if they need help in determining or communicating a rating.
• Leverage the information gathered during the process. The power of calibration goes beyond performance ratings. These discussions yield important insight into your top performers and your employee’s who are struggling. Keep this in mind as you set up goals think about your talent pool for the next performance cycle and beyond.

Human Resources administers the formal grievance process for classified staff. The grievance process is used for disputes that do not involve pay, status, or tenure and those unrelated to performance management. For questions regarding the grievance process, please contact Human Resources at 303-492-6475. 

Appeal Process

Any action that adversely affects current base pay, status or tenure of a classified staff (except annual total compensation survey, discretionary pay differentials, leave sharing, personal services contracts, and job evaluation actions) may be appealed and will be set for hearing by the State Personnel Board.

• Other actions may be heard by the Board at the Board’s discretion.
• All appeals must be filed within 10 calendar days of the incident(s) being appealed.
• It is necessary to follow the instructions and use the appeal form provided by the State Department of Personnel.

For assistance and information about the appeal process, contact Human Resources at 303-492-6893.

State of Colorado Appeal Forms

Human Resources administers the dispute resolution process for classified staff who choose to formally dispute their final evaluation or the application of the university’s performance management program to the individual employee’s plan and/or final overall evaluation.

• Classified staff have five working days from the date of her/his evaluation meeting to file a dispute as indicated on the last page of the Planning and Evaluation form.
• Employees must initiate the process by completing the dispute resolution form and submitting copies to their supervisor, appointing authority and the Human Resources within the five-day deadline.
• The dispute resolution process is attached to the Planning and Evaluation form.

For questions regarding the dispute resolution process, contact Human Resources at 303-492-6893.

Dispute Resolution Process

This overview of the Dispute Resolution Process is an abbreviated version of the formal process that is available in its entirety at your campus Human Resources department. Before initiating this process, you are encouraged to have a meeting with your supervisor to identify and possibly rectify the issue about which you are concerned.

What Issues Are Disputable?

The State Personnel Director has defined the specific performance management matters that may be disputed by an employee and has specified the stages at which these matters will be reviewed. They are:

1. The individual final overall performance evaluation, including lack of a final overall evaluation; and,
2. The application of the University’s performance management program to the individual employee’s final overall evaluation.

Please note that the first issue must be decided at the first stage (internal), and is not reviewable further. Issue 2, if not resolved at the University level, is reviewable at the second stage (State Personnel Director).

What Issues Are Not Disputable?

• The content of the University’s performance management program (or an approved campus modification of the program);
• Matters related to the funds appropriated; and,
• The performance evaluations and merit pay of other employees;

First Stage—Internal: University of Colorado Campus Level

To initiate the internal review process, the employee must submit a review request on the standard university form to the Decision Making Authority. When disputing the individual final overall performance evaluation rating, the written request must be filed within five (5) working days after the meeting at which the rater formally presents the employee with his/her final overall performance evaluation and during which the employee and rater discuss the performance rating. Copies of the written request must be submitted to the supervisor and to Human Resources.

Unless there are extraordinary circumstances, the Decision Making Authority or designee must, within five working days from receipt of the form, meet with the employee, the supervisor, and with any other persons whom the employee or the supervisor deem to have pertinent information. The Decision Making Authority remains responsible for scheduling the meeting with the affected parties and for adhering to the schedule for completion of the review. After the meeting, the Decision Making Authority has five working days to render a decision.

Second Stage—External: State Personnel Director

The second stage applies to issue 2 only. If unsatisfied with the decision of the Decision Making Authority, the employee may file a written request for external review with the State Personnel Director within five working days from the date the internal decision is received. This request must be submitted on the standard Consolidated Appeal/Dispute Form available from Human Resources. Mail, hand-deliver, or fax the form to:

Colorado State Personnel Board
1525 Sherman Street,
4th Floor
Denver, Colorado 80203

Fax: 303-866-5038

The request must include a copy of the original written performance management issue(s) raised by the employee and the final written decision from the internal review stage. A copy of this written request also must be sent to Employee Relations.

This request will be screened based upon specific criteria established by the State Personnel Director, and if it is determined that further review is not warranted, that decision is final and binding and the employee will be notified accordingly. If, however, further review is warranted, the Director shall select a qualified neutral third party to review the decision who must within thirty days issue a written decision, which is final and binding.

Dispute Resolution Forms