This communication provides time-sensitive updates on the UC Santa Cruz 2018-19 performance appraisal call for all staff. This call for performance appraisals requires the concerted efforts of all campus managers and supervisors of staff employees. Key elements are outlined below.
Call for Performance Appraisals
The performance cycle runs from July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2019.
- Appraisals for policy covered staff must be completed by Friday, July 26, 2019
- Appraisals for represented staff must be completed by Friday, August 30, 2019
Questions regarding any additional internal deadlines for your unit/department may be directed to your departmental contact. (To access this link, you will be required to log in with your CruzID and blue password.)
The purpose of performance management is to effectively engage teams in the mission of the university. The key to effective performance management involves:
- Crafting goals that are specific, important (mission-based) and measurable.
- Frequent and candid feedback to all team members about their performance.
- Coaching and support for staff to enable them to achieve their goals.
When goals are well formed and feedback is occurring frequently, the annual performance appraisals become a time to summarize communications that have been occurring throughout the year. It is expected that all staff employees have an appraisal every year and appraisals are required as part of the annual pay for performance cycle for policy covered staff.
Online Appraisal Form
The online appraisal form is an interim tool for the campus to use until the implementation of the ePerformance module of UCPath, expected for the 2019-20 appraisal call.
Please note: All Academic Supervisors, Department Chairs, Principal Investigators, Managers and Supervisors need to use the online appraisal tool to evaluate their staff employees.
Appraisals should be succinct. It is not necessary to report each and every detail of performance. The appraisal is a summary of performance of key expectations including goals and core job responsibilities. It should focus on the impact of performance with a few examples and explanation of the overall rating.
- Access to the online form: https://appraisals.ucsc.edu
- Log in with your CruzID and blue password.
- Please review the “help and tutorials” linked in the left hand navigation for step by step instructions designed to guide employees through the process.
- Help is available by emailing appraisals@ucsc.edu.
Staff HR provides consulting and training to support managers and supervisors in completing appraisals. Your Employee Relations (ER) Analyst can provide you with advice and assistance in discussing pay for performance with your staff and in writing performance appraisals.
Please note: When writing a performance appraisal that may result in a rating of “improvement needed,” or “unacceptable,” please engage with your ER analyst for assistance prior to finalizing and/or delivering the performance appraisal.
Performance Management Training
Trainings will occur beginning on May 7, 2019, through August 6, 2019. Please visit our course catalog on our Learning and Development page to enroll in Delivering Effective Performance Appraisals: Best Practices and Technical Tools for success, including Goal Setting, Feedback and Coaching.
An online, self-paced e-course, titled UC Conducting Performance Appraisals, is available through the UC Learning Center. Average completion time: 90 minutes.
Contact Adrienne Harrell at harrell@ucsc.edu for training related questions. If you have enrollment questions, please contact Marc Emile Johnston at LearningandDevelopment@ucsc.edu.
For further information regarding the annual performance appraisal process or pay for performance, please contact your ER Analyst to arrange consultation with your division/unit.
