Participating faculty represent a significant percentage of all full-time faculty; they are integral to fulfilling the mission of Marquette University. Performance appraisals, when conducted regularly, support faculty development and growth as teachers and scholars and thereby enhance the student experience. Beyond that, they provide documentation for use in promotion cases and lead to greater satisfaction and improved retention.

The Participating Faculty Task Force thus recommends formal reviews be required for all full-time participating faculty. As a start, each college/school must clearly define its process for conducting reviews. The process should be transparent, known and understood by all. The process should be consistent across departments within each college/school, except where faculty duties dictate an alternative.

As a general guide, reviews should be both developmental (designed to provide feedback, guidance, coaching and support individual growth) as well as evaluative (designed to assess performance, identifying areas of strength and those needing improvement). Further, reviews should help inform administrative decisions, including merit (when available) and contract renewal.

Formal reviews for full-time participating faculty must occur at least every three years including during the first year of employment. Colleges/schools may determine the best time of the year to conduct reviews, but in any case should be conducted prior to the dissemination of contracts for the following year.

The performance measures contained within the review should be aligned with the specific position requirements of the faculty member receiving the review, including but not limited to teaching, research, service, clinic supervision, etc. In addition, the performance measures should be consistent with promotion criteria set forth by the college/school or department.

Reviews must include documentation, signed by both the individual conducting the review and the participating faculty member. Further, the participating faculty member should be given an opportunity to respond to the review in writing. A copy of the review, along with the response (if there was one) should be given to the participating faculty member, while the original should be placed in their employment file maintained in the college/school office.

Importantly, reviews should include an in-person conference to the extent possible. Doing so, provides an opportunity for dialogue, a very important aspect of the review.

Resources

See the performance review template.

Performance appraisal resources and training are also available from Human Resources performance management webpage.

Example college/school processes and procedures currently in use can be obtained from the Associate Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs.

---

This process approved by Provost Kimo Ah Yun on Jan. 25, 2021

Back to Participating Faculty Policies and Resources