2.11 Annual Faculty Performance Appraisal for Merit Pay Consideration

1. General Provisions
   1. The purpose of annual faculty performance appraisal at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) is to
      1. recognize and reward faculty records of excellence in a given year;
      2. ensure that faculty members contribute to the Department, College, and University missions
      3. promote a culture of achievement and accomplishment among the faculty; and
      4. identify individual performance areas in need of improvement.
   2. All continuing faculty shall be evaluated on an annual basis.
   3. The standards and criteria for the award of merit pay within each Department shall be developed by the faculty according to Departmental policy or bylaws in accordance with College policy or bylaws.
   4. To the extent possible, criteria for merit should closely correspond to standards and expectations associated with promotion and tenure, as specified in the Handbook of Operating Procedures (HOP) 2.10, section V.B.
   5. The award of merit pay is contingent on funding availability pursuant to approval by The University of Texas Board of Regents during the annual operating budget process.
2. Annual Performance Appraisal Process
   1. The annual review period shall be January 1 to December 31
   2. The annual review of each tenure track faculty member's performance shall be conducted by the Department Chair during the Spring Semester following the review period.
   3. All tenured and tenure-track faculty will submit the appropriate and designated information constituting an Annual Report for the period January 1 to December 31 to the Department Chair according to the schedule for submission of such reports established by each Department or College provided these timelines do not conflict with those established by the University.
   4. The Department Chair, in consultation with a faculty review committee whose membership shall be determined by Departmental policy or bylaws, shall complete a Performance Appraisal for each active faculty member in the Department.
   5. The Performance Appraisal instrument to be used in any given reporting period is that which is approved for use by the Provost’s Office.
   6. The Department Chair shall meet individually with each faculty member before the end of the Spring Semester subsequent to the evaluation period to review the Chair’s evaluation.
   7. The faculty member may attach a written statement to the appraisal if desired.
   8. The completed Appraisal Form will be reviewed by the Dean and will be placed in the faculty member’s Department file. The Dean may amend the evaluation by appending a separate appraisal to the Chair’s evaluation.
   9. Department Chairs shall certify, through the Dean of the College, to the Office of the Provost that the review has been completed.
3. Evaluation Criteria
   1. The following criteria will be included in any evaluation tool developed by the Department:
      1. Teaching at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
      2. Research, creative activities and other scholarly effort appropriate to the faculty member's academic discipline.
      3. Advising, counseling and other student services.
      4. Administrative and committee service in the Department, College, University, or other organized unit.
      5. Public service to the community, state and nation.
      6. Special recognition, such as fellowships, grants, honors, and election to office in scholarly or professional organizations.
4. Special Provisions
   1. Faculty on University-Sanctioned Development Leave
      1. All faculty, including those on approved development leave, are required to file an annual report and shall be eligible for merit based on the performance appraisal. Faculty who fail to file an annual report will not be eligible for merit.
      2. The criteria for performance appraisal shall reflect the faculty member’s expected duties while on the development leave.
   2. Faculty with Joint Appointments
      1. In those instances where a faculty member has a joint appointment in two academic units, the respective Department Chairs will engage in a joint review with each appraisal weighted according to the percentage of assignment in each Department.
      2. The Chair of the Department in which the faculty member has a majority appointment will be responsible for the final evaluation of the faculty member and recommendations concerning merit.
      3. In every case, a faculty member will have a majority or “home” department for administrative purposes.
   3. Faculty with Part-Time Administrative Appointments
      1. Faculty with administrative or managerial appointments in addition to Department appointments should be evaluated for merit according to standards established by the Department Chair, Dean and Unit Manager (if other than Chair or Dean).
      2. The faculty member’s contributions to the Department and to the administrative responsibilities shall be weighed in the performance appraisal according to the proportions of the appointment in each area.
      3. The final performance appraisal shall be assembled by the supervisor of the administrative appointment, making use of input from the home Department of the faculty member.
   4. Access to Performance Appraisal Upon request, the faculty member will be provided a copy of the completed appraisal form. Otherwise, all materials related to a faculty performance appraisal will remain confidential to the extent permitted by the Texas Public Information Act, Section 552.102.