Annual Evaluation Guidance for Classified Staff and Administrative/Professional Faculty
All updates to performance evaluation guidance will be emailed to all classified staff and A/P faculty directly.
The transformation of our performance management process continues for the 2023–2024 performance evaluation period. We have realigned to a new evaluation cycle of April 1 – March 31, which allows Mason to shift to a pay-for-performance (outcomes-based) strategy for A/P faculty, consistent with President Washington’s vision, and align the performance cycle with the Commonwealth’s budget approval timeline.
2023–2024 Performance Evaluations
Participants
- All A/P faculty and classified staff hired before December 31, 2023
- Supervisors and indirect managers (reviewers) of participating A/P faculty and classified staff
What A/P Faculty, Classified Staff, and Supervisors Need to Know
- The next performance evaluation period to be evaluated is April 1, 2023 – March 31, 2024. The process is anticipated to launch January 22, 2024.
- Self-evaluations are required and will be open for at least three (3) weeks.
- Employees will enter a self-evaluation rating for each performance capability but will not provide an overall evaluation rating.
- For a non-supervising employee to qualify for an overall Outstanding rating, they must be rated Outstanding in at least two performance capability areas.
- For a supervisor to qualify for an overall Outstanding rating, they must be rated Outstanding in at least three performance capability areas.
- All subsequent steps will become available upon completion of the prior step (i.e., the supervisor evaluation step will open as soon as the self-evaluation is submitted).
- The indirect manager (reviewer) will receive the evaluation once it has been submitted by the supervisor.
- Supervisors must hold one-on-one meetings with employees prior to completing the supervisor sign-off step to provide feedback, answer questions, or address items noted by the employee.
- Employees will be able to see their completed evaluation in LEAPS after the supervisor sign-off step is completed.
- All steps must be completed by 11:59 p.m. on April 30, 2024.
Due Dates
Participating A/P faculty, classified staff, and their supervisors are expected to adhere to the due dates below and communicate with their supervisors and the Performance Management team (leaps@gmu.edu) if they are unable to comply with the published deadlines.
| Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Step 5 | Step 6 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Action | Self-Eval (Required)* |
Supervisor Evaluation** | Reviewer Review & Sign-Off |
1:1 Performance Evaluation Meeting | Supervisor Sign-Off | Employee Sign-Off |
| Due Date | 3/1/2024 | 3/24/2024 |
4/12/2024 | 4/13 – 4/26/2024 | 4/26/2024 | 4/30/2024 |
*The employee self-evaluation step can be reopened by the supervisor.
**The supervisor evaluation step can be reopened by the reviewer or by contacting leaps@gmu.edu.
Performance Evaluation Initiation
All participants will receive an email from MasonLEAPS inviting them to begin the performance evaluation process by completing their self-evaluation. Email notifications and reminders are sent automatically at each step in the process. We recommend that a copy of the self-evaluation and the supervisor evaluation be saved before each step is submitted.
Outstanding Rating Requirement
Any classified employee who qualifies for an overall Outstanding rating (equivalent to the state’s "Extraordinary Contributor" rating) must have an Acknowledgement of Extraordinary Contribution form on file with Human Resources prior to submitting the evaluation. This form was required to be on file with HR on March 1, 2024.
For a non-supervising employee to qualify for an overall Outstanding rating, they must be rated Outstanding in at least two performance capability areas.
For a supervisor to qualify for an overall Outstanding rating, they must be rated Outstanding in at least three performance capability areas.
Questions about this requirement can be submitted to leaps@gmu.edu.
Probationary Review vs. Annual Performance Review
The annual evaluation may take the place of a Probationary Progress Review form for new classified staff if it aligns with the 3- or 6-month review and if there are no performance concerns. If performance concerns are identified as meeting a Below Contributor rating, the Probationary Progress Review Form must be submitted to leaps@gmu.edu.
Questions about documenting performance or extending the probationary period should be directed to Employee Relations at emprel@gmu.edu.
Exemptions
HR allows certain exemptions to the published annual performance evaluation process due to extenuating circumstances. Please email requests to leaps@gmu.edu.
Resources
The Performance Evaluation hub is available to help you navigate the process and stay up to date on the latest announcements.
Additional job aids are available for your convenience under the How-To Guides section of the MasonLEAPS homepage. If you have questions, please contact leaps@gmu.edu.