Performance Evaluations

2024–2025 Performance Evaluations 

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Participants 

• All A/P faculty and classified staff hired before December 31, 2024
• Supervisors and indirect managers (reviewers) of participating A/P faculty and classified staff

 

What A/P Faculty, Classified Staff, and Supervisors Need to Know

Evaluation Launch

• • The next performance evaluation period to be evaluated is April 1, 2024 – March 31, 2025. The process is anticipated to launch February 17, 2025.

Evaluation Process

• • Self-evaluations are required and will be open for two (2) weeks. If the self-evaluation is not submitted by the deadline, it will advance to the supervisor. 
  • The indirect manager (reviewer) will receive the evaluation once it has been submitted by the supervisor.
  • 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).
  • Several units will pilot an HR review step that will be completed by the unit HR leader. This review will ensure that ratings are supported by supervisor comments and that any classified staff who receive an overall Outstanding rating have an Acknowledgment of Extraordinary Contribution form on file.
  • 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, 2025.

Rating Requirements

• • Employees will enter a self-evaluation rating for each performance capability but will not provide an overall evaluation rating. 
  • Supervisors will enter a rating for each performance capability and 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  of the three rated performance capability areas.
  • For a supervisor to qualify for an overall Outstanding rating, they must be rated Outstanding in at least three of the four rated performance capability areas. 
  • 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 by March 1, 2025.  

 

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	Unit HR Review (pilot)	1:1 Performance Evaluation Meeting	Supervisor Sign-Off	Employee Sign-Off
Due Date	3/2/2025	3/24/2025	4/6/2025	4/7/2025 – 4/13/2025	4/14/2025 – 4/25/2025	4/28/2025	4/30/2025

*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 for Classified Staff

Classified employees are not eligible for an overall Outstanding rating (equivalent to the state’s "Extraordinary Contributor" rating) unless an Acknowledgement of Extraordinary Contribution form is submitted and on file with Human Resources by March 1, 2025. 

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.