Annual Performance Appraisals

Message regarding the 2023-24 annual performance appraisal program:

The Performance Appraisal process for policy-covered (non-represented) employees for the 2023-2024 cycle covers May 1, 2023 through April 30, 2024. Policy covered staff employee performance appraisals are due to be completed within 45 calendar days after the end of the appraisal period.  The deadline is close of business Friday, June 14, 2024. 

Therefore, those responsible for administering the process for your area can begin setting due dates and timelines to meet this year's deadline.

Performance Appraisal Cycle: May 1 - April 30

Deadline for People Leaders to complete the performance appraisals: Generally mid-June. People Leaders should confer with local HR contacts for specific unit deadlines. For purposes of eligibility for any announced Salary Program, the People Leader must have moved the SPA to Prep for Signature (with limited exceptions) by the deadline.

Management Timeline 

Early-Mid April: Email employees to remind them that the performance appraisal cycle ends on April 30. Provide a date when the self-appraisals will be due. Consider a date during the first or second week of May allowing them time to complete the self-appraisal after April 30.

Late April/Early May: Review the self-appraisals and write the performance appraisals. It is recommended that HR contacts review the performance appraisals prior to the People Leader meeting with the employee. 

Late May: Conduct appraisal review meetings with the employees. The employee may or may not sign the appraisal during this meeting.

Mid-June: Deadline for People Leaders to complete the performance appraisals.

The online application for UCSD Staff Performance appraisals is hosted on https://spa.ucsd.edu.

The SPA system has a substantially improved interface and better management features for HR contacts, but all appraisals conducted with the new version follow the same UCSD and UC policies as previous versions.

Data, including all previous appraisals, has been migrated to the updated system.

The SPA system may also be used for represented staff. Every staff union has employees who have been evaluated using SPA.

For technical questions related to the SPA online system, please contact: spa-support@ucsd.edu 

For policy interpretation questions related to performance appraisals, please contact: perf-appraisal@ucsd.edu  

FOR HR CONTACTS

SPA Office Hour For HR Contacts

Please join us for questions you have about navigating the system and the performance appraisal process.

Live and Recorded Training Opportunities for HR Contacts

Two stand alone one-hour sessions and one session as part of the EVC HR contact meeting to learn about the administrative tools in the Staff Performance Appraisal system are scheduled for 2024. These sessions are geared toward new HR contacts and those who need a refresher on managing the process from an HR contact perspective. One of the sessions will be recorded and available in the UC Learning Center and any materials made available post-training.

HR Contacts will perform a variety of functions in the appraisal system. In these sessions, HR Contacts will learn the following:

• View your department and/or unit list of employees
• Change a supervisor/People Leader listed on the appraisal form
• Update job description associations on a form
• Change the review model
• Add or remove supervisor/People Leader categories
• Batch release appraisal forms
• Create new individual appraisal forms
• Change form status 

Resources for HR Contacts

FOR PEOPLE LEADERS AND EMPLOYEES

• A short, self-paced online training module is available for employees and People Leaders. This course will provide an overview of how to use the system and complete tasks associated with their particular role in the process. The course is available in the UC Learning Center using this link: https://go.ucsd.edu/2yBfgPg.
• A quick reference guide is available, see UC San Diego Performance Appraisal System Quick Reference Guide 
• Managing Performance Trainings

• SPA System Process Quick Reference (Updated for 2024)
• Tools to write a self-appraisal
• Ratings explanations
• Performance Appraisal Training and Development Resources
• SPA system notices
• How to verify Assigned Training Status
• Performance Appraisal System Quick Reference Guide for Supervisors (Login required)

• UC Personnel Policies for Staff Members (PPSM) 23: Performance Management
• UC San Diego PPSM-23 Implementing Procedures