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Academic Planning and Performance Procedure
Introduction
(1) The University of Newcastle (
(2) Triennial Planning and Performance (TPP) is the
(3) The procedure is aligned with and supports the performance and career development provisions of the Academic Staff and Teachers Enterprise Agreement 2023 (Enterprise Agreement).
(4) The APP and TPP processes align each
Purpose
(5) This procedure outlines the steps involved in completing the APP and TPP processes.
(6) The purpose of APP is to ensure
(7) The purpose of the TPP is to review the
Scope
(8) This procedure applies to all
(9)
(10) Ongoing
(11) This procedure does not apply to:
- casual
academic staff who have been employed at theUniversity for less than six months are not required to participate in PRD. After six months of employment, participation in APP is optional and may be undertaken at the request of the casualstaff member or theirsupervisor ; - fixed term
academic staff members with a length of contract (or extension) less than 12 months or less then 0.4 FTE and contingentstaff on less than less than 10% operating funding source.
(12)
(13)
(14) TPP discussions are part of the minimum requirements for all
(15) Each eligible
(16) Participation in APP or TPP is a prerequisite for applying for an academic promotion and for participation in the Special Studies Program.
(17)
(18)
Section 1 - Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
(19) The
(20) This procedure aligns with the
(21) Supervisors are responsible for mitigating biases and proactively identifying and addressing barriers to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) during APP and TPP discussions.
Table A – How supervisors can integrate EDI practices into APP and TPP:
Key Principle | Actions |
---|---|
Recognising non-linear career paths | Acknowledge career breaks, parental leave, and part-time status, and assess performance relative to opportunity. |
Addressing bias | |
Promoting flexibility | Use APP and TPP discussions to encourage flexible work practices that support |
Providing inclusive feedback and recognition | Provide constructive and evidence-based feedback that focuses on performance outcomes and observed behaviours aligned to expected standards rather than subjective perceptions or personality traits. |
Supporting career development | Ensure equitable access to development opportunities, including for |
Considering reasonable adjustments |
During APP and TPP, - ensure reasonable adjustments are discussed, and if necessary, implemented or updated to meet the - ask - recognise the additional self-advocacy burden - discuss and identify where an - identify career progression opportunities and leadership potential ensuring - encourage participation in networks such as the Staff with Disability Network and consider these efforts in APP and TPP as a performance goal to capture the |
Address self-advocacy burden | Support |
(22) All
- mentor or sponsor
staff members or students from equity cohorts to support their career progression; - attend professional development programs on topics like unconscious bias, cultural capability and inclusive leadership and incorporate skills and insights gained into work practices;
- actively participate in EDI initiatives such as
staff networks or working groups; and - ensure
research practices and teaching materials reflect diverse perspectives and are accessible.
Section 2 - Academic Planning and Performance (APP)
Part A - APP General Overview
(23) The APP process is completed annually, aligned to the calendar year, and captures performance and development goal setting, discussions and activities for
(24) Human Resource Services will communicate the specific timeframe requirements each year for the completion of each phase of APP through an all-
(25) The
Table B - Phases of the APP cycle in the calendar year:
Phase | Overview | Indicative Timing |
---|---|---|
One: Goal setting and planning | This is the phase where performance goals and development goals are set and agreed upon between the |
Completed by end of March. |
Two: Mid-Year review | All |
May to July |
Three: Year end review |
The final phase where
Goal setting for the following year can be completed during the Year End Review or alternatively in a separate session. |
October to December |
(26) The online tool, Success Factors, is used to track and document performance and development discussions, agreed goals, actions and ratings. Success Factors training resources and references are available on the staff website.
(27) An
- planning and goal setting, including documented 3-year
research plans and future contributions in the domains of teaching and engagement; - performance feedback, including reviewing the role and responsibilities of the
academic staff member; - review of achievements;
- development activities planned and completed.
(28) The APP should be informed by:
- the
University's Strategic Plan and values; - the
University's Academic Excellence program and available resources; - the
academic staff member’s position description, career aspirations and performance; - the
University's Leadership Framework; - principles and obligations expected of
academic staff , as detailed in the Staff Code of Conduct and other relevantUniversity policy documents; - survey results if applicable and available such as 360 results, Your Voice, People Experience Survey, Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching (QILT), and course experience surveys;
- data relating to
research , teaching and engagement; and - outcomes from the
academic staff member’s previous APP year-end review.
(29) Performance and development discussions and activities should be scheduled in advance and conducted in a confidential manner.
Part B - Approach to Underperformance
(30) The Enterprise Agreement outlines the procedures relating to managing underperformance. Human Resource Services can also be contacted via your divisional or
(31) The College Pro Vice-Chancellor and Head of School are responsible for determining whether a
Part C - APP Coordination and Completion
Phase 1: Goal Setting
(32) The Goal Setting phase defines the activities, goals, actions, and conduct that the
(33) In accordance with the Enterprise Agreement, the goals should also align to the
(34) Goals should be developed as “SMART” goals, which is an acronym for goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Timebound. The Career Development Guide is an available resource to assist with developing “SMART” goals. APP goals and performance expectations must be consistent with the
(35) It is recommended that each
(36) The key steps to completing this phase are:
- The
supervisor andacademic staff member must determine who will schedule the meeting and when there is a suitable time to schedule this for; - schedule time to complete goal setting and discuss the
academic staff member’s performance and development plan; - prior to the scheduled meeting, the
academic staff member should reflect and prepare performance and development goals to discuss with their supervisor; - supervisors can cascade goals that have been selected for
academic staff that support the achievement of organisational objectives and strategic plans. The goals can be cascaded from SuccessFactors and this should be done prior to the meeting; - the
academic staff member andsupervisor meet to review and agree on performance and development goals and record them in Success Factors within the required timeframe for completion; - the
supervisor andacademic staff member plan and schedule the mid-year review discussion as part of completing phase 1.
Phase 2: Mid-year Review
(37) The key steps for completing this phase are:
- the
supervisor andacademic staff member should determine who will schedule the meeting and when there is a suitable time; - schedule time to conduct a mid-year discussion to review the
academic staff member’s progress with their APP; - the
academic staff member andsupervisor should meet for a mid-year discussion to review goal progress and identify any adjustments or additional support and training needs. Goal progress and new career development goals must be updated in Success Factors by the supervisor in the “ongoing conversations and development” area of the platform; - consideration should be given to rewards and recognition programs for high performers. This could be divisional /
College awards, or organisational programs such as Celebrating Success or the Excellence Awards; - the
supervisor andacademic staff member plan and schedule the year end review as part of completing phase 2.
Phase 3: Year End Review
(38) Phase three of the APP is completion of the “Year End Review” and there are six (6) key steps to completing this phase:
- the end of year review discussion is scheduled. The supervisor and
academic staff member can determine who will schedule the meeting and when there is a suitable time to schedule this for; - to prepare for end of year review discussion the
academic staff member andsupervisor will review goals, reflect on theacademic staff member’s performance, behaviours against the Leadership Framework, and consider what rating will be allocated to each goal and Leadership Framework capabilities; - prior to the discussion, the
academic staff member must complete their end of year review comments and self-assessment in SuccessFactors, including the acknowledgement of completion of declarations and mandatory training required for their role; - the
academic staff member and supervisor complete the end of year review discussion and agree on ratings for all goals and overall performance; - planning and goal setting for the following APP cycle can be completed in this phase if preferred and suitable to both the
supervisor and theacademic staff member. If goal setting is completed for the following APP cycle as part of the Year End Review, the goals should be entered into SuccessFactors; - the
supervisor must complete the final rating and comments in the system and ensure completion of the end of year review in SuccessFactors. If the APP has been supervised by an Advisor, the Head of School will also have actions to complete in SuccessFactors to finalise the APP.
Part D - Resources and Available Training
(39) The following resources are available to assist
- the
University's Academic Planning and Performance webpage; - the
University's learning management system Discover has a library of learning that can support with the effectiveness in performance discussions and other learning modules that can assist with completing APP including the Introduction to Academic Planning and Performance e-learn module; - the Capability and Development Hub is a gateway to a range of resources for professional development, Linkedin Learning, change management and leadership resources;
- the Career Development Guide is a self-service tool for
staff and leaders that provides resources on career planning and development, including how to create and write “SMART” goals; and - the
University's Academic Excellence web page has a suite of resources relating to APP, including guidance on benchmarking and evaluating academic performance, information for APP advisors and supervisors and a frequently asked questions section.
Section 3 - Triennial Planning and Performance (TPP)
Part E - TPP Overview
(40) TPP enhances the core elements from the APP, with deeper engagement with members of the professoriate regarding their academic career aspirations and their performance outputs across the domains of teaching,
(41) In TPP Professors will review their past three (3) years' performance and set career goals for the next three years, with a Panel offering recognition, coaching, and mentoring to support future career opportunities.
(42) A TPP discussion may be held sooner than three years from promotion, joining the
(43) The TPP Process is informed by:
- Professor career aspirations and goals and performance;
- their position description, field of
research and strategic priorities of theirCollege and theUniversity ; - data relating to
research , teaching and engagement; and - previous APP discussions.
(44) There are four stages to the TPP process:
- Professor prepares a Preparation Pack for their TPP panel;
- Professor and Head of School participate in pre-TPP meeting; and
- TPP panel meeting and discussion with College Pro Vice-Chancellor and Head of School.
Table C - Requirements for the TPP process in a calendar year:
Step | Description | Indicative Timing |
---|---|---|
Schedule TPP discussions | Each year College Pro Vice-Chancellors, supported by their Executive Officers and Human Resources Business Partner will schedule the TPPs to be conducted throughout the calendar year for eligible |
July |
360-degree survey feedback (optional step) | Human Resource Services will arrange a 360-degree survey for the Professor prior to their TPP discussion. As part of this survey the Professor will identify a range of people to provide feedback including peers, external collaborators, direct reports and their supervisor. The Professor will be debriefed on the survey results prior to preparing for the TPP discussion. The survey is underpinned by the Quality Leadership Profile for Academics (QLPA). The Professor should reflect on the feedback received when considering their performance and future career development opportunities. Whilst the Professor is encouraged to share the results of the survey with the TPP Panel, this is not compulsory. |
2 months prior to TPP Session |
TPP Preparation Pack | The Professor will populate a Preparation Pack template that will capture key items relating to their Level E achievements, performance, and career aspirations. This document will be provided to the Panel Members in advance of the TPP meeting. | 1 month prior to TPP session |
Pre-Meeting –Head of School and Professor | The Professor will meet with their Head of School prior to the TPP Panel Meeting. The purpose of this meeting is to ensure alignment between both parties regarding their performance over the past three years and development priorities and career aspirations for the coming three years. | Prior to TPP session, after the preparation pack has been completed. |
TPP Pack to Panel | Each |
1 month prior to TPP session |
Conduct TPP Discussion | The 60-minute TPP discussion will be chaired by the College Pro Vice-Chancellor of the same The participant will attend the TPP discussion along with their Head of School. The TPP discussion will focus on the Professor's long term career aspirations, their goals for the forthcoming years, their academic achievements and progress towards their goals, their position description, their field of The Professor and the TPP Panel are to agree on outcomes from the TPP discussion. If agreement on the recommended actions from the TPP discussion cannot be achieved, this is to be raised with the College Pro Vice-Chancellor for further advice. |
|
Document TPP Discussion | The Head of School (or their nominee) will document the recommended agreed actions from the TPP discussion. These actions will be recorded in Success Factors. The Professor should confirm their agreement with the actions and outcomes from the TPP discussion. | Within 2 weeks post TPP session and completed by December |
Ongoing review of TPP Actions | The ongoing completion of actions from the professorial Planning and Performance discussion will be monitored by the Professor and their Head of School as part of the Academic Planning and Performance Process in the following 2 annual performance and development cycles. | Ongoing |
(45) The College Pro Vice-Chancellor will source benchmarked data to inform discussions at the TPP. This may be data from the Academic Dashboard, external data sources (such as Scopus or QILT), or other relevant data, sourced in confidence from Research Performance; Strategy, Planning and Performance; Human Resource Services or a similar source. The data gathered will be shared confidentially with the Professor and the Head of School, in advance of the meeting and the Professor will have the opportunity to update any missing or pertinent data in their preparation pack.
TPP Panel Requirements
(46) The TPP Panel, chaired by the College Pro Vice-Chancellor (PVC) from the participant’s
(47) The Chair of the TPP Panel (or their nominee) will document the recommended actions from the TPP discussion. Actions and outcomes from the TPP discussion may include:
- a recommendation to be nominated for Laureate Professorship (in accordance with the Appointment as Laureate Professor Procedure), to apply for awards, to seek certain fellowships or memberships, to apply for managerial responsibilities, or other career progression and recognition activities;
- planning development activities including 360 surveys, coaching and other professional development activities such as attendance at conferences;
- a review of or change to academic loadings, HDR supervision levels,
College responsibilities, or other adjustments to the participant’s role and activities including whether any performance improvement goals need to be set and agreed upon.
(48) The TPP SharePoint page is available to support
Part F - Roles and Responsibilities
Table D - Roles and responsibilities
Top of PageSection 4 - Definitions
(50) In the context of this document the following definitions apply:
Term | Definition |
---|---|
Advisor | A nominee of an academic supervisor who will supervise the APP for designated |
Co-Planner | This is the descriptive name that is assigned to a user in Success Factors, the |
Equity Cohort | A specific group of individuals within a community, organisation, or institution who share characteristics that are associated with disadvantage, underrepresentation, or inequity in access to opportunities, resources, or outcomes. For the |
Gender Bias | A person’s tendency to hold men and women accountable to different standards. |
Perception Bias | The tendency to form stereotypes about certain groups that make it impossible to make an objective judgement about members of those groups. |
Confirmation bias | Seeking out and interpreting information in a way that supports your preconceptions or hypotheses. |
Unconscious bias | A judgement made quickly without being aware of doing so. |
Disability | In accordance with the Disability Discrimination Act 1992, disability can encapsulate a range of identities, experiences and conditions including mental and chronic health conditions, neurodivergence, physical, sensory, learning, neurological and intellectual disabilities. The right of people with disability to access reasonable adjustments at work is protected under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (the Act). Carers and parents of people with disability who need adjustments to care for a person with disability are also protected under the Act. Not all people with disability or caring responsibilities may identify as having a disability and may not wish to access supports. |
Relative to opportunity | The principle of assessing an individual’s achievements and contributions in the context of their access to opportunities, taking into account any personal circumstances, challenges, or structural barriers that may have impacted their ability to achieve outcomes. |
Performance Goal | Performance goals focus on what an |
Development Goal | Development planning and goals are focused on how an |