Academic Performance Assessment

Article 29 of the Collective Agreement outlines the process for academic performance assessment and Progression Through the Ranks (PTR) along with OAAs for Continuing, Limited Term, Contingent Term, Special Limited Term or Pre-Tenure Track academic staff. 

Progression Through the Ranks (PTR)

Progression Through the Ranks (PTR) are the annual increases to Rank Salary for academic staff members who meet the expected standards of performance for academic staff members at the University of Calgary. The value of these increases is established in Schedule A (Article 29.1.4).

Outstanding Achievement Awards (OAAs)

Outstanding Achievement Awards (OAAs) are increases to Rank Salary awarded to a limited number of academic staff. They are intended to recognize excellence and an academic staff member’s exceptional and outstanding performance. The value of these Awards is $1650 as established in Schedule A. Academic staff shall not be eligible for an OAA if they have received an OAA in the immediately preceding review cycle (Article 29.1.4).


Process for Assessment Years

Academic Staff Members should review Article 29 – Academic Performance Assessment and Progression Through the Ranks (PTR). The article outlines both eligibility and important process information. The steps below reflect the high-level process — refer to the assessment timeline (coming soon) for more details.

  1. Eligible Academic Staff Members will use PeopleSoft Employee Self-Service (opens May 1) to submit an Academic Performance Report (APR), with an option to submit applications for an OAA Award using Academic Portfolio. You should expect a notification by May 1 that the system is ready for your submission. Training guides for PeopleSoft and Academic Portfolio will also be available on May 1.
  2. Submit your Academic Performance Report (APR) for Progression Through the Ranks. If applicable you can also apply for OAA Award. Please ensure you are following your faculty’s deadline which will be provided by your Dean.
  3. The Department Head (or Equivalent in non-departmentalized faculties) will review your APR and provide a recommendation for PTR to the Dean by September 8. Applications for OAA Award will be forwarded to the Faculty Advisory Council (FAC).
  4. The FAC will review OAA applications between October 1 and November 7 and make a recommendation to the Dean. Decisions regarding OAA Awards will be communicated to you by November 22.
  5. Performance increases will be paid in December, retroactive to July 1.

*Dates are adjusted to the timeline due to weekends and University holidays. Refer to the Academic Performance Assessment Timeline for the current cycle dates. 

Process for Non-Assessment Years

Please note that non-assessment years are even digit years.

Schedule A of the Collective Agreement outlines the amounts and timelines regarding PTR and OAA increases. Please see Article 1.2 on page 149 for more details.

Article 1.2.3.1 states: "In assessment years, the PTR and OAA are applied retroactively to July 1, once the assessment process is complete. The same values are applied again on July 1 in the following non-assessment year."

Please note that you can access your Progression Through the Ranks (PTR), Academic Performance Assessment notification letter via the UofC Portal starting on July 25. Please follow these steps:

  1. Sign in to My UCalgary on the University of Calgary website 
  2. Click on All about me in the top menu  
  3. Click on My pay-Payroll Details section 
  4. Click on Employee Pay Notifications (ensure the pop-up blocker is disabled) 
  • The current year's notification letter will automatically display  
  • If you receive a pop-up stating “Your notification letter is not available through Employee Self Service, please contact hr@ucalgary.ca”, please email hr@ucalgary.ca to receive your letter 

Please contact hr@ucalgary.ca if you have any questions. 

Training Videos and Job Aids

Coming Soon (May 1)

Resources

Article 29 - Academic Performance Assessment and Progression Through the Ranks (PTR)

Schedule A

Academic Performance Assessment Timeline - Coming soon (May 1)

GFC Academic Staff Criteria & Process Handbook - Please ensure to use July 1, 2024

Faculty Guidelines – Please ensure to use the faculty guidelines in effect 2024.


Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Progression Through the Ranks (PTR)

PTR Increases are the annual increases to Rank Salary for academic staff members who meet the expected standards of performance for academic staff members at the University of Calgary. The value of these increases differs by rank, stream, and salary. These values are outlined in Schedule A of the Collective Agreement.

Continuing, Contingent Term, Limited Term, Special Limited Term and Pre-Tenure Track academic staff members who met the expected standards of performance during the assessment period.

Academic staff members who were hired from January 1 – June 30 (Assessment Year) will not be assessed, but will be provided with a default PTR Increase.

Academic staff members who have announced their resignation or retirement from the University to commence by December 31 (Assessment Year) will not be assessed, but will be provided with a default PTR Increase.

For academic staff members that were on leave during the assessment period, please refer to Articles 29.3.4-29.3.6.

Please refer Article 29.3 for further details.

The performance standards for each rank are outlined in the GFC Academic Staff Criteria and Processes Handbook (July 2024), and the Faculty Guidelines which were in effect as of 2024.

Assessment criteria must be applied in a manner consistent with the range and proportion of duties assigned to the academic staff member in their Workload Assignment. The PTR increases must be assessed on the full duties performed by the academic staff member.

The value of PTR increases differs by rank, stream, and salary. These values are outlined in Schedule A of the Collective Agreement.

Submit your Academic Performance Report (APR) in PeopleSoft Employee Self Service (Open May 1). This document will be reviewed by the Department Head or equivalent.

Please note: Faculty 180 has not been updated with the most recent information (e.g. sessional courses, research, etc.). You may manually update your courses, research activities.

However, it is not necessary to use Faculty180 for your APR.

In relation to Progression Through the Ranks, the APR is a free-form 2 to 5 page document, to highlight an academic’s performance in areas such as: teaching, research, service and other additional work. 

The APR should provide a summary of your academic work for the assessment period, outlining how you have met the criteria in the GFC Academic Staff Criteria and Processes Handbook and Faculty Guidelines, and identifying any particular achievements you would like to be recognized in the following areas: (1) teaching; (2) research; (3) service, and/or 4) other academic work.

The report should be between 2 and 5 pages in length.

The deadline is set by each Faculty. Note a Faculty deadline will be no later than September 1.

In the absence of a report submitted by the academic staff member, the Head’s PTR assessment process will be based on the information they are routinely aware of (the assignment of duties, reports of research grants awarded, etc.). It is highly recommended that you submit the  Academic Performance Report (APR) to ensure the Head has all the information necessary to complete the PTR assessment.

If your Department Head is recommending that you receive a PTR increase, you will receive a notification indicating this by September 8. A Head’s recommendation in favour of a PTR increase is considered final.

If your Department Head is considering not recommending a PTR increase, you will receive a notification indicating this by September 8. If this occurs, please review the full process outlined in Article 29 of the Collective Agreement.

*Dates are adjusted to the timelines due to weekends and stat holidays. Refer to the assessment timeline for the current cycle dates.

For academic staff members that were on leave during the assessment period, please refer to Articles 29.3.4-29.3.6.

If eligible, when an academic staff member returns from leave the Head will remind the academic staff member of their case in PeopleSoft Employee Self Service. The academic staff member will need to complete their Academic Performance Assessment. The Head will then complete their assessment and recommendation. Once completed, the Head will email hracadem@ucalgary.ca to action the PTR assessment recommendation. 

You can access your Progression Through the Ranks (PTR) Notification letter via the UofC Portal:

  1. Sign in to My UCalgary on the University of Calgary website
  2. Click on All about me in the top menu
  3. Click on My pay-Payroll Details section
  4. Click on Employee Pay Notifications (ensure the pop-up blocker is disabled)
    • The current year's notification letter will automatically display
    • If you receive a pop-up stating “Your notification letter is not available through Employee Self Service, please email hr@ucalgary.ca to receive your letter

Outstanding Achievement Awards (OAAs)

OAAs are increases to Rank Salary awarded to a limited number of academic staff. They are intended to recognize excellence and an academic staff member’s exceptional and outstanding performance.

Up to 16.5% of academic staff members in each Faculty may be eligible to receive this award. The value of these awards is $1,650. 

Academic staff will not be eligible for an OAA in the current assessment cycle if they received an OAA in the previous assessment cycle.

The criteria for assessing outstanding achievement are outlined  in the GFC Academic Staff Criteria and Processes Handbook (July 2024), and the Faculty Guidelines which were in effect in 2024.

Assessment criteria will be applied in a manner consistent with the range and proportion of duties assigned to the academic staff member in their Workload Assignment. OAAs must be assessed on the full duties performed by the academic staff member.

Apply through the Academic Performance Assessment website (Coming May 1). Once eligibility is confirmed, an OAA case will be created using Academic Portfolio for the Academic Staff member to complete.

In addition to the regular APR material, applicants for the OAA must provide additional information which demonstrates excellence, exceptional, and outstanding performance for the assessment period. Review the standards outlined in the GFC Handbook (July 2024) and Faculty Guidelines.

The supplementary material cannot be longer than 5 pages.

The deadline for these applications is the same as the deadline for APR submissions. This deadline is set by each Faculty, and is no later than September 1.

Yes you can. Apply through Academic Performance Assessment website (Coming May 1). Once eligibility is confirmed, an OAA case will be created using Academic Portfolio for the Academic staff member to complete.

In addition to the regular APR material, applicants for the OAA must provide additional information which demonstrates excellence, exceptional and outstanding performance for the assessment period. 

The supplementary material cannot be longer than 5 pages.

Yes, Department Heads or Equivalent can nominate academic staff members who did not apply.

You will be notified by November 22.

*Dates are adjusted to the timeline due to weekends and stat holidays. Refer to the assessment timeline for the current cycle dates.

Academic Administrators

An Academic Administrator is a Head, Assistant Dean, Associate Dean, Vice Dean (not senior leadership), Associate University Librarian, Associate Vice Provost (Libraries and Cultural Resources), Associate Director (Student and Enrollment Services), the Director of the Educational Development Unit (Taylor Institute), or any other academic positions agreed by the Provost and the Faculty Association.

If you were in an Academic Administrator appointment during the assessment period, and are still in that role; or you were an Academic Administrator for greater than 12 months during the assessment period, but are no longer, you will be assessed under the Academic Administrator process.

If you were appointed an Academic Administrator on or after the assessment cycle, or you served 12 months or less as an Academic Administrator during the assessment period, and are no longer serving in that role, your assessment will follow the normal process.

Head Assessment

Once the Head has completed the assessment, it is shared with the Academic staff member through PeopleSoft Employee Self Service.

Please follow the below instructions: Coming soon (May 1).

Head recommendations will be available, no later than September 8.

In the absence of a report submitted by the academic staff member, the Head’s PTR assessment process will be based on the information they are routinely aware of (the assignment of duties, reports of research grants awarded, etc.) - CA 29.1.4 b)

Please contact the academic staff member, should you have further questions.

The PTR recommendations are shared through PeopleSoft Employee Self Service. Please ensure to complete your recommendation through PeopleSoft Manager Self Service no later than September 8.

For academic staff members that were on leave during the assessment period, please refer to Articles 29.3.4-29.3.6.

If eligible, when an academic staff member returns from leave the Head will remind the academic staff member of their case in PeopleSoft Employee Self-Service. The academic staff member will have to complete their Academic Performance Assessment and then the Head will then complete their assessment and recommendation. Once completed, the Head share the recommendation with the academic staff member and email hracadem@ucalgary.ca to action the PTR assessment recommendation. 

Timeline for Payment

July 1, 2025. Please note that this will be retroactive.

PTR increases and OAAs will be paid by December 2025.

*Eligible employees on leave, will be paid upon return from leave, pending their PTR assessment recommendation.

PTR increases will be applied before the application of the OAA.

Eligible employees on leave, will be paid upon return from leave, pending the completion of their PTR assessment recommendation. Please contact hracadem@ucalgary.ca for assistance. 

PTR increases and OAAs will be scheduled to be paid on July 25 of the non-assessment year.

*Eligible employees on leave, will be paid upon return from leave, pending their PTR assessment recommendation.

Technical Support

No, as per Article 30 of the Collective Agreement, for the purposes of evaluating academic staff member increases (e.g. PTR, formerly merit), administrators cannot submit cases for academic staff members on their behalf.

Please ensure that you are using your UCalgary email address (i.e. XX@ucalgary.ca).

Affiliated email addresses such as @haskayne.ucalgary.ca or @ahs.ucalgary.ca, are not enabled in Academic Portfolio.

Academic Portfolio servers were migrated in March 2023, from the US to Canada servers. Users are advised to clear their web browsing data, cache and cookies.

  1. In Firefox, Edge or Chrome, press CTRL+SHIFT+Delete
    • Chrome - Ensure all boxes are checked (i.e. browsing history, cookies and other site data, cached images and files) and select Clear data
    • Firefox  - Ensure all history boxes are checked (i.e. browsing & download history, cookies, active logins, cache, form & search history) and select Clear Now
    • Edge - Select your time range (all time). Ensure that the boxes for browsing history, download history, cookies and other site data and cached images and files are checked, then select Clear now
  2. Once your cache is cleared, please try logging in again through your myUCalgary portal via:
    All About Me -> My Job -> Academic Portfolio

Still have login issues? Please contact help@interfolio.com for further assistance.

In the meantime, please review the reference documents, guidelines, timeline and job aids for further details. 

Contact hracadem@ucalgary.ca and begin preparing any relevant documentation related to your OAA submission.

Please review the reference documents, guidelines, timeline and job aids for further details.