Performance Management

Announcements

Performance Management Cycle Has Launched in PageUp (Talent@DU)

The University of Denver’s updated performance management cycle is now aligned with the fiscal year (July 1 – June 30) for both faculty and staff. This update supports institutional planning and helps ensure evaluations reflect contributions made during the same financial period.

As part of this transition, the performance process launched in PageUp on January 12, 2026, for a shortened cycle that bridges to the standard annual review timeline.Managers/Supervisors: Action Required Now

If you are a manager/supervisor, you should now see your direct reports in your PageUp queue under:

Setting Expectations: Defining Core Responsibilities and Reviewing Core Competencies

📌 Due date: January 26, 2026

This first step is where managers confirm/define:
• Core responsibilities for each employee
• DU’s Core Competencies (Work Quality, Initiative, Inclusiveness)

25/26 Performance Cycle Timeline (January 12 – May 6 Reviewing the July 1, 2025 - June 30, 2026 Performance Period)

This cycle includes the following phases:
• Enter Core Responsibilities (Supervisor Action) – 14 days
• Reviewing Expectations Together – 21 days
• Check-In for Clarity and Connection – 30 days (shrink allowed)
• Employee Self-Reflection – 14 days
• Supervisor Evaluation – 21 days
• Employee/Supervisor Review Meeting – 7 days
• Employee Acknowledgement – 7 days
• Complete – 1 day

What’s staying the same

• Faculty reviews will continue to open on March 1
• Staff reviews will continue to follow the annual April 1 – May 6 review timeline

Why we’re making this shift

Historically, merit consideration has been based on performance from July through June. Aligning the performance year with the fiscal year ensures that the final three months (April, May, June) are included—resulting in a more complete picture of employee performance and contributions.

Note: Merit increases are only available when funding allows. Merit decisions are determined by university leadership and the Board of Trustees and are outside the control of individual employees and managers.

Merit eligibility (based on hire date and time worked during the fiscal year)

• Hired July 1 – July 31: Fully eligible
• Hired August 1 – January 1: Pro-rated eligibility
• Hired or Promoted January 2 – June 30: Not eligible (must have more than 90 days in  new role prior to April 1)

Performance Cycle Tasks

Supervisor Identifies Core Responsibilities -
Supervisors begin the cycle by identifying 5–7 essential functions performed by the employee—essentially, what they were hired to do. These should be drawn from the job description, internal documentation, and the supervisor’s understanding of the role. Supervisors will also review the core competencies. This step sets the stage for the year and provides clarity on expectations. Review Core Responsibilities & Competencies for more information.

Reviewing Expectations Together -
The supervisor and employee meet to ensure expectations are clear and the three competencies are understood. The rating scale that will be used during the final evaluation is also reviewed at this time. This conversation is an opportunity to establish shared understanding and alignment early in the cycle.

Check-In for Clarity and Connection -
Midway through the cycle, both the supervisor and employee will receive a prompt to check in with each other. If regular 1:1s are already happening, this conversation can be part of those ongoing meetings. No action is required in the system, though core responsibilities remain editable. The Talent@DU system also includes a "1-on-1" feature where either party can capture notes from check-ins throughout the year. Review Check-Ins for more information.

Employee Self-Reflection -
Employees will have the opportunity to complete a self-reflection by providing a narrative on how they have performed relative to their core responsibilities and the competencies. They will not assign themselves a numerical score, but can link journal entries and request external feedback through the system. Review Performance Reviews for more information.

This step is optional. Employees will have a window of time to complete this. If they choose not to participate, the review will move forward to the supervisor evaluation.

Supervisor Evaluation -
Supervisors assign a numerical score (1–4) to each of the core responsibilities and to each of the three competencies. The system automatically calculates the final score using the weighted structure: 70% for Core Responsibilities and 30% for Core Competencies. The final average may include decimal points, with 1 being the lowest and 4 the highest. Review Performance Reviews for more information.

Employee/Supervisor Review Meeting & Acknowledgement -
The supervisor and employee meet to review the evaluation, discuss key takeaways, and connect around future growth. The supervisor may choose to edit the evaluation based on the discussion. Once finalized, both parties will acknowledge the review in the system—formally concluding the performance process for the year.

Talent@DU Notifications

Talent@DU (PageUp) will send automated email notifications throughout the performance process to help employees and supervisors stay on track.

In general, you will receive an email when:

1) A new task is assigned to you

You’ll receive an email when the performance cycle launches, and again when the process moves into a phase that requires action from you (for example: completing a self-reflection, supervisor evaluation, or employee acknowledgement).

2) Reminder emails are sent as deadlines approach (and after deadlines pass)

For most tasks in the performance cycle, Talent@DU will send reminder emails on the following schedule:

• 3 days before the due date
• On the due date
• 7 days after the due date (if not completed)
• Every 7 days after that until the task is completed

Tip: If you complete your task, the reminders stop automatically.

3) Both employees and supervisors may receive notifications

Some steps notify only the person who needs to take action. Other steps may notify both the employee and supervisor (for example, launching a check-in phase or confirming the next step in the process).

Performance & System Transition FAQs

Please visit our Frequency Asked Questions web page for more information.