Annual Review | Office of the Provost (2024)

The Board of Regents approved revised annual review policies for all faculty including tenure-track and non-tenure-track, effective January 2017. The revised policies are included in the the Faculty Manual. The goal of revised process is to make annual reviews less onerous for faculty, staff, and administrators as well as to create a more holistic review of faculty work that is more integrated with the promotion and/or tenure process.

Additionally, a new faculty reporting system for annual reviewscalled Activity Insight is now available. Activity Insight replaces WORQS and is required for the annual review process for all WSU faculty, regardless of campus, college, or appointment. The following is offered as a guide to the implementation of the new annual review process.

Types of Reviews
Based on feedback from faculty, the new annual review process was conceived by a Provost Task Force comprised of faculty and administrators, finalized by the Faculty Senate and its committees, and approved by the Faculty Senate in 2016. Recognizing that all faculty do not have the same need for review, the new annual review process includes three types of reviews—abridged, comprehensive, and intensive. Following is a brief summary of each type of review. For more details refer to the Faculty Manual.

• Abridged reviews are intended for established faculty whose previous reviews have met or exceeded expectations. Abridged review materials include a current curriculum vitae and a short description of work and major accomplishments for the review year. Faculty are required to have an updated Activity Insight report for the review period. Abridged reviews are performed by department chairs with input from relevant campus based administrators and result in ratings of either “satisfactory or better” or “less than satisfactory.” Abridged reviews can be done biennially if performance is “satisfactory or better.”
• Comprehensive reviews are intended to evaluate faculty performance and contributions since the last comprehensive or intensive review in the context of cumulative contributions. Comprehensive reviews are done annually for faculty in tenure track positions, but not yet tenured; faculty looking for feedback to prepare for promotion or other milestones; and biennially for faculty who are tenured and/or on long term contracts who have earned “satisfactory or better” ratings as part of the abridged review process. Comprehensive review materials include a curriculum vitae and a summary of accomplishments since the previous comprehensive or intensive review as well as an updated Activity Insight report. Comprehensive reviews are performed by chairs with input from supervisors at relevant campus locations which are then forwarded to the dean. Ratings assigned include “especially meritorious performance,” “strong performance beyond satisfactory,” “satisfactory,” “some improvement needed,” or “substantial improvement needed.” Faculty in tenure line appointments who are not yet tenured go through a comprehensive review annually except in the third year and the final year of the tenure track appointment when they go through an intensive review.
• Intensive reviews include a two part process—the comprehensive review as well as a career progress review (a review that evaluates progress toward promotion and/or tenure where relevant). Materials for an intensive review include a curriculum vitae, copies of research articles, a teaching portfolio, and a research statement. Faculty also need to submit an updated Activity Insight report. Optional items include a context statement and a service statement. A summary of accomplishments since the last comprehensive or intensive review should also be included. The intensive review process includes feedback from faculty at or above the rank of the faculty member being considered in the review. Ratings include “well prepared,” “satisfactory,” “improvement needed,” or “unsatisfactory.

Faculty and Unit Leader Requested Exceptions
All faculty have the right to request a comprehensive or intensive review at any time. Unit leaders can also request comprehensive or intensive reviews at any time. Requests need to be made before the end of the fall semester of the review year.

It is recommended that all faculty in positions that are eligible for promotion request an intensive review every four (4) to six (6) years.

Guidelines and Forms
View annual review guidelines and forms.

• Activity Insight
• Guidelines and Forms