Project Messages
Direct messages via email will be sent over the course of the Performance Framework Project. A collection of many of these messages are included below and will be updated as new messages are sent.
5/14/26 - Staff Invited to Participate in Focus Groups
Upcoming Invitation to Participate in Focus Groups for Performance Framework Project
Good Afternoon Everyone,
As part of our project to review and enhance employee performance and support, you
will be invited to participate in a 50-minute focus group at the end of May as part
of the University of Arkansas’ Performance Framework Assessment. The focus groups
will take place between May 27-29 at the Admin Building. Your participation would
be greatly valued, and your insights will play an important role in improving the
university’s staff performance expectations and feedback processes.
The university is reviewing and strengthening its performance framework to help ensure
that performance expectations, feedback, and development conversations are meaningful,
clear and fair, and aligned with the University’s mission and values. To support this
work, the university is partnering with Segal, a national consulting firm with extensive
experience helping higher education institutions implement innovative practices, including
strong performance management frameworks. Segal is working closely with a broad representative
steering committee of staff members, led by Amy Ochoa, senior associate vice chancellor
of human resources, to help ensure the updated framework reflects the needs and expectations
of a range of staff roles.
Segal will conduct interviews and focus groups to learn what is working well today
and where greater clarity, consistency, and support would be helpful across different
types of workers from all across campus. Through these information-gathering sessions,
we want to collect your thoughts about how performance discussions can be more meaningful,
actionable, and forward focused, and the tools that are being used to administer performance
evaluations.
By early next week, you will receive a meeting invitation from me. We hope you will
be able to participate. Your feedback will be kept confidential. Segal will report
results only in summary form and will not attribute comments to individuals. We encourage
you to share your candid perspectives and ideas.
Thank you for your willingness to participate in this important effort. We appreciate
your feedback, and your engagement will help the university better support staff development
and success at the University of Arkansas.
Thank you!
Sincerely,
Ashley Ingram, M.Ed., CPTD
Senior HR Director – Talent Development,Talent Management, Engagement and Experience
University of Arkansas Human Resources
5/12/26 - Faculty Invited to Participate in Focus Groups
Performance Framework Assessment - Invitation to Participate in a Faculty Interview/Focus Group
I am writing to encourage you to participate in a 45-minute interview or focus group
during the week of April 13 as part of the University of Arkansas’ Performance Framework
Assessment. Your participation would be greatly valued, and your insights will play
an important role in improving the university’s faculty performance expectations and
feedback processes.
The university is reviewing and strengthening its faculty performance framework to
help ensure that performance expectations, feedback, and development conversations
are meaningful, clear and fair, and aligned with the University’s mission and values.
To support this work, the university is partnering with Segal, a national consulting
firm with extensive experience helping higher education institutions implement innovative
practices, including strong performance management frameworks. Segal is working closely
with a broad representative steering committee of faculty members, led by Anna Zajicek,
Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs, to help ensure the updated framework reflects the
needs and expectations of a range of faculty roles.
Segal will conduct interviews and focus groups to learn what is working well today
and where greater clarity, consistency, and support would be helpful across different
faculty appointment types. Through these information-gathering sessions, we want to
collect your thoughts about how performance discussions connect to workloads and workload
expectations, the tools that are being used to administer performance evaluations,
and how the process is aligned with tenure and/or promotion expectations.
You will receive an invitation to participate shortly. Your feedback will be kept
confidential. Segal will report results only in summary form and will not attribute
comments to individuals. We encourage you to share your candid perspectives and ideas.
Thank you for your willingness to participate in this important effort. We appreciate
your feedback, and your engagement will help the university better support faculty
development and success at the University of Arkansas.
Sincerely,
Indrajeet Chaubey, Ph.D.
Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
Distinguished Professor of Biological and Agricultural Engineering