I. Purpose
A. Anne Arundel Community College (“College”) strives to retain top talent and encourages employees to perform at the highest levels. In order to maintain Employee performance, Supervisors are responsible for communicating issues of concern directly with their Employees and in a timely manner so that Employees can be involved in the problem-solving process and have an opportunity to improve performance.
B. The purpose of this Employee Performance Improvement Procedure (“Procedure”) is to implement the Employee Performance Management Policy (“Policy”) of the College by providing an orderly procedure for Supervisors to determine and implement the appropriate tools to improve the performance of a College Employee, when concerns arise.
C. This Procedure sets forth the process for the Supervisor to consult with HR, appropriately document, and communicate the need for Performance Improvement to an Employee.
II. Scope and Applicability
A. This Procedure applies to faculty, staff, administrators, and College officers; and contractual employees.
B. This Procedure does not apply to temporary employees.
C. To the extent that the College Manual or another policy or procedure conflicts with this Procedure (other than the Employee Performance Management Policy), this Procedure supersedes the College Manual and the other policy or procedure.
D. Where a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) applies, the terms of the CBA shall govern to the extent they conflict with this Procedure.
III. Definitions
A. All capitalized terms in this Procedure have the meanings provided in the Policy.
B. All other capitalized terms in this Procedure have the following meanings:
1. Business Days is any day which is not a Saturday or Sunday or day that the College is closed, such as holidays, spring break, winter break, or other day that the College announces that it is closed.
2. Career Conversation means a discussion between the Faculty Member and the Supervisor regarding the Faculty Member’s performance in the Evaluation Areas described in the Full-Time Faculty Performance Evaluation Procedure.
3. Coaching Conversation means a discussion between the Employee and the Supervisor regarding the Employee’s performance, Professional Development, and learning, and growth, as described in the Staff and Administrator Performance Evaluation Procedure.
4. Performance Counseling means documented discussions between a Supervisor and Employee to help the Employee define the issues that are causing the poor performance work with the Employee; creation of a written plan of action to improve performance, and identify tools and resources that may assist the Employee; regular meetings with the Employee to monitor whether the plan is improving performance; and adjustments to the plan, as needed.
5. Performance Improvement Plan or PIP means a written document designed to guide course corrections regarding poor performance, including identification of the areas of poor performance, expectations regarding performance, steps necessary to improve performance, and resources or assistance that the Supervisor will provide.
6. Performance Improvement Tools means Performance Counseling and implementation of a PIP.
7. PIP Period means the length of time that the Supervisor states the PIP will be in place.
IV. Performance Improvement
A. The underlying principle of Performance Improvement is to explicitly inform the Employee of unacceptable job performance, to provide formal guidance on the Supervisor’s expectations for the Employee, to discuss reasons that may be contributing to the issues, and to propose resources or solutions with the goal of modifying and improving performance.
B. Using Performance Improvement tools is the appropriate way to provide an Employee with the opportunity to succeed while still holding the Employee accountable for past performance. There can be many reasons for poor performance. Allowing for open dialogue and feedback helps a Supervisor to identify the problem and provide the Employee with the opportunity to be successful.
C. Performance Improvement tools may be implemented at any time, including at the time of formal Performance Evaluations, or at any other time deemed necessary by the Supervisor, but this Procedure shall govern the use of such tools at all times.
D. Performance Improvement tools are not utilized during an Employee’s Introductory Period or for Temporary Employees, but any performance deficiencies should be documented by the Supervisor and discussed with the Employee when they occur and in the Coaching Conversations that may occur during the Introductory Period.
E. A Supervisor will select the Performance Improvement tool(s) that is most likely to help the Employee to correct or improve the performance.
F. Performance Improvement tools may not be appropriate for conduct that rises to the level of illegal activity or that violates Standards of Employee Conduct, depending on the nature of the facts and circumstances. The Supervisor, however, may provide Performance Improvement tools at the same time that Disciplinary Action is imposed on the Employee.
G. Nothing in this Procedure or any other policy or procedure precludes providing a Performance Improvement tool(s) to an Employee, regardless of whether the Employee has a current positive or neutral Performance Evaluation or regardless of the lack of the use of previous Performance Improvement tools or Disciplinary Action(s).
H. Performance Improvement Tools that are available to Supervisors include Performance Counseling and implementation of a PIP.
1. Performance Counseling may be used at the Supervisor’s discretion if there is a pattern of poor performance.
2. A PIP may be used if the pattern of poor performance continues after Performance Counseling or the Supervisor determines that the poor performance is serious and/or is having a significant detrimental impact on students, faculty, staff, the department, the College, and/or third parties, and the Supervisor believes that the provision of additional resources to the Employee may improve performance.
V. Recommendation and Provision of Performance Improvement Tools
A. Before deciding to provide a Performance Improvement tool(s), a Supervisor should consider whether an Infraction(s) has occurred for which Disciplinary Action may be appropriate, instead of or in addition to Performance Improvement tools.
B. Performance Improvement tools do not need to be issued in any particular order but should be selected as appropriate under the circumstances.
C. If the Supervisor engages in Performance Counseling, the Supervisor must document the Counseling in writing, including a description of the Performance Counseling conversation, and provide a copy of the documentation to the Employee. The Supervisor will maintain the written record of the Performance Counseling.
D. If the Supervisor wishes to impose a PIP, the Supervisor will complete the PIP Form and submit it to HR for review and feedback before providing it to the Employee.
1. The PIP Form should be specific and objective, including:
a. Identifying of the performance task(s) that is causing the concerns, including specific facts, dates and examples to clarify the concerns;
b. Describing the impact of the poor performance on students, employees, the department, the College, or third parties;
c. Defining the expectations for the Employee in the future; and
d. Stating how performance will be measured.
2. The Supervisor should determine if the Employee may need additional resources, training, or Performance Counseling to meet expectations and identify what resources will be provided to assist the Employee in meeting expectations and goals. The PIP Form should describe any resources or professional development opportunities the Supervisor will offer the Employee, which may include the following:
a. More frequent check-ins with the Supervisor;
b. Additional help or assistance from co-workers;
c. Assistance from the Supervisor in re-prioritizing tasks;
d. Additional training for the Employee;
e. A referral to the Employee Assistance Program (“EAP”);
f. Performance Counseling; and/or
g. Any other resources designed to assist the Employee in improving performance or behavior.
3. In addition, the following information must be provided in a PIP:
a. The PIP period, which is typically for 30, 60, or 90 days, depending on the identified performance and/or behavior concerns and the time needed to demonstrate improvement;
b. Goals for improvement that are specific, measurable, relevant, and attainable within the PIP Period; and
c. A statement that if the performance and/or behavior does not improve during the PIP Period, it may lead to Disciplinary Action, up to and including Discharge.
4. The Supervisor will notify the Employee in writing that the Supervisor has scheduled a meeting to discuss Performance Improvement. Upon request of the Supervisor and/or the Employee, HR will attend the meeting. During the meeting, the Supervisor must clearly lay out the areas in which improvement is needed and the plan of action; discuss the impact the Employee’s performance is having on the students, employees, the department, the College, and/or third parties; and discuss the expectations for performance. The Supervisor will explain to the Employee that possible Disciplinary Action may follow if the performance or behavior is not corrected in a reasonable time or during the PIP Period.
5. Signature
a. The Supervisor may revise the PIP after discussing the performance with the Employee.
b. After discussing any revisions with the Employee, the Supervisor must send the final version of the PIP to the Employee and send a copy to HR to place in the Employee’s personnel record.
c. Within five (5) Business Days of the PIP being sent to the Employee, the Employee must sign the PIP to acknowledge that the Employee has received and read the PIP.
i. Signing the PIP does not indicate that the Employee agrees with the feedback received.
ii. Failure to sign will not affect the validity of the PIP, but the Supervisor must document on the form that the PIP was presented to the Employee and the Employee refused to sign it.
iii. Before signing, the Employee may provide a written response to the feedback in the comment section of the applicable Form and the comment will be included in the Employee’s personnel record.
6. Follow Up Meetings for PIPs
a. The Supervisor must schedule follow-up meetings, weekly or bi-weekly, for the duration of the PIP period, so that the Supervisor may provide feedback and document whether the Employee is making progress on the issues identified in the PIP. The Supervisor will document the progress in the PIP Feedback Form after each follow up meeting. The Supervisor should allow the Employee to ask questions and seek guidance or clarification on performance and/or behavior expectations.
b. If performance is not improving, the Supervisor should consider whether additional resources should be provided, consult with HR, and update the PIP Form if resources will be added.
c. If the Employee has responded positively by meeting expectations and/or improving behaviors, the Supervisor will notify HR that the PIP will be closed at the end of the PIP Period and provide the completed PIP Feedback Form to HR to place in the Employee’s personnel record. At the end of the PIP Period, the Supervisor should explain that the Employee must continue to meet performance expectations over time and that further performance issues may result in further Performance Improvement tools or Disciplinary Action, up to and including Discharge.
d. If the Employee has shown some improvement, but has not met all of the expectations, the Supervisor, after consultation with HR, may extend the PIP for an additional PIP Period.
e. If the Employee does not meet the expectations set forth in the PIP Form by the end of the PIP Period, the Supervisor should consult with HR to consider Disciplinary Action(s) in accordance with the Employee Progressive Discipline Procedure and/or the Major Sanctions against Tenured and Tenure-Track Faculty Procedure.
f. If an Employee begins to regress and exhibit poor performance and/or behaviors after the PIP was closed, the Supervisor should consult with HR to consider whether to issue a new PIP or to consider Disciplinary Action(s) in accordance with the Employee Progressive Discipline Procedure.
E. Advisors. Advisors, as defined in the Employee Progressive Discipline Procedure, are not typically allowed to participate in meetings concerning the use of Employment Performance tools under this Procedure, since these meetings do not concern disciplinary actions. HR, in its sole discretion, may allow the presence of advisors in such meetings, subject to the requirements about advisors set forth in the Employee Progressive Discipline Procedure.
F. The imposition of Employment Performance tools are not grievable or appealable.
Policy Title: Employee Performance Improvement Procedure
Policy Category: Human Resources
Policy Owner: Vice President for Learning Resources Management
Policy Administrator: Executive Director of Human Resources
Contact Information: humanresources@aacc.edu; 410-777-2045
Approval Date: February 17, 2025
Effective Date: March 12, 2025
History: N/A, previously contained in the College Manual
Applies to: All Employees, except part-time faculty or temporary employees
Related Policies:
Related Procedures:
Forms/Guidelines:
Relevant Laws: N/A