You’ve written comments about your accomplishments, updated your goals, and saved your annual performance review.
Everything appears to be there.
But your supervisor says the evaluation is still unfinished.
Before assuming something went wrong, check which stage of the University of Utah Performance Management process you’re actually in.
The university uses UUPM, an online performance management system accessible through Utah CIS.
And completing a performance review involves more than filling out a few comment boxes.
Find the Performance Management Tile
The University of Utah’s employee guide directs staff to open Campus Information Services and search for Performance Management or UUPM.
Select the Performance Management (UUPM) tile to access the system.
You can also mark the tile as a favorite for easier access later.
UUPM is used for performance planning and evaluations in university departments outside Hospitals & Clinics.
Different employee groups may follow different evaluation procedures.
Understand the Three Main Stages
The university’s performance management process includes several distinct phases.
Define Criteria: Establish the goals and expectations for the evaluation period.
Evaluation in Progress: Record accomplishments, progress, and relevant comments.
Final Evaluation: Complete employee and manager assessments, discuss the results, and acknowledge the review.
Finishing one stage doesn’t automatically complete the next.
A performance plan with approved goals isn’t the same as a finished annual evaluation.
Check the Evaluation Period
UUPM performance plans can cover different periods depending on the department.
For example:
Calendar year: January 1–December 31
Fiscal year: July 1–June 30
When creating a performance document, the beginning and ending dates must be selected.
The university’s guide warns that these dates cannot be edited after the document is created.
Check the correct evaluation period with your supervisor before creating a new plan.
Your Goals Need Manager Approval
During the Define Criteria stage, employees can add individual goals.
The Employee Goals tab allows you to enter a goal title, description, and optional due date.
After entering your goals, click Save.
But don’t stop there.
The university instructs employees to use Notify to tell their manager that the goals are ready for review.
Your manager can then review, modify, or add goals before approving the plan.
Until that approval occurs, the Define Criteria stage may remain unfinished.
Approved Goals Become the Evaluation Framework
Once the supervisor approves the goals, the evaluation moves forward.
The university’s guidance explains that goals generally cannot be edited during the Evaluation in Progress stage.
That makes the initial planning stage important.
If you notice that an approved goal no longer reflects your responsibilities, discuss the situation with your manager rather than assuming you can freely rewrite the approved plan.
Add Comments Throughout the Year
UUPM isn’t intended to be used only during the final week of the evaluation period.
Employees can document progress and accomplishments as the year develops.
The system provides Employee Comments areas associated with goals and other evaluation sections.
The university recommends dating comments so that entries made at different points in the year can be distinguished.
For example:
March 15: Completed initial department training materials.
June 20: Introduced an updated procedure for tracking project requests.
September 8: Finished a departmental improvement project.
These entries provide more useful context than trying to reconstruct an entire year’s work from memory.
Don’t Click Complete Too Early
This is a particularly important detail in the official UUPM guide.
During the evaluation period, employees are instructed to save their progress regularly.
They are specifically warned not to click Complete until the self-evaluation is finalized.
Saving allows you to preserve your comments while the review remains in progress.
Completing the evaluation advances the process.
Those actions shouldn’t be confused.
Self-Evaluation Requires Ratings
At the end of the evaluation period, employees must evaluate their performance against the applicable goals.
The process includes selecting ratings and finalizing comments.
Don’t assume that entering written feedback alone satisfies the self-evaluation requirement.
Review the goals under the relevant tabs and provide the required ratings.
The university’s performance management guidance also requires an overall assessment.
Make sure every applicable section has been addressed before finalizing the document.
Save, Complete, Confirm, Then Notify
The University of Utah’s employee guide provides a specific sequence for finishing the self-evaluation.
After completing your ratings and comments:
- Click Save.
- Click Complete.
- Click Confirm.
- Click Notify to inform your manager.
That final notification is important.
It tells your supervisor that your self-evaluation is ready for the next stage.
If you only saved your comments, your manager may still be waiting for you to complete the formal process.
Your Manager Has a Separate Evaluation
Once your self-evaluation is finished, the supervisor completes their portion.
That includes reviewing goals, entering comments, and providing applicable ratings.
Your own completion doesn’t mean the manager’s assessment has already been finalized.
The evaluation process also includes a discussion between you and your supervisor.
Don’t treat a completed self-assessment as the end of the entire review cycle.
The Final Acknowledgment Matters
After the manager’s evaluation and the performance discussion, another step remains.
The university’s guide instructs employees to select Review Manager Evaluation, click Acknowledge, and then confirm the action.
This acknowledgment records that the evaluation has been discussed.
It shouldn’t be confused with writing your self-assessment or approving the supervisor’s opinions.
Review the evaluation carefully and ask questions about anything you don’t understand.
What If Your Supervisor Changed?
A supervisor change can complicate an active evaluation.
The university’s UUPM guidance explains that when an employee receives a new supervisor during an evaluation period, the department may need HR assistance to provide the new supervisor access to the existing plan.
If your new manager cannot see your performance document, don’t immediately create another one.
Ask your department’s HR team to review the situation.
Don’t Assume Every Department Uses Identical Goals
University departments can establish different performance expectations and evaluation templates.
The university doesn’t require every department to use one identical set of individual goals.
A research department, administrative office, and facilities team may evaluate different responsibilities.
Your performance plan should reflect the expectations applicable to your actual position.
Report the Exact Stage That’s Unfinished
If your evaluation isn’t progressing, provide a clear description:
Portal: Utah CIS
System: UUPM
Evaluation period: January–December 2026
Current stage: Self-Evaluation
Completed actions: Ratings and comments entered, Save selected
Problem: Evaluation still appears unfinished
Question: Do I need to complete the Confirm and Notify steps?
This gives your supervisor or HR team a specific issue to investigate.
It’s more useful than saying the performance review isn’t working.
A Saved Review Isn’t Necessarily a Finished Review
Utah CIS provides access to UUPM, but the performance management process includes planning, manager approval, progress documentation, employee ratings, supervisor evaluation, and final acknowledgment.
Each stage has a purpose.
If your annual performance review still appears incomplete, don’t immediately rewrite your comments. Check whether you’ve completed the required ratings, selected Complete and Confirm, notified your manager, and acknowledged the final evaluation after your performance discussion.