{"id":5527,"date":"2026-04-16T17:11:35","date_gmt":"2026-04-16T17:11:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/offices.austincc.edu\/human-resources\/?p=5527"},"modified":"2026-04-17T16:43:19","modified_gmt":"2026-04-17T16:43:19","slug":"upward-evaluation-turning-feedback-into-growth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/offices.austincc.edu\/human-resources\/news-and-updates\/upward-evaluation-turning-feedback-into-growth\/","title":{"rendered":"Upward Evaluation: Turning Feedback into Growth"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

By now, you\u2019ve likely heard about Upward Evaluation as part of our Demonstrated Practices of Care.<\/p>\n

At its core, Upward Evaluation is a structured opportunity for employees to provide feedback on their experience of leadership.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s one of the ways we strengthen alignment between our values and our daily behaviors – because how we lead shapes how work gets done, and ultimately, how we serve our students.<\/p>\n

This is a baseline year, and an important step forward in how we learn and improve together.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Why this matters<\/h3>\n

We are very good at working. We move quickly. We deliver. We produce.<\/p>\n

That is a strength of this institution.<\/p>\n

What we are strengthening now is how<\/em> we work – how we communicate, how we collaborate, and how we lead. And if we\u2019re being honest, that is often more challenging – and more important – than the work itself. Because culture isn\u2019t what we say, it\u2019s what we experience.<\/p>\n

When leadership is clear, consistent, and aligned with our values, teams are stronger, collaboration improves, and we create a more effective and supportive environment for everyone.<\/p>\n

That impact extends directly to our students.<\/p>\n

When our people are supported and our leadership is strong, we are better able to remove barriers and help students move forward toward completion – our North Star.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Five Things to Keep in Mind as You Complete Upward Evaluation<\/h4>\n

As you complete your upward evaluation, keep the following in mind:<\/p>\n

1. Think about patterns, not isolated moments.
<\/strong>Consider your supervisor\u2019s typical behavior over time, not one unusually positive or difficult interaction.<\/p>\n

2. Rate based on your own experience.
<\/strong>Respond to what you have directly observed or experienced, not secondhand information or assumptions.<\/p>\n

3. Separate discomfort from poor leadership.
<\/strong>Being held accountable or navigating change can feel challenging. Consider whether the issue is about how something was handled, not just how it felt.<\/p>\n

4. Focus on values in action.
<\/strong>Rate based on how consistently your supervisor demonstrates ACC\u2019s expected behaviors, not personal style or preference.<\/p>\n

5. Your input matters.<\/strong>
<\/strong>This is a baseline year. Your responses will help identify strengths, highlight opportunities, and shape how we support leaders across the College.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

\ufeffWhat happens next<\/h3>\n

Managers will receive summarized, confidential results and will be supported through training and coaching to interpret and act on the feedback.<\/p>\n

Teams will have opportunities to engage in follow-up conversations and goal-setting as part of this process.<\/p>\n

This is where feedback turns into action.<\/em><\/h5>\n

Upward Evaluation is one part of a broader effort to strengthen communication, alignment, and trust across the College.<\/p>\n

We will continue to provide space for dialogue through weekly HR Open Forums<\/a> (formerly \u201cHR Office Hours\u201d), monthly on-campus AMAs, and ongoing engagement opportunities.<\/p>\n

If you have questions or want to explore HR-related topics more broadly, we encourage you to join.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Thank You<\/h3>\n

This work reflects the voices of many across ACC — employees whose shared experiences, ideas, and perspecrives help shape how our values show up in practice.<\/p>\n

Together, we are moving from values as words\u2026 to values as actions.<\/p>\n

That shared language, and shared commitment, makes a difference.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Regards,<\/p>\n

Kelly Torrico<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By now, you\u2019ve likely heard about Upward Evaluation as part of our Demonstrated Practices of Care. At its core, Upward Evaluation is a structured opportunity for employees to provide feedback on their experience of leadership. … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":58,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5527","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news-and-updates"],"featured_image_src":null,"featured_image_src_square":null,"author_info":{"display_name":"cyndycerbin","author_link":"https:\/\/offices.austincc.edu\/human-resources\/author\/cyndycerbin\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/offices.austincc.edu\/human-resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5527","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/offices.austincc.edu\/human-resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/offices.austincc.edu\/human-resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/offices.austincc.edu\/human-resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/58"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/offices.austincc.edu\/human-resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5527"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/offices.austincc.edu\/human-resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5527\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5546,"href":"https:\/\/offices.austincc.edu\/human-resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5527\/revisions\/5546"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/offices.austincc.edu\/human-resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5527"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/offices.austincc.edu\/human-resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5527"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/offices.austincc.edu\/human-resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5527"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}