Personnel Review Cycle (PRC)

Personnel Review Cycle (PRC) is a preliminary submission cycle for all regular staff employee job changes, salary adjustments, and new position requests for Fiscal Year 2026. The PRC is an annual planning activity, allowing department leaders to holistically review regular staff positions and staffing needs and submit personnel requests to address departmental needs. Submissions for personnel requests will be reviewed by leadership, finance, and subject matter experts for consideration before routing to HR Compensation for evaluation and authorization to proceed with their request. After Compensation’s evaluation, initiators will be notified of the final determination of their request and authorization to proceed to the next step.

Important: PRC is a planning authorization step. It does not replace the Pre-Authorization 1 (PA1) process and does not guarantee final approval. Departments must not notify employees of job or salary changes until a PA1 has been fully approved by HR Compensation.

Authorization Notice

Starting on February 16th, departments authorized to proceed with their personnel requests must first submit a PA1 for final approval by HR Compensation. Once approved, all changes require the submission of a Pre-Authorization 2 (PA2) ePAF with an effective date at the start of a pay period beginning March 20th for Norman or March 21st for HSC and must be submitted within FY26.

To prevent delays, please review the Compensation Guidelines by Transaction Type before submitting, and ensure all required documents (e.g., resumes, org charts, justification) are included with the PA1.

Items submitted after the close of the fiscal year may be subject to additional review to confirm that all necessary budgetary and leadership approvals are still valid.

Reminder: Do not notify employees of proposed changes until the PA1 is fully approved.

Rejection Notice

If a department is not authorized to proceed with their personnel request, they may resubmit for reconsideration through the exception process. This requires prior written approval from President Harroz, the appropriate Senior Vice President or their designee.

PRC items submitted for reconsideration should not be submitted before April 1 to allow HR Compensation adequate time to process all approved transactions. If you would like to discuss your department’s situation before submitting a reconsideration request, please contact HR Compensation. Email HR Compensation

PRC Exclusions

Not all benefits-eligible staff are eligible for a PRC request. The following items make employees ineligible for the PRC:

Employees with any pay increase on or after September 1, 2024 (excluding merit increases)
Employees hired on or after January 1, 2025
Positions 100% funded by grants or contracts
Faculty, academic appointments, Peak staff, temporary employees, Athletic Department positions, and student employees

Timeline & Key Deadlines

The application will be open from September 1 through October 31, 2025. Please review the full PRC timeline and key milestone deadlines to ensure you meet all required submission dates and avoid delays in processing.

Timeline	Milestone
Sept 1 – Oct 17	Open for PRC submissions
Oct 20 – Oct 31	Dean/VP Review Period
Nov 6	PRC App closed; view only access
Nov 6 – Nov 14	Central Functional Area Review Period
Nov 14 – Dec 1	Budget and Finance Review Period
Dec 1 – Jan 30	Final review by HR Compensation
Feb 2 – Feb 13	Sr VP/President Review Period
Feb 16 – Feb 20	Status Notifications sent to Designees
Feb 23	ePAFs (PA1s) may now be entered into PeopleSoft, and approved PA1s may submit the PA2 with an effective date of 03/20 or later for Norman Campus and 03/21 or later for HSC Campus.
April 1	Reconsideration window opens

Understanding the PRC

Personnel Review Cycle (PRC) is a preliminary submission process for all benefits-eligible staff job changes, salary adjustments, and new position requests for the upcoming year. The PRC is an annual planning activity, allowing departments to review staffing needs holistically and submit requests to meet departmental needs. During the PRC, department leaders evaluate their workforce needs to ensure alignment with the University’s strategic goals and priorities.

All requests must be funded by the department’s existing budget or have prior written approval from Administration and Finance for any additional funding. As part of the review process, requests will be evaluated by senior executive leadership, Administration and Finance, and Human Resources (HR). In some cases, additional review by functional experts—such as those in IT, Marketing & Communications, or Academic Advising—may be required.

PRC Request Categories

Each job change category requires different levels of review and consideration.

Reclassifications

A reclassification is when the job title of an existing employee is changed because of a substantial change in the level of accountability, job duties, and responsibility associated with the position. In the justification, provide detailed accurate information regarding current duties and responsibilities and how they have evolved.

Equity Salary Adjustments

These adjustments occur when an employee’s salary is significantly below other employees in the same job code who have less experience and who are paid more for no bona fide business reason. These adjustments should be based on a review of pay differences both internal and external to OU. When evaluating equity, factors like an employee’s experience, education, special skills/certifications, and time in position should be considered when comparing them to peers. Please include this type of information in the request.

Market Salary Adjustment

A market adjustment may be needed when the competitive market salary for a job increases faster than the University’s pay ranges. Market adjustments are relatively infrequent because the salary structure is evaluated regularly. Departments are required to provide market information or other justifications to support their request.

New Position Requests

Requesting a new position may be appropriate if a college or business unit has had significant growth. You can submit a request for a new position using an existing job code or requesting the creation of a new job code depending on the needs in your area.

PRC Submission Process & Eligibility

Not all benefits-eligible staff are eligible for a PRC request. Employees are ineligible if they fall under any of the following categories:

Received a pay increase on or after September 1, 2024 (excluding merit increases)
Hired on or after January 1, 2025
Position is 100% funded by grants or contracts
Faculty, academic appointments, Peak staff, temporary employees, Athletic Department staff, or student employees

Transactions Outside the PRC

Some transaction types need immediate attention outside the PRC timeline. Please consult HR Compensation for guidance about the following types of requests:

Temporary additional duties
Straight refills/backfills
Reclassifications (when the employee is no longer performing duties that reflect their current job title due to substantial changes in responsibilities and must begin performing the new duties immediately)
Retention or counteroffers