The 2023–24 academic year marked a big step forward in the use of Faculty Success for annual review. Last spring, we caught up with Dr. Letitia White-Minnis, associate dean of the McQueary College of Health and Human Services (who currently serves as point person for Faculty Success), to learn how it went. White-Minnis shared that during the 2023–24 cycle, more than 500 annual reviews were conducted in Faculty Success with generally positive feedback.
Preparing for Annual Review
For the upcoming annual review cycle, all reviews will be conducted via Faculty Success. During the first half of January, you’ll receive an email from Watermark (the company behind Faculty Success). This message will let you know that your annual review cycle is underway; February 1 is the deadline to submit your materials.
If you’d like to start updating the activities in your Faculty Success database, you don’t need to wait on that email. You can make updates to your scholarship, service and awards information whenever it’s convenient for you. Once you receive the email from Watermark, you can add an overview or summary of your yearly activities — whatever your college requires — and submit your materials to the annual review workflow.
If you have questions about the process, reach out to a Faculty Success point person in your college.
Point People by College
- College of Education: Dr. James Sottile and Dr. Ximena Uribe-Zarain
- College of Business: Dr. Jeff Jones
- College of Natural and Applied Sciences: Gale Lininger
- Reynolds College of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities: Dr. Jason Jolley and Angela Barker
- The Library: Rachel Besara and Joshua Lambert
- Darr College of Agriculture: Dr. Kara Wolfe and Dr. Lacy Sukovaty
- McQueary College of Health and Human Services: Dr. Letitia White-Minnis
Other Processes in Faculty Success

Once you’ve entered information into Faculty Success, you can apply it toward other processes. For example, nominees for Missouri State University Foundation Awards will now use Faculty Success to submit their materials for consideration. Applicants to the Professor Salary Incentive Program will also use Faculty Success.
White-Minnis says that conducting these processes in the same system should make them more efficient. Once someone’s uploaded activities and supporting materials to Faculty Success, this information is available whenever it’s needed. Plus, entering an award into the system is a great way to let your academic unit leader (AUL) know that you’ve had a big win.
“If we have a culture where people automatically enter their awards and accomplishments in Faculty Success, it gives AULs the ability to take a quick snapshot of all the good news in their units,” White-Minnis says. The system has the ability to run reports with lists of unitwide awards — a useful feature for any AUL who wants to share points of pride. It could also help during accreditation processes, when programs may need to provide specific examples of recognition.
And if sharing your wins via team meetings or group emails doesn’t come naturally to you, Faculty Success provides an easy way to let your AUL know about them. “Some people are more reserved about sharing their good news,” White-Minnis says. “If they put it in the system, people who need to know about it can see it.”
But then, don’t be surprised if your AUL spreads the word about your big win. As White-Minnis says, “We like to brag on our people, to share all that they’re doing and the honors they’re receiving.”
Around Campus…
On December 5, Dr. Julie Masterson, dean of the Graduate College, received the Debra W. Stewart Award for Outstanding Leadership in Graduate Education at the Council of Graduate Schools’ 64th Annual Meeting. The award recognizes outstanding leadership in graduate education.
“Julie’s commitment to Missouri State’s academic advancement will have a lasting impact,” says Provost Dr. John Jasinski. “In her time as dean, she greatly increased our applications for degree-seeking, graduate students. She also spearheaded an expansion of our graduate offerings, successfully overseeing the development, approval and introduction of professional doctoral degrees.”
The Next Graduate College Dean
Masterson plans to retire at the end of the 2024–25 academic year. The search for the next leader of the Graduate College has begun. Dr. Jake Simmons, associate dean of the Reynolds College of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities, is serving as chair of the search committee.