Department Action Teams (DATs) Toolkit

Introduction to DATs

A Departmental Action Team (DAT) is an externally facilitated working group of about 3 to 5 faculty, staff, and students (depending on the size of the department/program) that is created by a department to achieve two goals:

  • To create sustainable change around a broad-scale issue
    • As an example at DU, DATs was used for teaching evaluation in the department/program through shifting departmental structures and culture
       
  • To help DAT participants become change agents by developing facilitation and leadership skills

This toolkit provides an overview for identifying when to use this approach and how to implement this in your academic unit. 

This toolkit covers:

Program Background

Learn more about the history and impact of DATs at DU with Leslie Cramblet Alvarez

 

DATs at DU Partnership 

Departmental Action Teams (DATs) is a collaborative change management approach designed to support sustainable, department level improvements (see the DAT Project). The DATs@DU project was informed by the work of the NSF-funded Transforming Higher Education-Multidimensional Evaluation of Teaching Evaluation (TeVal). Partnering with the team at CU Boulder’s Teaching Quality Framework initiative, we used their comprehensive TQF Toolkit to guide three cohorts of departments in creating evidence informed, equitable, and meaningful systems for evaluating teaching. 

How to implement these practices in your academic unit

Learn more about why you should use DATs with practical tips and insights from Barbekka Hurtt

Sample DU Artifacts and Testimonial

Learn more about Jared Del Rosso's experience participating in and facilitating DAT groups

Additional Resources

Below you’ll find a collection of tools designed to support your Departmental Action Team’s work. These resources include the frameworks and practices highlighted in the videos above, along with additional guidance for exploring sample peer review work. Together, they offer practical starting points for reflection, collaboration, and meaningful improvement in teaching and learning. 

Teaching Quality Framework (TQF) Toolkit 
CU Boulder’s toolkit for department level change describes the process of using the DAT model for teaching evaluation change and provides sample tools and timelines.   

Teaching Evaluation (TEval) Website 
This site summarizes the work of the NSF-funded Transforming Higher Education-Multidimensional Evaluation of Teaching Evaluation including materials, frameworks, and rubrics to guide teaching evaluation reform work.  

Teaching Circles at CU Boulder 
Teaching Circles are an option for including peer voice in the teaching evaluation process. See how CU Boulder does this work.  

The UMass Teaching Analysis Template 
UMass, a Teval participant, developed Teaching Analysis Template using 7 dimensions of good teaching.