R1 Our Way

The “R1 Our Way” program at the University of Denver addresses the transition to a “Very High Research Activity Institution” (R1) status. It emphasizes maintaining the university’s commitment to the teacher-scholar model, supporting teaching excellence, ensuring workload equity, and providing professional development for all faculty members, including non-tenure-track and adjunct faculty.

Collaborative on Academic Careers in Higher Education (COACHE) Faculty Survey

The Collaborative on Academic Careers in Higher Education (COACHE) initiative at the University of Denver aims to improve the workplace, career, and overall experience of faculty members. Through surveys conducted in 2019 and 2023, the program gathers faculty feedback on various aspects of academic life, which is then used to develop strategies for enhancing faculty satisfaction and professional development.

Departmental Action Teams (DATs)

The Department Action Teams (DATs) initiative aimed to create sustainable changes in teaching evaluation practices. DATs are small, externally facilitated groups of faculty, staff, and students that work together to develop and implement new tools and processes for assessing teaching quality. The initiative also focuses on building participants’ leadership and facilitation skills.

Departmental Equity Action Planning Teams (DEAPs)

The Department Equity Action Planning (DEAP) initiative at the University of Denver aims to improve workload equity within departments. This three-year pilot program supports departments in developing transparent and equitable workload practices through research-based change processes. DEAP teams work on creating and implementing equity action plans to ensure fair distribution and recognition of faculty responsibilities.