Presentation 1: Established in 2022, Rackham’s Strategic Evaluation and Assessment Team (R-SEAT) was designed to support continuous improvement through collaborative, data-informed reviews of academic initiatives. Over four years, R-SEAT has evaluated more than ten initiatives using a mixed-methods approach that includes institutional and program data analysis, document review, and stakeholder feedback. This presentation shares what R-SEAT has learned about the promise — and complexity — of conducting internal evaluations. Our experience shows that rigorous evaluation can generate valuable insights, but it can also be slow, resource-intensive, and difficult to move from recommendations to action. We also found that evaluating initiatives one at a time can make it harder to see broader patterns, connections, and opportunities across programs with shared goals. These lessons point to the need for a more agile, connected, and action-oriented evaluation strategy. The session will also invite conversation with U-M colleagues interested in sharing tools, strategies, and lessons learned through a cross-campus community of practice.
Presentation 2: This presentation explores how intentional collaboration can strengthen the work of university unions. Grounded in systems thinking and informed by an anonymous survey, this session looks at how relationships across departments shape day-to-day communication and the overall experience of working in shared spaces. Using this study as a starting point, the session will help participants think about how a similar approach could be used in their own organizations or projects. Rather than offering a one-size-fits-all model, it invites attendees to reflect on where collaboration is already happening, where silos may be getting in the way, and what stronger connections could make possible. Participants will learn simple ways to map relationships and notice patterns that can open the door to more honest conversations across teams. By making organizational reflection practical and approachable, the session will help attendees identify ideas they can adapt to better understand their own environments and support more connected, caring, and effective work.
