Inquiry & Action Model

Developed by Dr. Al Solano, the Inquiry and Action Model for higher education is a structured process for college educators to follow in developing and testing data-informed, actionable strategies for improving student success. This method mirrors the Plan-Do-Check-Act model but stands out because of its highly detailed approach, which ensures productive meetings and meaningful outcomes

General Steps in the Inquiry and Action Process

Disaggregate Data and Identify Student Success & Equity Issues:
Examine student data to identify specific issues of concern.
Coordinate with the Institutional Research Office to collect additional data if necessary.

Select Researched Strategies:
Brainstorm possible strategies.
Consult academic literature to refine these strategies.
Define how the strategies will address the identified data.
Develop a data-informed purpose statement to establish a shared vision.

Create an Action Plan:
Develop a detailed plan with clear objectives and measures.
Project management tools are brought to bear to ensure the team knows who does what, where, when, and how.

Formulate Measurable Objectives:
Define what the team aims to achieve and appropriate measures for success.

Create a Budget (if applicable):
Ensure resources are allocated effectively to support the strategies.

Implement Strategies and Assess Effectiveness:
Monitor the implementation, identify areas for improvement, and plan next steps.

Note: Each step includes a series of highly detailed sub-steps that engage team members in productive struggle. 

- Improving grading practices and instructional practices 
- Classified-run first-gen student engagement series
- Open Educational Resources in math with just-in-time remediation built in
- 360-degree classroom whiteboards & pedagogy changes
- Learning communities in STEM
- Robust career activities in the business pathway
- Canvas for each career & academic pathway with engaging videos and practical information
- Improving enrollment in health sciences through awareness and engaging activities
- Creating certificates in world languages to compliment other degrees in health & business
- Equitable syllabus via liquid syllabus
- Improving the student registration processes
- Strategic enrollment management
- Artificial intelligence guidance
- Math faculty peer-to-peer teaching & learning observation
- Hybrid modality improvement
- Equity professional development series
- Latinas in law enforcement series & mentoring
- Cross-collaboration across the Arts career & academic pathway: student projects with a social justice theme
- Writing pedagogy and assessment

Depending on the team, the first full cycle of the process can take one to two semesters to complete. Teams meet bi-weekly for an hour and a half and are given provided with two additional hours of prep time each month. In some cases, members continue to meet over the summer and winter breaks to maintain momentum. Launching Inquiry & Action Teams requires a campus champion or co-champions who take the lead to communicate the benefits to decision-makers (sometimes the champion is a decision-maker) and recruit participants. Experience suggests that personalized approaches to recruitment such as presentations at key department and committee meetings are more effective than mass email invitations only.

The teams can consist of individuals in the same role, such as faculty from the same discipline (job-alike), or they can be cross-functional, including individuals from across a broader area such as a meta-major or division. The kick-off meeting is about setting norms, starting with Step 1 of the process, and calendaring meetings for the semester. All meeting agendas are informed by where the team left off in the process in the previous meeting. Team members also learn that each of the six steps have substantial sub-steps that engage their creativity. No detail is too small in this process.

For long-term sustainability and depending the campus, team members may opt to use committee service and/or professional development hours. Some campuses continue to invest in modest stipends for faculty to participate. 

Over time, inquiry & action teams serve as a catalyst for broader change in their department, division, or campus-wide because of their productive work and impactful outcomes.

In terms of outcomes, they vary because each team sets its own measurable objectives. For example, there have been projects where an extremely low-enrolled program achieved a 500% increase in enrollment, up to a 20-point equity gap reduction in specific course sections, and near 100% Black student retention after census. However, not all teams achieve their desired outcomes in the first or second cycle, and that’s completely normal. Teams understand that they’re like scientists in this process—they develop a “treatment” and assess its impact in Step 6: Implementation Analysis. If the results fall short, we adjust the “treatment” and try again in the next semester. Inquiry and Action is about continuous improvement, where every cycle brings valuable lessons for refinement and progress. A significant outcome is improved morale among team members and how even one small team can serve as a catalyst for broader positive culture change at the institution.