These modules focus largely on the work of individual CLIPs and meetings of several CLIPs working within a given school year. But there is a broader purpose for the CLIP process—to build a general culture of inquiry across campus. Beyond the actions taken by a given CLIP related to their findings, CLIPs are designed to encourage those who have been involved in CLIPs to engage in inquiry on an ongoing basis and help to build a sustained climate of inquiry within the college community.

Sustaining and renewing the CLIP process results from integrating discoveries into practice and linking inquiry with other institutional activities.

Four of the five CLIPs at the pilot site at Bakersfield College (BC) extended or expanded their inquiry into a second year, resulting in more faculty, staff, and students becoming part of the CLIP process and renewing the process as well.

Bakersfield College engaged in a campus-wide focus on the first year experience of students during the 2006-07 school year. Each of nine committees look at data related to an aspect of the first year experience. The committees develop potential actions or further inquiries that need to be done to enhance students’ first year experience. Several of the committees encouraged one or more CLIPs to form to study changes they want to test to enhance the first year experiences.

BC strengthened the CLIPs by incorporating an Appreciative Inquiry approach, which is congruent with the CLIP philosophy of building on assets rather than focusing on deficits. A pilot Appreciative Inquiry workshop plus additional Appreciative Inquiry seminars for a few individuals led to this asset based approach being built into the college’s performance review framework. This establishes the link between the CLIP inquiry process and this institutional activity.