Session Abstract: This presentation features the 2026 AIR Charles F. Elton Best Paper. Climate surveys are commonly used to capture a snapshot of the experiences of students, faculty, and staff. Although these surveys can provide valuable diagnostic information, the results are not always seen as valuable or acted upon by higher education leaders. In this practice brief, we offer a framework and set of recommendations for survey administrators responsible for helping unit leaders turn survey results into actionable steps. Informed by Quantitative Critical Theory tenets and organizational and experiential learning theories, faculty developers at a medical school coached faculty and department chairs through an experiential survey administration process. This approach accelerated strategic improvement initiatives and laid the foundation for continuous improvement within academic units.
