3.1
The IRB is comprised of nine (9) regular voting members and one non-voting
ex-officio member, the Director of Research & Grants Administration
or his/her designee.
3.2
Regular voting IRB members are appointed for a term of three years with
reappointment possible.
3.3
The terms of regular voting IRB members are staggered with two members
completing their terms each academic year. (The academic year is
August 16 to August 15.)
3.4
Alternate members may be appointed by the President to serve and participate
on the IRB in the absence of regular members.
3.5
If deemed necessary by the IRB, during the Spring semester of each year,
the Director of Research & Grants Administration shall issue a request
to the faculty for nominations to replace outgoing IRB members. IRB members
and alternates may also submit nominations. Nominations shall be
submitted to the Office of Research & Grants Administration.
3.6
The Chair of the IRB and the Director of Research and Grants Administration
shall submit to the President a slate of individuals recommended to replace
outgoing IRB members and alternates. The President will appoint the
new members and alternates.
3.7
An IRB Chair and an IRB Vice-Chair shall each be elected from the regular
voting membership by the regular voting members for a one-year term at
the first IRB meeting of the academic year, with re-election possible.
3.8
Each academic year, monthly expediting teams will be constituted from the
regular voting membership to review and act on applications for expedited
review.
3.9
The IRB shall meet at least once per month during the following months:
August, September, October, November, January, February, March, April,
and June. Meeting dates and correspondence deadlines shall be made
public to the College at the beginning of each semester.
3.10
Five (5) members will constitute a quorum. When a quorum of regular members
is not present, the IRB Chair may delegate full responsibilities of membership
(including voting privileges) to an alternate member for the duration of
the meeting. Further, a quorum must include at least one regular
voting member or proxy whose primary concerns are in nonscientific areas.
3.11
The Office of Research & Grants Administration (ORGA) provides staff
support to the IRB by recording the minutes of its meetings, providing
announcements and agendas for its meetings, serving as a repository of
all IRB correspondence and records, and the like.
3.12
The Office of Research & Grants Administration serves as the first
and primary contact point for inquiries and submissions to the IRB.
3.13
ORGA initially screens all requests for exemption from IRB review and has
the authority to approve such requests. If ORGA is uncertain whether
exemption should be granted, the request will be forwarded to the Chair
for determination.
3.14
ORGA initially screens all applications for expedited review and forwards
them to the expediting team of the month for review and action. The
expediting teams may in turn refer applications for convened review.
3.15
ORGA initially screens all applications for convened review and forwards
them to all IRB members for review and action at the next meeting.
3.16
The IRB may solicit ad hoc reviewers with specific expertise to assist
in protocol reviews on a case-by-case basis. Ad hoc reviewers may
participate, but not vote, in the designated reviews.
