Faculty Senate consider altering IRB’s voting process
The committee nomination process for the International Review Board was discussed at the Faculty Senate meeting Tuesday.
Compliance Coordinator Cheryl Siddens alongside John Best, former chair of the IRB, addressed the senate on compliance issues concerning IRB nominations.
IRB members serve three-year terms with four members being nominated every year for administrative appointment. By institutional rule, the IRB should be composed of two members from each college and one member being a non-affiliate. Once new members go through orientation, they will spend the rest of the semester learning the extensive protocol, said Siddens.
Since 2003, the IRB has had federal-wide assurance subject to scrutiny. Mandated by federal regulations, the board has a protocol checklist in excess of five pages. Siddens said it was likely that the board would review up to 150 cases this year alone.
Unlike several other boards on campus, the IRB has become a position on campus that requires expertise Best said.
In the spring, Faculty Senate nominated four new candidates for the IRB. An issue arose when Siddens said the three members whose terms were ending this year were likely to be re-appointed. This would leave no board member positions for the nominations from the Faculty Senate. However, the nominations would be able to be an alternate member of the board. Jeff Stowell, associate professor of physical science, said the senate should not designate the four nominees to alternate status. “They have the right to decline to be an alternative member,” he said.
John Coit, history professor and senate recorder, added, “(The Faculty Senate does not) have the authority to who has the final say on who gets to be on these committees.” Ultimately, the decision to who is appointed to the IRB lies with Robert Augustine, Dean of the Graduate School.
Best said that there was a need to alter the voting process because the IRB is a special circumstance. “There’s no federal regulations that govern (other committees),” he said. “There’s no answerability for anything else. They exist because of Faculty Senate nominations.”
The senate ultimately passed the motion to alter the designation for the four names that the Faculty Senate recommended to serve as alternate members on the board.
Another key point on the IRB’s agenda this year is finding a new chair. Best served from 2004 until July 1 of this year. Since then, Robert Chesnut has been serving as interim chair. Siddens said it was likely that the new chair would be chosen from one the three members being re-appointed this year.
Michael Maurer, the director of planning, budgeting and institutional research, and William Weber, the vice president for business affairs, also addressed the senate on the status of the Master Plan, as well as plans for the new science building.
Shelley Holmgren can be reached
