3.8 MCCCD Institutional Review Board (IRB)

Purpose

The Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) strives to be a proactive higher education institution that encourages faculty and staff to engage in research and grant projects that are integral to carrying out the mission of student learning and quality instruction. MCCCD takes seriously the responsibility to safeguard those individuals (students, employees or community) who may be the participants in research projects. MCCCD must also comply with changing federal guidelines for human subjects research, as the district receives considerable funding for programs and projects through federal grant monies. To this end, an MCCCD Institutional Review Board (IRB) administrative regulation will help MCCCD to identify, assess and manage any potential risks associated with conducting research with human subject participants.

Roles and Responsibilities

The Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost of Academic and Student Affairs is the responsible agent for oversight of the MCCCD IRB process, and shall establish the appropriate training requirements and procedures to comply with federal regulations. These procedures will be designed to: avert potential harm to students or employees if they are asked to participate in human subjects research; ensure that human subjects research conducted in the district (colleges, district office, skills centers, district) is in compliance with federal regulations; minimize risk to the reputation of those conducting the research/grant project and to that of the district; and, minimize risk for litigation against faculty, staff and district.

The MCCCD IRB will ensure that human subjects research activities conducted under the oversight of the organization will be conducted in accordance with applicable federal law and regulations that include but are not limited to Federal Regulations (45CFR46, 160 and 164, and 21CFR56), applicable Arizona state statutes and regulations, the principles of The Belmont Report, and MCCCD policy and regulations.

The MCCCD IRB will have the authority to:

1. approve or disapprove all human subjects research conducted by individuals within the organization;
2. suspend or terminate research not conducted in accordance with the regulations, statutes and principles or IRB requirements or that has been associated with unexpected, serious harm to subjects.

Research that has been approved by the MCCCD IRB may be subject to further appropriate review and approval or disapproval by officials of the institution. However, those officials may not approve the research if the MCCCD IRB has disapproved it, per federal regulations (45CFR46.112 and 21CFR56.112).

Review Board Composition

The Vice President of Academic Affairs (VPAA) at each college shall identify the chair and co chair of the college research review committee as well as the other committee members. Most colleges will have faculty member and a research director serve as chair/co-chair (a model suggested by the VPAA Council) to provide complementary experience and perspective. It has been recommended that the college committee consist of several people, including instructional, research and administration/staff that have experience and training in conducting research.

The college committee chair will serve as the college rep to the MCCCD IRB. The co-chair will serve as alternate on the IRB in the absence of the college chair.

The Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost for Academic and Student Affairs (and staff) will review the recommendations for college chairs to ensure that the MCCCD IRB meet the federal guidelines for IRB composition (e.g., mix of gender, ethnicity, discipline). The IRB also requires an external member.

Annual Review

Each year the IRB will provide a report to the CEC and Governing Board that includes a review of the progress and outcomes of the MCCCD IRB and recommendations to improve the process.