The DRC Role is defined in the Faculty Bylaws, Article 5 Section 6:
"The Departmental Review Committee reviews all research projects involving human participants proposed by faculty or staff in the Libraries. This review considers both scientific merit and compliance with legal, regulatory, and ethical provisions for the protection of the rights of the research participants. The committee functions under approved guidelines (Please see Appendix C.) that adhere to the principles outlined in the Belmont Report for the ethical treatment of human subjects. The Dean appoints three tenured faculty members to staggered terms."
Structure:
The Committee consists of three tenured library faculty members appointed by the Dean. Each members serves for a three-year term which consists of the following:
Year one: Committee member
Year two: Committee chair
Year three: Committee member
Duties of the committee members:
To review documentation and forms presented by researchers for department review.
Duties of Chair:
Advise researchers on the DRC process
Receive forms and documentation from researchers
Gather responses from committee members
Contact researchers about necessary changes
Send final DRC approval notification to researchers
Route the documentation to the Dean or Associate/Assistant Dean for approval
Update web pages and procedures as necessary