Description of membership
The HSCL is
comprised of faculty members and non-university-affiliated members
of the community. Members are of varying backgrounds to promote
complete and adequate review of research activities commonly
conducted by the institution while promoting viewpoints of different
disciplines. University HSCL members
come from the departments of Applied Behavioral Sciences; Psychology;
Linguistics; Speech, Language and Hearing; Life Span; Health,
Sport and Exercise Science; Communication Studies; and Molecular
Biosciences. Non-institutional members include representatives
from the Unified School District and medical professionals (M.D.s)
and members of the Lawrence community.
Qualifications of members
The HSCL is
sufficiently qualified through the experience and expertise of
its members, and the diversity of the members, including consideration
of race, gender, and cultural backgrounds. HSCL is
sensitive to such issues as community attitudes, to promote respect
for its advice and counsel in safeguarding the rights and welfare
of human subjects.
In addition to possessing the professional competence necessary
to review specific research activities, the HSCL ascertains
the acceptability of proposed research in terms of institutional
commitments and regulations, applicable law, and standards of
professional conduct and practice. The HSCL,
therefore, includes persons knowledgeable in these areas. Members
serve three years but may continue for additional terms if they
desire. Members are recruited based upon their field of expertise
and credentials.
Because HSCL regularly
reviews research that involves a vulnerable category of subjects,
such as children, prisoners, pregnant women, physically handicapped
or mentally disabled persons, the board includes members who
are knowledgeable about and experienced in working with these
subjects. Several board members are experienced in research having
to do with children, and one of the non-university affiliated
members is a pediatrician. With respect to mentally disabled
persons, one member is from the Department of Psychology, another
member is a psychiatrist, and a third member is former director
of a community mental health center.
Provisions for replacing members
HSCL may
request that members resign their membership if they do not fulfill
the duties required of board members; which are timely review
of research applications and reasonable attendance at monthly
board meetings. At other times, responsibilities added by a member's
department may prevent a board member from continuing with HSCL.
When replacement is called for, HSCL works
to ensure continued diversity while at the same time maintaining
standards of knowledge and experience necessary to adequately
and fairly evaluate applications for human participant research.
Members whose expertise is with special populations
Although it is infrequent, HSCL also
reviews research conducted on incarcerated populations, including
incarcerated juveniles. For that reason HSCL has
recruited a board member from the Douglas County Detention Center
to review research applications that involve incarcerate populations.
Alternate members
In order to alleviate workload when individual members have
other responsibilities that temporarily limit their participation,
and to ensure that quorum requirements are met, HSCL has
recruited alternate members who have the comparable qualifications
and research background as the member for whom they substitute.
Questions? Please contact:
Mary Denning
785-864-7429 | mdenning@ku.edu
Coordinator |Human Subjects Committee of
Lawrence (HSCL)
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