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VI. The membership of the HSCL

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:
David Hann
785-864-7429 | dhann@ku.edu
Coordinator | Human Subjects Committee of Lawrence (HSCL)

— or —

Mary Denning
785-864-7385 | mdenning@ku.edu
Associate Coordinator |Human Subjects Committee of Lawrence (HSCL)