One of the many ways institutions can work on reducing unnecessary administrative burden is by re-evaluating their current policies, procedures, and forms. This can seem like a very daunting task and some may not really know where to start. But the answer is simple, really: when in doubt, go to the regulations. Read more
There are so many facets to being an IACUC coordinator that sometimes more experienced coordinators may forget we even do. The IACUC20 session "IACUC Administration for New IACUC Administrators/Coordinators" not only covered all the basics of what an IACUC administrator/coordinator may do, but both presenters took the time to explain how they fulfill these duties at their own institutions. This session helped give me a greater appreciation of everything that I do in my role. Read more
There are few constants in life—one though, is change. Being able to effectively shepherd and champion a change, especially one (or many) that can have impacts over a large group of people is a critical skill that IACUC administrators should work to hone. To start honing this skill, knowing the components of how to effectively be a part of the change is crucial. Read more
Regulations state that at least every six months, the IACUC performs a program and facility review. I am not sure about your institutions, but at my institution, the announcement that these are coming up is often met with grumbles and jokes about being unavailable. Our program is not even that bad! We always get them done, and it is typically a smooth process with good discussions, but the fact remains that this just is not one of the IACUC’s favorite tasks, even though they understand the importance of it. I was excited to attend a session at IACUC20 to gather ideas for making the process better. Read more
