Procedure No. 513.1

Institutional Review Board (IRB) Compliance

Revised: 10/28/25; 6/23/26

Faculty and staff of Atlantic Cape Community College, and other researchers not employed by the College, who are conducting research studies that involve students or faculty or staff or the use of institutional data, must secure prior approval from the College’s Institutional Review Board (IRB). The Board exists to assist the researcher in respecting and protecting the rights and welfare of student subjects and the Institution.

The College’s policy regarding Protection of Human Subjects applies to all research activities performed by any member of the College community and to all educational development, training and improvement or other related activities containing a research, evaluation and/or development component. The Vice President of Institutional Effectiveness and Chief Strategy Officer will chair and appoint members to a Institutional Review Board (IRB) to review applications and proposals. The Board will have the ability to approve, require modification as a condition of approval and/or to disapprove proposed activities that do not comply with areas identified in this procedure.

Activities

For our purposes, research is defined as a systematic and formal investigation designed to develop or contribute to the body of knowledge about educational policies and practices and with the intent of publicizing the results. Therefore, research conducted in established or commonly accepted educational settings, involving normal educational practices, or research involving the use of cognitive, diagnostic, aptitude, or achievement test results, interviews, surveys or observations of behavior will be subject to IRB approval. Research involving the collection of data or study of existing institutional data, documents and/or records is also included. Research and demonstration projects designed to study, evaluate, or otherwise examine public benefit of programs are also covered by this policy.

The use of human or animal subjects for biomedical or behavioral research is strictly prohibited.

Criteria for Review and Approval

The IRB review is based on three broad criteria:

Informed consent (information, clarity and voluntaries of the proposed research)
Assessment of risks and benefits to the students, faculty, or staff and/or the institution
Selection of students, faculty, or staff or institutional data

Requesting Institutional Review Board Approval

Researcher will submit a cover letter requesting review of their proposed study by the IRB. The Request Cover Letter must state specifically what information will be required to complete the study. If human subject or student data is required, the researcher must clearly indicate what information will be required and how notice will be provided to the subjects regarding the research. The application must also state how the subjects’ informed consent will be obtained. If institutional data is requested, the researcher must clearly indicate what information will be required. An application form and a sample consent form are included in the application materials and are provided as a guide.

Confidentiality

Adequate provisions must be provided to insure the privacy of the students, faculty or staff and/or the institutional data and the confidentiality of the identifiable data. The application must include a description of the procedures to accomplish confidentiality: data storage, names of persons with access to the data and method of destroying the data when the study is completed.

Costs

Some requests for data are very time intensive and/or require special programming. Please be aware, costs may be associated with your request for data. If data will be collected for grant purposes, please build in programming costs in the grant budget.

Timeline

A determination will be made within 30 days of receipt of a completed application.

In addition to a cover letter requesting review, the following information is required for submission.

Data Collection Coordination

All research requests involving surveys, questionnaires, interviews, focus groups, or similar data collection involving students, faculty, or staff shall be coordinated through the Office of Institutional Effectiveness. Researchers should normally submit survey-related applications at least one academic semester prior to the proposed administration period whenever surveys, institutional data requests, or participant recruitment activities are involved. Surveys should generally remain open no longer than two to three weeks. Researchers are limited to one initial invitation and one reminder communication unless additional reminders are specifically approved. Surveys should avoid registration periods, midterms, finals, commencement, institutional survey windows, accreditation reporting periods, and major College deadlines. When researchers also teach, supervise, advise, coach, evaluate, manage, or otherwise occupy positions of authority over participants, additional safeguards may be required, including third-party recruitment, anonymous response collection, delayed access to responses until after grading or evaluation periods conclude, or restrictions on classroom or workplace recruitment. The College may require centralized distribution of recruitment communications, de-identification of data, confidentiality agreements, FERPA compliance, and destruction of identifiable data following completion of approved studies. The College reserves priority scheduling and administration authority for accreditation, institutional effectiveness, strategic planning, compliance, student success, and operational surveys. Dissertation or external research projects may be modified, delayed, limited, or denied when conflicts or excessive survey burden exist.

Required Information

Abstract

Describe the purpose of the research and summarize the strategies used to protect students, faculty or staff and/or institutional data. Include your research hypothesis and your research design.

Student, Faculty or Staff Selection Process

Identify the students who will be asked to participate, how you will persuade them to participate and the number of students, faculty or staff to be involved. If you plan to advertise for volunteers, how will this be accomplished?
Will students, faculty or staff be selected based on identifying or specific characteristics (i.e., age, gender, race, program of study, socio-economic status, etc.)? If so, explain why.

Data Selection Process

Identify the data you wish to access for your study. Explain why this data is necessary to accomplish your objectives.
Will data be sorted based on identifying or specific characteristics? (i.e., as it relates to students and/or faculty or staff, age, gender, race, program of study, town of residence, etc.) If so, explain why.
As it relates to other institutional data, please explain and provide a rationale.

Procedures Involving Students, Faculty or Staff

Describe in detail your methods and procedures with emphasis on the steps you will follow to garner student, faculty or staff participation.
If you are using a standardized test or survey or a researcher-designed survey or questionnaire, attach a copy of it to this application.

Risks and Benefits

Are there risks to the students, faculty, or staff? If so, explain.
What are the potential benefits that will accrue from student, faculty, or staff participation?
Are there risks to the institution? If so, explain.

Confidentiality

Provisions must be made to protect the privacy of students, faculty, or staff and/or the institutional data and to maintain confidentiality of identifiable information.
Explain how your procedures will address this objective, including data storage, location and duration, access by researcher and others, and methods of destroying data when completed.

Information and Consent Forms

Provide copy of letter and consent form that will be given to students, faculty or staff about the study.
State how their consent will be obtained. Your letter should contain a description of data storage methods that will insure confidentiality.
Minors cannot participate in research studies without parental consent. The student, faculty or staff signature is necessary. Above the student signature line, type: “I am over 18 years of age and wish to participate in the research study of (your name) entitled (title of your study) at Atlantic Cape Community College.”

Researchers requesting Atlantic Cape’s review of their proposed research can submit cover letter and completed packet, including sample consent forms and interview protocols to the Vice President of Institutional Effectiveness at vobmcm@atlanticcape.edu. Include in Subject line: IRB Approval Request.

Survey Coordination

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