Category: General Announcements

The University’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) seeks additional members.  The Board is seeking a graduate student or law student representative.

The University of Akron IRB for the Protection of Human Subjects is an administrative body established to protect the rights and welfare of individuals recruited for participation in research conducted under the auspices of the university or its affiliates. Its mission is to advance an organizational culture and infrastructure that supports the highest ethical standards in the review and implementation of research with human participants. The University of Akron gives the IRB ultimate authority for approval of research with human participants. Student participants would gain experience in regulatory compliance, research compliance, advocacy, and research ethics.

Applications will be accepted through Sept 30. Interested applicants should submit a brief letter detailing their interest and qualifications along with their resume or curriculum vitae to Katie Watkins, director in the Office of Research Administration and IRB administrator, at kwatkin@uakron.edu. Please call 330-972-6764 for additional information. 

Below are the policies set by the University for Student Organization Travel. Note that these policies also apply to local events that don’t involve overnight stays. 

Students interested in traveling will be expected to abide by current CDC and University of Akron Covid-19 policies. 

Only requests submitted 30-business days or more in advance will be reviewed and considered for approval. Student organizations are strongly encouraged to submit requests as far in advance as possible. 

Student organizations and their members wishing to travel to an in-person event that does not have a virtual alternative, will need to do the following: One Day Travel with Two or Less Overnight Experiences

1. Submit a travel request to the appropriate department authorized to approve your student organization travel (Clubs Sports, SOuRCe, School of Law).
2. Complete the corresponding Emergency Contact and Travel Waiver documents.
3. Each individual intending to travel will upload their Covid-19 vaccine record to  Med-Proctor following these instructions.

a. If a Covid-19 vaccine record has not been uploaded to Med-Proctor, the student(s) will need to either, submit proof of vaccine status to Med-Proctor two weeks before planned departure date, or schedule a Covid-19 test no earlier than 72-hours prior to planned departure, and submit a negative test result to the appropriate department that approves travel requests in order to be authorized.

4. Students are responsible for understanding the requirements set by the host of the event since these will likely reflect any current health orders in that respective state or city.
5. Receive Campus Advisor approval for travel plans.

Travel with Three or more Overnight Experiences

1. All the above
2. Provide a written plan to the appropriate office indicating plans for an unexpected sickness, or a Covid-19 positive test result while traveling. This plan should also include identifying a location where a Covid-19 test can be completed while traveling, and the link to plans and/or requirements set by the host of the event since these will likely reflect any current health orders in that respective state or city.

 UA generally will not pay for quarantine periods required by the city/state/municipality. The traveler may be responsible for any additional travel costs outside of the approved travel.  

The above policies are subject to change based on recommendations from the University of Akron planning committees related to Covid-19.Updated 8.17.21