Table of Contents:

Section 1: Internal College-Sponsored Research

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1. This policy is designed to cover college-sponsored research.
   1. College-sponsored research is defined as research by faculty, departments, divisions or other entities that is used to describe students, services, or programs to be presented to external audiences or as official college findings.
2. The following are exempt from this policy:
   1. Regular classroom examinations, research assignments, or test studies
   2. Faculty research protected by academic freedom
   3. Survey by academic faculty of their students
   4. Survey by administrative and executive faculty of academic faculty, students or classified employees
3. A college-sponsored research subcommittee of College Council shall review all instruments before they are used. This committee shall consist of the Director of Institutional Research & Effectiveness, or their designee, and two academic faculty recommended by the Academic Senate Chair and appointed by the President. All individuals shall serve a two-year term.
4. Institutional Research & Effectiveness will provide technical assistance to faculty, departments, divisions, or other entities after their instruments have been approved by the college-sponsored research subcommittee. Non-approved instruments are not college-sanctioned and are not publishable as official college findings.
5. All instruments approved by the college-sponsored research subcommittee will follow the Code of Federal Regulations governing the protection of human subjects in research (45CFR46).
6. Research projects, to the extent possible, follow the recommendations here:Research Data Best Practices at WNC

Section 2: External Agency-Requested Research

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1. The Director of Institutional Research & Effectiveness is responsible for coordinating the colleges response to external questionnaires and other external data requests that will represent the colleges position.
2. The Director of Admissions & Records is responsible for coordinating the colleges response to requests for current student information.
3. The Director of Human Resources is responsible for coordinating the colleges response to requests for employee information.
4. The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) is responsible for coordinating the colleges response to requests for information concerning purchasing and financial information. The CFO coordinates all responses to internal audit recommendations and follow-up.
5. The Budget Director is responsible for coordinating the colleges response to requests for information concerning the college budget.
6. The Director of Financial Assistance is responsible for coordinating the colleges response to requests for information concerning student scholarships, grants, loans and employment opportunities.
7. The Director of Learning and Innovation is responsible for coordinating the colleges response to requests for current library information.
8. External research not meeting the above criteria is the responsibility of the college-sponsored research subcommittee.

Section 3: Files/Forms

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Memorandum of Understanding on Data for Research

Guidelines for Handling Research Data at WNC

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