Northcentral University

In August, NCU traveled to Colombia, South America for an Edu-Tourism trip supported by Dr. Erika Prager. From learning about professional ethics in the Colombian justice system to visiting a local market in the city of Cali, the group was immersed in the culture of the country from day one. During the nine- day trip, students and alumni were invited to tour the Liceo Departmental primary and secondary public schools to learn about the education system from both students and administrators and were amazed by the welcome that was received. At the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) leaders, scientists and representatives explained how they develop agricultural practices to ensure citizens have access to affordable food through sustainable systems, among other efforts. The group traveled to the Coffee Region to explore the areas of Montenegro, Salento, and Santa Rosa de Cabel and to experience the ethos outside of the large city. Students and alumni represented Northcentral University with the utmost integrity and passion as they met with locals – and they fell in love with the beautiful country! WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD to future Edu-Tourism trips and co-curricular events as Northcentral University continues to provide new, diverse educational experiences to students and alumni. THIS IS WHAT'S HAPPENING... What's New with IRB? Steven Ziemba, Interim Director IRB The NCU IRB is undergoing some fundamental changes that will become increasingly apparent over the next several months as we move into IRB 2.0 (implementation date is 12/1/19)! The primary and transformative change will make the IRB staff and reviewers accessible to researchers earlier in the dissertation process as consultants, to help the student and chair identify ethical concerns before submitting their application to the IRB. Other changes that are on the way: 1. A webpage that will make documents and information available to researchers 2. Adjustment to the IRB application (moving from 65 items to around 30) 3. Adjusting some requirements to make them more aligned to the context of the study a. Readability levels more aligned with the educational level of the study participants b. Significantly reduced number of CITI modules required for all researchers and study-specific required additional modules 4. Easier accessibility to tools for completing ethical research and completion of the IRB process These and other very exciting initiatives that are underway will help to further support the research process at NCU while still addressing our responsibility of adhering to ethical research practices for our study participants. As questions arise about the evolution to IRB 2.0, please forward those to IRB@ncu.edu. EDU-TOURISM TRIP TO CALI, COLUMBIA Samantha Wilcox and James Rogers "Every day of the trip was better than the one before! The cultural immersion opportunities were phenomenal and revealed a side of Colombia in nine days that very few people get to experience." — Sheila H., current PhD BA student

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