Communicate and Advocate: Working with the IRB, by Jennie Ofstein, 2007 alumna

Posted on April 20, 2015 by rcleahey

So, you’ve got this great assistantship working with your favorite rockstar-professor and you are doing research with them. Heck Yes!

So, you decided to write a Master’s thesis and this is your first time working on your own research. Well, that’s pretty awesome!

So, you’ve passed your proposal defense and need to take the next steps, and the very next step is working with the IRB…. Well, I CAN’T WAIT to read about what you’re gonna study!

There are all sorts of reasons (pretty cool ones too) that you may get to work with the IRB office here at NC State and I am pretty excited about it. My name is Jennie. I am a graduate of the Higher Ed Masters program and I have worked as a Student Affairs professional at NC State and at UNC-Chapel Hill. Since then, I have come back to State to get my PhD and am now in the proposal stage in our department (Here’s to persistence! – Think Steve Martin in The Three Amigos, “Gonna make it, Gonna make it, Gonna make it… I digress).

So, you may now be asking yourself “Jennie! You study Ed Research and Policy! How’d ‘you working with the IRB’ happen?” <- That’s a longer story for ya (a good one though). But for now, my simple answer is that through my education in our department, my research agenda and my positions in student affairs, I heavily identify as a social justice educator and practical ethicist. This lead to me advocating for folks who need advocating for.

I tell you all this to let you know, that I get you. I get your experience in the program and I will get your research and what you want to do with it. But also. I tell you this so that I can help you understand how education and practical research ethics align quite nicely.

When I give IRB presentations in class, the very first thing I ask is “What are you researching and WHY are you researching it?” After the typical academic spiel most students are trained to give, I ask “Why is that important?” and then I repeat the question several times, pushing you to get to your ultimate answer of something like “Fundamentally, I care about these people and want them to be able to do this… Or have access to that… or be better prepared for this… but mostly, I care about these people.”

This care, is the foundation of the IRB and should remain the foundation of your research and how you do your research. Everything from your immersion in the literature, to your study design and implementation, should have the target group in mind. And throughout the research process, this group should be treated with the care, respect, and the dignity they deserve. That’s where the IRB and the practical ethics of your research come in.

Over the years, researchers have done some pretty terrible things in the name of science and research participants have been taken advantage of in many ways. As a result, our government puts some checks and balances in place so that all research with human subjects is ethical in practice. We (the IRB) are here to make sure that your research is implemented ethically. We are trained to read through research with an eye focusing on risks/benefits, welfare of participants, and general practicalities of the study implementation. We kinda help you (and your advisor) “dot your i’s” and “cross your t’s” when it comes to implementing your research agenda.

As you think about your study and propose your study design to the IRB, we expect you to think about the implementation of your research. By “we,” I mean me, Jennie. Hi. I am the person who reads your proposal, yes… all of it. All of the pages.

What this means is, instead of thinking about your research from the researcher only lens, we want you to think about your research from the lay-person lens. What are you actually doing? What is actually going to happen? Sure, you are doing a focus group, but you need to implement it and describe that implementation process to us. This means describing:

How you are getting the participants? (flyers? – we need to see those)
How do the participants sign up? (via email? – we need to see the scripts of communication)
Where do participants arrive for the group? (is it private/public – we need that described)
What are you going to say to them and ask them in the group? (we need to see the protocol)
What is the consent process like? (we need to see the forms etc.)
How long will it take? Are there snacks there? Is there compensation?
Are they doing an activity while there? (if so – we need to see the components of the activity)

You: “But Jennie…. I’ve heard ALL THE THINGS about the IRB.”

Jennie: “I know, sometimes IRBs get a bad rep, but just like you and your research, our IRB is a special snowflake. We are here to help you accomplish your research goals and the best way for you to work with the IRB is to work with the IRB by communicating and advocating”

You: “But Jennie, the application is online and it’s scary.”

Jennie: “Oh, I get this. I am a Gen-Xer through and through and technology is tough. That’s why I have made you an incredibly detailed annotated PDF tutorial about the eIRB application system.”

You: “Well, earlier you said I’m a snowflake, I know I am special and so is my research, so I have a lot of very specific questions.”

Jennie: “You are a snowflake and so is your research, but chances are, you have all of the tools you need to resolve the issues you are having. Why you ask? Because I made you some pretty great educational materials. You can find them here: http://research.ncsu.edu/sparcs/compliance/irb/submission-guidance/. This site has information for you on what to consider throughout your research process so that you know what the IRB is going to ask about.”

You: “JENNIE. I was raised in HEA, of course I have used all my resources and my advisor, I still have a question or I am having some technical difficulties…”

Jennie: “My B! You are right, what was I thinking. Just call me! 919.515.8754 or send me an e-mail at irb-coordinator@ncsu.edu and I can help you navigate your questions. I really love talking about research, especially Ed research, and I love making research stronger (and may even have some cool ideas about yours) so call away!”

Jennie Ofstein is 2007 alumna of the Higher Education Administration master’s program. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Educational Research and Policy Analysis at NC State University. She serves as the IRB Coordinator at NC State and is the Director for Organizational Development and Community Engagement at CrossFit Chapel Hill.

Get Involved at ACPA 2015! Convention Service Project, by Sarah Cantrell Perkins, 2011 alumna

Posted on March 3, 2015 by rcleahey

One year ago I was preparing to go to the ACPA Convention in Indianapolis. I had established with my supervisor that one of my goals was deeper involvement with ACPA; my task for the 2014 Convention was to identify specific positions that would be a good fit. During the Commission for Student Involvement (CSI) Open Meeting, I learned about the Convention Service Project Volunteer role and was immediately intrigued. Following that meeting, I had lunch with AJ and I shared my excitement with her, but also some concerns that come with putting your name in the mix for a new opportunity. As many of you can imagine, AJ was incredibly supportive and reflected to me how I could make this experience my own. I applied, was selected, and have been working over the past several months to coordinate the 2015 Convention Service Project. We’re in the final stretch and I’m reaching out to any and all Wolfpack -prospective and current students, faculty, and alumni – to join us and help us make the event a great success!

There are several ways you can participate:

Direct Service Project

Thursday, March 5 (8am-12:30pm). Participants will serve in teams with one of three Tampa Community partners: Feeding America Tampa Bay, Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful, and Tampa Heights Jr Civic Association.

Feeding America is the largest domestic hunger relief organization in the country, consisting of a network of more than 200 food banks. Feeding America Tampa Bay services a 10 county area in West Central Florida. Volunteers will sort through food donations, pack bags of groceries for those in need, stock and maintain the pantry/shopping area, and/or assist with any special projects.

Tampa Bay Beautification (founded in 1989) and Keep Hillsborough County Beautiful (founded in 1992) merged in 2012 to form Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful. Building on the success of these two non-profits, Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful continues to have a huge impact in the community. Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful is the local affiliate of Keep America Beautiful. Volunteers will participate in a local community clean up. *Note: ACPA volunteers on this project will walk to the neighborhood from the Convention Center.*

Tampa Heights Junior Civic Association is a community-based, resident driven organization that connects youth and families in the community; provides youth the opportunities to build leadership skills and civic involvement through mentoring, caring, and support; and secures resources to respond to identified needs. Volunteers will work at the community garden and a few will help at the community center as it prepares to open later in March.

Check-in will be in Marriott Lobby 2 of the Marriott Tampa Waterside hotel from 8:00 – 8:15am. Transportation to and from projects is provided.

Professional Dress Clothing Drive

On-going. Donate new or gently used professional clothing in bins located near the convention registration area through Saturday, March 7 at 12pm. Donations will benefit Dress for Success Tampa.

Convention Service Project 2.0: Maximizing One Day Service Projects

Sunday, March 8 (8:00am-9:00am, Convention Center Room 24). Sponsored by the Commission for Student Involvement, this session corresponds with the Convention Service Project and will spotlight the challenges and opportunities related to critical reflection and one day service projects. Through the use of guided reflection activities focused on the Convention Service Project and a facilitated discussion among session participants, this program will engage Convention Service Project participants more deeply and will share the Service Project with those who did not attend. Participants will share best practices with critical reflection through a discussion-based, activity-led format.

The ACPA Convention Service Project is a wonderful way to meet colleagues, support the Tampa community, and to engage in the NCSU HEA’s values of integration with the larger community. Help us put these values into action and register for the Convention Service Project today! I look forward to seeing you in Tampa and thanks, in advance, for your support!

Sarah Cantrell Perkins is a 2011 graduate of the Higher Education Administration master’s program. She serves as the Civic Engagement Coordinator at the Georgia Institute of Technology. You can reach out to Sarah with any questions at sscantrell@gmail.com.

Did you know that October is Careers in Student Affairs Month!? By Katie Ratterree

Posted on October 1, 2014 by rcleahey

October is Careers in Student Affairs Month (CSAM), a celebration of student affairs for current professionals and a way to promote the field to interested students and professionals. If you know undergraduate students interested in entering the field, this is a group opportunity to invite them to the Careers in Student Affairs Panel hosted by HEA! NASPA is providing eight educational webinars for current student affairs practitioners and our very own Dr. Tiffany Davis is hosting the kickoff webinar, “Student Affairs: The Greatest Profession on Earth.” Check out the HEA website for more information on this event and other CSAM opportunities.

Because Careers in Student Affairs month is an opportunity to reflect on our own professional journey, I would like to use this blog post to share about my experience. As an undergraduate student, I had no idea what a career in student affairs entailed. I knew what I liked–working with students, program development, and education policy–but did not know how to translate those interests into a single job. I always assumed that I would have to pick a career based on one area I was passionate about and simply forego my other interests. Between undergrad and graduate school I first worked for a Public Affairs firm and later for an Outdoor Education program but something was always missing. I didn’t know how to combine my seemingly disparate interests in policy and youth development into a single career. It seemed impossible…

…until I discovered student affairs. The Higher Education Administration program at NC State finally provided me with a long-searched-for pathway to the job of my dreams. I currently have an assistantship with the National Initiative for Leadership and Institutional Effectiveness (NILIE) and an internship with the Office of Assessment for the Department of Academic and Student Affairs (DASA). Through my position with NILIE I am learning about survey methodology and developing both quantitative and qualitative research skills. I am helping with the administration and data analysis for DASA’s Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), which measures critical and creative thinking of undergraduate students. I have had opportunities to assist Upward Bound students with college applications, advise Duke undergraduates on their summer internship search, and assist faculty with research through an independent study. My education and work in student affairs have provided me with the technical skills and professional opportunities to combine my varied interests into a single career in higher education and I couldn’t be happier with my choice!

I hope you get involved in CSAM and enjoy the educational and professional development opportunities this month has to offer!

Crossing the Line and Working with Faculty, by Lisa Latronica

Posted on September 26, 2013 by rcleahey

So often as student affairs paraprofessionals and professionals we talk about the importance of collaboration with the other side of the university – the academic affairs side. But it’s not always as easy as you would think. Faculty members and degree programs have their own set of job responsibilities, and we’re not just talking about teaching classes and grading papers. They complete research, publish articles, sit in meetings, and work with their students. Between their schedules and ours, it can be easier to silo ourselves and do our own thing. But for the holistic success of students, we know we really do have to work together.

Last spring, the College of Engineering approached University Housing about starting a living learning village for first-year undergraduate engineering students. As the Residence Director for the residence hall they were interested in placing the village in, I was able to have the opportunity to sit in on meetings with faculty members, assistant deans, and other parties heavily involved with the College of Engineering. I was the only graduate student at the table, and I had no idea how much I would learn about collaboration and the academic side of the university.

In creating the Engineering Village, I learned quickly that academic affairs and student affairs had very different goals and concerns. The College of Engineering’s main focus in creating the village was to increase retention and integrate classroom material into all aspects of the students’ college experience. On the other hand, as a RD, I was focused on creating a well-rounded experience and making sure the students could have a diverse range of programs and interactions. While it seems like these outcomes could clash, I was surprised at how quickly our team recognized the different strengths and wanted to learn more about each other’s different goals. Within a few months, I learned more about engineering classes and the concerns of STEM students than I ever realized I would, and I got to hear about it from the faculty and staff who were literally on the front lines and working with those students. The flip side of this was I was able to also share my expertise in student development – that even included explaining Chickering’s vectors during one meeting. Talk about theory to practice!

This August, the Engineering Village officially launched with 109 freshmen all living together. Since then, I have been contacted by at least 15 faculty members who want to come to the residence hall and interact with the students in a variety of ways, from sharing their research to teaching them how to make lip balm. It turns out that the stereotype of faculty having no interest in students outside of the classroom is completely false. They want to be involved, and they want to learn from student affairs professionals, but it has to be a true collaboration. The academic side has just as much passion as we do, but we have to give them the opportunity to express it in a way they are comfortable with and enjoy.

Collaboration is a tricky thing, but it can absolutely work. I am incredibly lucky to have had the opportunity as a graduate student to work so closely with academic affairs, and I really do believe it’s an experience that is unique to NC State. Since their merger of academic and student affairs into the Division of Academic and Student Affairs a year ago, there is increased communication and opportunity between the two sides. Silos are slowly being torn down and the student experience is becoming more integrated. I am excited to watch the Engineering Village partnership grow, and for even more projects across the fields to come to light. My one piece of advice? Don’t be afraid to share your thoughts! You’ll be surprised where those conversations can lead!