Renee M Alley

This Biennial Report outlines the activities and progress of the Office of Accreditation and Assessment from 2017 to 2019. The report details the office's refocused mission and quality improvement domains, which are centered on providing oversight for Higher Learning Commission (HLC) institutional accreditation and fostering continuous quality improvement through institutional assessment initiatives. Key areas of focus include ensuring HLC standard compliance, demonstrating the interconnectivity of accreditation and assessment, promoting knowledge sharing, streamlining processes, and effectively utilizing outcomes data. The document highlights initiatives such as the development and implementation of ITEACH Institutional Learning Objectives (ILOs) and co-curricular assessment, all aimed at enhancing teaching and learning experiences and supporting the institution's accreditation goals.

The meeting included the acceptance of the previous month's minutes. Key discussion centered on the review of initial research proposals and continuing research protocols. One initial protocol (IBC#: 25-10-023-ABL1) was conditionally approved, pending an update to lab room numbers. Several continuing reviews were conducted: one protocol was conditionally approved requiring updates regarding post-treatment sample collection and cryopreservation room numbers; another was conditionally approved requiring revisions to the description of laboratory work associated with the vaccine; and others were approved or conditionally approved pending personnel or documentation updates. One protocol (IBC#: 14-11-025-EX) was approved without recommendation.

The Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) meeting addressed several research protocols. Key discussion points included a policy change to remove protocols from the 'problem child' 1-year review list after completing continuing review submissions. For protocol IBC#: 25-10-023-ABL1, involving the use of AAV constructs in mice to study anxiety, the committee decided to table the motion pending review of the associated IACUC protocol. Protocol IBC#: 25-10-024-BL2, concerning environmental sampling for bacteria and fungi, was conditionally approved pending a laboratory inspection and specific procedural updates. Several change requests were reviewed, including adding replication-defective rabies viral vector use (IBC#: 08-07-017-ABL2) and adding BALB/c mice and coxsackievirus B3 injection (IBC#: 25-07-017-ABL2), both of which were conditionally approved pending modifications and training completion. One protocol (IBC#: 18-01-001-ABL2) was noted as lengthy and was conditionally approved with instructions to split the project into two new protocols. Continuing reviews for protocols involving influenza virus characterization (IBC#: 24-11-036-BL2) and HSV/HIV countermeasures testing (IBC#: 24-11-041-BL2) were approved. Another protocol (IBC#: 24-11-039-ABL2) concerning Cre-mediated recombination in neuroendocrine cells was conditionally approved pending a laboratory inspection. Protocol (IBC#: 22-09-027-BL2) regarding CAR-T cell therapy was tabled to allow for minor Section I changes and clarification on sample processing.

The Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) meeting included discussions and decisions on various research proposals and protocol changes. The committee reviewed and approved initial research proposals involving CAR-T cell therapy for lymphoma, a vaccine for non-small-cell lung cancer, and an expanded access program for acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Additionally, a porcine model of pancreatic cancer was discussed, and changes to a protocol involving antimicrobial peptides were reviewed. The committee also conducted continuing reviews of active research protocols, addressing topics such as virulence factors for Coxiella burnetii and clinical trials for B-cell malignancies.

The meeting included discussions and votes on multiple IBC research proposals, changes in protocols, and continuing reviews of active research. Specific topics included a Phase 3 study evaluating the efficacy and safety of Ixoberogene soroparvovec for age-related macular degeneration, novel materials to inactivate bacteria and viruses, transfection studies using viral vectors, and the generation of synthetic control material for molecular infectious disease assays. The committee also reviewed expanded access studies for treatments involving human cell lines and viral vectors and discussed the investigation of novel materials to rapidly inactivate SARS-CoV-2 virus.