Mt. SAC Institutional Review Board
Policies and Procedures

Mt. San Antonio College (Mt. SAC) District's Institutional Review Board (IRB) is charged with protecting the rights and welfare of human research subjects for projects in which the District is engaged.

Guided by the principles of The Belmont Report: Ethical Principles and Guidelines for the Protection of Human Subjects of Research, the Mt. SAC IRB reviews all human research protocols in accordance with federal regulations, state laws, and local and District policies. The Mt. SAC IRB is comprised of members from various disciplines in the social/behavioral sciences, biological/physical sciences, institutional research office, and community/lay members to assure a comprehensive review process. Through a collaborative partnership, the Mt. SAC IRB assists investigators in the protection of human subjects. These subjects are truly a scarce resource, worthy of our gratitude, respect, and protection. The District is committed to conducting its behavioral research involving human subjects under rigorous ethical principles. 

The IRB evaluates the research only in terms of its compliance with ethical standards regarding the treatment of human subjects. While individual researchers are ultimately responsible for their practices, the IRB's review is designed to provide objective input as another level of protection for the subjects. In addition, the independent review by the IRB is of benefit to those who could be held accountable for the research practices -- the researchers and Mt. SAC.

Please use the links to navigate through the IRB information and protocols. If you have questions, please address them to pquinones@mtsac.edu and use the subject line "Mt. SAC IRB General Question". More information about the committee for the IRB can be found at /governance/committees/irb/index.html

Special thanks to College of the Canyons' Institutional Research department and Cal Poly Pomona's Office of Research and Sponsored Programs for their assistance with our work. They provided excellent guidance and resources - some of which are used in the creation of these documents and web pages.