VHS Standing Committees

Charge 

To protect students, faculty and staff through policies and procedures involving occupational and environmental hazards. We strive to ensure appropriate and timely responses to all injuries, illnesses, and exposures involving occupational & environmental hazards. This includes, but is not limited to, advising on health surveillance and other occupational issues, as well as providing increased safety health awareness through campaigns and drives on campus. Collectively, the committee reviews safety and health policies and procedures in a broad spectrum of risks facing the Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion University (VHS) campus. In addition, we will coordinate activities with and advise other VHS health and safety committees regarding federal, state and local regulatory bodies to ensure compliance and make written recommendations to the Executive Vice President of Health Sciences regarding occupational health and safety issues.

Meetings

Frequency: Quarterly on 2nd Wednesday of the month (or other date that allows for needed quorum) for the months of February, May, August and November.

Location: Andrews Hall and/or electronic meeting format

Duration: Approximately 1 hour from 12:00PM-1:00PM, unless otherwise noted

Member Criteria

Members should be from various areas of the school to provide committee with a broad insight into occupational health and safety needs and issues. Members should have interest or experience with occupational health and safety issues for students and employees. Recommend representation from (but not limited to) the following areas: Basic Sciences; Comparative Medicine; the Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences EVMS Medical Group at Old Dominion University; Environmental Health & Safety; Graduate Medical Education; Human Resources; Medicine/Infectious Diseases; Occupational Health; Office of Research; Medical Education; Risk Management, Health Professions.

Charge 

To manage institutional practices and policies promoting health and safety as related to environmental management and chemical hazards that comply with current regulations for the welfare of our students, faculty, and staff. The committee pursues and endeavors to instill institutional practices that will lead to ecologically responsible decisions concerning sustainability, recycling, pollution prevention, and greenhouse emissions. Members will develop written recommendations for laboratory safety and report annually to the Executive Vice President of Health Sciences.

Meetings

Frequency: At least quarterly, generally, July, October, January, and April

Location: Web-based video conference

Duration: Approximately 1 hour from 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Committee Criteria/Scope 

Review, develop, and promote practices and policies that improve health and safety

• Safe laboratory design, engineering, and ventilation
• OSHA Laboratory Standard compliance
• Chemical inventory and reporting
• Laboratory and chemical security
• Sanitation district permit compliance
• Review, develop, and promote institutional policies and procedures that encourage or require sustainability goals
• Review the committee charge, not less than every three years, to ensure its continued relevance

Member Criteria

Faculty and staff from Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences:

• EVMS School of Medicine
• EVMS School of Health Professions
• The Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences EVMS Medical Group at Old Dominion University
• Three members of VHS Environmental Health & Safety

Charge 

The goal of CIHE is to improve health equity in the region by developing structure and processes necessary to meaningfully incorporate community feedback into decision making. The committee helps guide this work by serving as a liaison between the CIHE community advisory board and the Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences Eastern Virginia Medical School and EVMS School of Health Professions at Old Dominion University (VHS) campus community.

Meetings

Frequency: Monthly on 1st Tuesday of the month

Location: Meetings are currently virtual with in-person/hybrid meetings in Waitzer Hall.

Duration: One hour, beginning at 12PM.

Committee Criteria/Scope

• Serves as a liaison between the CIHE community advisory board and the VHS campus community
• Establish curriculum for continuing education
• Identifying new opportunities to include community voices in departments throughout the VHS campus
• Providing input on support for community engagement efforts offered across the VHS campus
• Taking up other issues related to community, inclusion, and health equity as they arise

Member Criteria

• CIHE IC membership is open to faculty and staff from any VHS departments or programs.
• VHS management/staff is also represented.

Charge 

To recommend annually to the Executive Vice President of Health Sciences, the names of faculty members (or in some cases other than faculty) to serve on Standing Committees of Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion University.

Meetings

Frequency: Once a year, typically at the end of April

Location: Virtually

Duration: Approximately 1.5 hours, time is TBD

Member Criteria 

Membership of the Committee on Committees should reflect the composition the EVMS Legacy faculty. Members should include basic science, clinical, full-time, full-time non-salaried, community, and health professions faculty.

Charge 

To advocate for and support professional development of physicians and other health care professionals by assessing needs, planning and reviewing educational programs, and designating credit. The Continuing Medical Education (CME) Office offers a range of evidence-based educational activities that enhance a practitioner’s level of knowledge, competence and performance/skills to improve patient outcomes. Outcome measures will assess how these activities influence professional behavior for the purpose of improving health care outcomes and patient care.

Meetings

Frequency: Every other month; 1st Tuesday

Location: Hybrid

Duration: Approximately 1 hour - 8:00AM-9:00AM

Committee Criteria/Scope

• Identify healthcare areas that should be addressed by our educational programming;
• Establish curriculum for continuing education;
• Serve as a resource for practicing physicians and other health care professionals.

Member Criteria

• Physicians, health care professionals, and leaders in medical education
• Stakeholder in CME (quality officer, distance learning, graduate program);
• Membership to consist of our course directors (for regularly scheduled programming) and representation from all our VHS programs and schools.

Charge

The purpose of the Doctor of Medicine Admissions Committee hereinafter referred to as MD Admissions Committee, is to select the most holistic and academically prepared medical students to provide Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences Eastern Virginia Medical School at Old Dominion University (EVMS) with an excellent medical school class each year.

MD Admissions Committee:

Meetings

Frequency: Meets twice per month on the 1st and 3rd Mondays during the interview season; Chair will run this meeting or the Vice Chair. In the event the chairs are unavailable, the Assistant Vice Dean of Admissions and Enrollment or Director of Admissions will conduct the meeting in their absence.

Location: 200 Brickell Mezzanine, Assistant Vice Dean of Admissions and Enrollment Conference Room (when in person) or virtual.

Duration: Approximately 2 hours from 5:00PM – 7:00PM

Member Criteria

A majority of the voting members must be full time faculty. The Assistant Vice Dean of Admissions and Enrollment, Director of Admissions and Assistant Dean of Educational Outreach & Student Success are ex-officio members without voting rights. Prospective MD Admissions Committee members (faculty, students, or community) must interview one (1) semester prior to consideration for committee membership, however under special circumstances shorter time periods may be permitted. 

Committee members should be:

• Full Time Faculty (Basic Science, Clinical, and Community Clinical Faculty)
• EVMS Residents and Medical Students (M2 and above)
• EVMS Alumni
• Community Representatives

MD Admissions Committee members are encouraged to interview at a minimum of (2) interviews/month.

Executive Committee: (Sub-Committee)

The Executive Committee makes recommendations to MD Admissions Committee (MDAC) and ranks applicants in regards to interview selection and priority on the acceptance list.

Meetings

Frequency: Meets weekly on Wednesdays during the interview season and then as needed during the summer months. MD Admissions Committee Chair and/or Vice chair will run this meeting. In the event the chairs are unavailable, the Assistant Vice Dean of Admissions and Enrollment or Director of Admissions will conduct the meeting in their absence.

Location: 200 Brickell Mezzanine, Assistant Vice Dean of Admissions and Enrollment Conference Room (when in person) or virtual.

Duration: Approximately 2 hours from 11:00AM – 1:00PM

Member Criteria

Members come from the MD Admissions Committee. The Assistant Vice Dean of Admissions and Enrollment and the Director of Admissions are ex-officio members. Prospective Executive Committee Members (Full Time Faculty (Basic Science, Clinical, and Community Clinical Faculty) must serve on MD Admissions Committee a minimum of one year prior to a nomination (and vote) from the MD Admissions Committee.

Charge

To identify, recommend, and present to the Executive Vice President of Health Sciences (or designee) EVMS Legacy faculty who have achieved significant accomplishments for institutional, state and national awards.

Meetings

Frequency: Monthly on the 3rd Wednesday

Location: Virtually

Duration: Approximately 1 hour from 4:00PM-5:00PM, unless otherwise noted

Committee Criteria/Scope

• Requests and receives EVMS Legacy faculty nominations for select external awards and helps with creation of nomination packets for these awards. Awards include, but not limited to,
  • State Council for Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) – Outstanding Faculty Awards
  • Science Museum of Virginia - Virginia Outstanding Scientist
  • American Association of American Colleges Awards
• Reviews Dean’s Faculty Awards and Fine Family Academy of Educators Award nominations and recommends winners

Member Criteria

Usually reserved for those who have previously won an award. Committee membership will strive to reflect the balance and diversity of EVMS Legacy faculty and include faculty members from the following list:

Academic Mission Area:

• Administration
• Clinical
• Education
• Research

School:

• Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences Eastern Virginia School at Old Dominion University
• Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences EVMS School of Health Professions at Old Dominion University

Charge

To assure that the Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion University (VHS)’s program for the humane care and use of animals meets and adheres to the criteria established by federal and state regulatory agencies and private accrediting bodies. This includes semiannual inspections of the program and animal facilities, using the Institute for Laboratory Animal Research (ILAR) Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (the Guide) as a basis for the evaluations; approval of protocols that use animals or animal tissues for research, training, experimentation, or testing; ensuring that animal users are properly trained in animal care, treatment, and use; and advising the administration on the resources needed to adequately maintain the program and the animal facilities.

Meetings

Frequency: Monthly on the first Thursday of the month, unless otherwise determined; specially convened meetings may be required periodically to carry out the Committee’s mandate.

Location: Hybrid platform via in-person attendance and tele/videoconference via Zoom; in-person meetings are held in Waitzer Hall, Room 944, unless otherwise determined.

Duration: Approximately 2-3 hours from 2:00PM-5:00PM

Call meetings are scheduled, as needed, to accommodate research needs or to address concerns regarding the animal care and use program; however, such meetings are rare.

Semi-annual animal facility inspections and program review meetings:

Frequency: February, April, August, and October

Location: TBD; the location of in-person meetings depends upon room availability; virtual attendance via Zoom is an option for semi-annual program review meetings; semi-annual facility inspections are conducted in-person

Duration: Typically noon or 1:00 pm; however, the start time may vary; the inspections/reviews typically last 1-2 hours

Semi-annual inspections of animal manipulation and surgery laboratories:

Frequency: March and September

Location: Various laboratories located across campus

Duration: TBD; start times are coordinated with research personnel; typically, inspections are conducted over a one or two-day period and usually last 1 hour/day

Notice concerning Meetings:

• Semi-annual laboratory on-site inspections; more frequent inspections may occur, as needed
• Comparative Medicine animal facility inspections;
• Semi-annual program review meetings;
• Protocol compliance adherence and investigations, as needed.

Member Criteria

Per federal regulations, the IACUC must consist of no less than 5 members and the following categories must be represented:

• One (1) Doctor of Veterinary Medicine with training or experience in laboratory animal science and medicine who has direct or delegated program authority and responsibility for activities involving animals at the institution (i.e., our Attending Veterinarian);
• One (1) practicing scientist experienced in research involving animals. No more than three (3) members from a particular department may serve as voting members;
• One (1) member whose primary concerns are in a non-scientific area (e.g., ethicist, lawyer, member of clergy, etc.);
• One (1) individual who is not affiliated with the institution in any way other than a member of the IACUC and is not a member of the immediate family of a person who is affiliated with the institution. This person represents the general community interests in the proper care and use of animals used in research;
• No problematic animal activist record (postings, demonstrations, protest, arrest); animal advocates do not present an issue to serve as members.

Special Requests

• Individual(s) who meet the requirements of more than one category may fulfill more than one requirement; however, the committee must consist of at least five (5) members;
• All IACUC members are required to complete training on the charge/function of the committee, federal regulations, institutional policies, procedures, and guidelines, and the VHS occupational health and safety program (OHSP);
• Members are encouraged to attend animal care and use seminars, workshops, and conferences;
• In addition to the five (5) required members, the IACUC also consists of consultants with expertise in various areas. These consultants may be assigned to the committee as voting members or they may serve as non-voting members. The current IACUC consists of consultants in the following areas: Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S), Library Services, and Occupational Health and Safety.

Charge

To ensure that: (a) registrations involving human and animal pathogens, tissues, and toxins are reviewed and found to comply with all federal, state, and local requirements; (b) all recombinant and synthetic nucleic acid protocols and research are in compliance with the National Institute of Health’s Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant or Synthetic Nucleic Acid Molecules (NIH Guidelines) and establish policies and procedures ensuring biological materials are handled and disposed of safely and in the proper manner.

Meetings

Frequency: Second Monday of each month

Location: Waitzer Hall/Andrews Hall (in-person) or Tele/Video-Conference

Duration: Approximately 1 hour from 12:00PM–1:00PM, unless otherwise noted

Committee Criteria/Scope

The committee executes its function in accordance with the principles and guidelines established by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), National Institutes of Health/Office of Science Policy (OSP), Centers for Disease Control/NIH Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories (BMBL, 6th edition), VHS Biosafety Procedures Manual, and the VHS Exposure Control Plan.

Member Criteria

The IBC shall have at least six (6) voting members, including the Chair. These voting members are appointed because they collectively have the experience and expertise to evaluate and identify any potential risk to staff, public health and/or the environment. Voting members include the Biological Safety Officer, the committee Chair (or Co-Chairs), Principal Investigators, Faculty and a minimum of two (2) members external to VHS or ODU (community members). Staff or faculty of VHS or ODU may be appointed to serve on the committee in a non-voting role should it be decided that such person(s) would be of assistance in conducting their duties. Non-voting members cannot vote, but can participate in discussions and deliberations.

Charge

The Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion University (VHS) Institutional Review Boards are responsible for protection of the rights and welfare of human research subjects, as defined in the regulations of the United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of Human Research Protections, the Food and Drug Administration and other local, state and federal agencies. The IRB also applies ethical principles found in the Belmont Report, the World Medical Association (WMA) Declaration of Helsinki - Ethical Principles for Medical Research Involving Human Subjects, and the Nuremberg Code. In addition to living human individuals, human subject research includes tissues, specimens, records and data sets from living human individuals. The VHS IRB will prospectively review all research activities with living human subjects, or their tissues, specimens, records or data, and also have responsibility for making determinations on whether some activities meet the constrained definition of “not human subject research.” The VHS IRB will also serve as the VHS “Privacy Board” for the use of “Protected Health Information” for research purposes as established in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and in accordance with the United States Department of Health and Human Services regulations which is applicable to both living and decedent individuals.

Meetings

Frequency: Meets once per month, on the first Thursday

Location: Williams Hall, Wing-A, Conference Room 101, (Virtual option available: however, attendance in-person is preferred to facilitate discussions.)

Duration: Approximately 2 hours, depending on submissions

*Review of materials to prepare for a meeting may take 2-4 hours prior to a meeting and materials are distributed approximately one week before the monthly meeting via IRBManager software. Other activities, such as meetings with investigators, may occur outside of the regular meeting dates.     

Member Criteria

Criteria for membership require the following:

• At least five members, with varying backgrounds to promote complete and adequate review of research activities commonly conducted by the institution. The IRB shall be sufficiently qualified through the experience and expertise of its members (professional competence), and the diversity of its members, and sensitivity to such issues as community attitudes.
• There must be at least one member whose primary concerns are in scientific areas;
• At least one member whose primary concerns are in nonscientific areas. A non-scientific member must be present and part of the quorum for any IRB business to be conducted.
• At least one member who is not otherwise affiliated with the institution and who is not part of the immediate family of a person who is affiliated with the institution.

Special Requests

Members must be available to attend meetings and be willing to fully participate in review and discussion of protocols. Alternate members are needed as well to assist with having particular expertise available and ensuring quorum for meetings. The Board needs more full-time faculty to participate in the review of their colleagues research studies. Physician participation is also much needed. Departments conducting clinical research, especially multiple studies, are encouraged to have a faculty representative on each Board.

Meetings

Frequency: Meets once per month, on the third Tuesday.

Location: Williams Hall, Wing-A, Conference Room 101 (Virtual option available: however, attendance in- person is preferred to facilitate discussions.)

Duration: Approximately 2 hours, depending on submissions

*Review of materials to prepare for a meeting may take 2-4 hours prior to a meeting and materials are distributed approximately one week before the monthly meeting IRBManager software. Other activities, such as meetings with investigators, may occur outside of the regular meeting dates.

Member Criteria

Criteria for membership require the following:

• At least five members, with varying backgrounds to promote complete and adequate review of research activities commonly conducted by the institution. The IRB shall be sufficiently qualified through the experience and expertise of its members (professional competence), and the diversity of its members, and sensitivity to such issues as community attitudes.
• There must be at least one member whose primary concerns are in scientific areas;
• At least one member whose primary concerns are in nonscientific areas. A non-scientific member must be present and part of the quorum for any IRB business to be conducted.
• At least one member who is not otherwise affiliated with the institution and who is not part of the immediate family of a person who is affiliated with the institution.

Special Requests

Members must be available to attend meetings and be willing to fully participate in review and discussion of protocols. Alternate members are needed as well to assist with having particular expertise available and ensuring quorum for meetings. The Board needs more full-time faculty to participate in the review of their colleagues research studies. Physician participation is also much needed. Departments conducting clinical research, especially multiple studies, are encouraged to have a faculty representative on each Board.

Charge

The Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion University (VHS) Library Advisory Committee is responsible for providing guidance on policy related to library function, facilities and resources, to support ongoing operation and long-term development of the Edward E. Brickell Medical Sciences Library.

Meetings

Frequency: Up to once per month, depending on need, usually the 2nd Thursday

Location: Virtual or in person-(location varies but usually in the Brickell Library)

Duration: 4:00pm – 5:00pm

Member Criteria

A broad representation of institutional functions is desired. The committee includes student representation. While no specific qualifications are required for membership an interest in supporting growth of the library is desired.

Charge

The Medical Education Committee (MEC) is responsible for reviewing the objectives, content, structure, integration, sequencing, and evaluation of the medical education curriculum; to recommend, oversee and evaluate fundamental changes in the curriculum; and to develop and approve School of Medicine (SOM) policies and procedures for curriculum, student evaluation and grading.

Meetings

Frequency: 2nd Wednesday of every month and the 4th Thursday of every month (if needed)

Location: In person

Duration: No more than 2 hours from 5:00PM-7:00PM

Committee Criteria/Scope

• Establish general educational policy
• Set educational goals and objectives
• Evaluate the effectiveness of the curriculum in its entirety including the evaluation of courses, clerkships and electives on a regular basis to ensure that they are in compliance with the Medical Education Program Objectives (MEPOs), and review quality and outcomes and consistency with approved policies
• Review and approve proposed new courses, clerkships, and electives
• Approve and oversee revisions to the MD Curriculum
• Ensure that current, revised, and new curriculum content and policies are in compliance with LCME accreditation requirements
• Review and approve programmatic policies and procedures for student assessment and grading
• Regular review of student performance and satisfaction with the curriculum using metrics such as internal surveys, annual AAMC GQ results, and continuous quality improvement (CQI) measures to support recommendations to improve performance and satisfaction
• Periodic review of the MEPOs to ensure consistency with the overall mission of the medical school and the desired qualities of SOM graduates
• Advise the Vice Dean for Academic Affairs of its findings
• Develop and maintain channels of communication between the MEC, faculty, and students
• Provide an annual report on committee activities and recommendations for future needs
• Complete an annual comprehensive review of the committee charge and charter in accordance with CQI procedures
• Oversee and approve work of standing MEC subcommittees

Member Criteria

Eligible faculty members must have regular involvement in medical education, with at least three faculty representatives from Biomedical and Translational Sciences department Educational division, and broad representation from faculty involved in the clerkship and elective phases. At least one representative from the EVMS School of Health Professions.

Charge

To provide effective prevention of student impairment through a well-publicized self-referral system whereby a student who thinks he or she is at risk can volunteer into the program. To provide assistance by early detection and referral for evaluation and/or treatment in such a way as not to endanger the student's career.

Meetings

Frequency: 1st Tuesday of each month

Location: Virtually

Duration: Approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes from 5:15PM to 6:30PM

Member Criteria

We have need for as many therapist type faculty (psychologists, psychiatrists) as possible, but they need to commit to attending the meetings. Criteria for membership is based off the faculty’s expertise in dealing with problems of impairment and their humanitarian concern for students.

Charge

The Promotion and Tenure Committee serves as the principal faculty advisory body responsible for independently reviewing and evaluating faculty applications for promotion and tenure in accordance with established institutional policies and criteria. The Committee provides recommendations to the appropriate Dean and Executive Vice President for Health Sciences and also reviews applications for endowed/named chairs and professorships, providing recommendations to the appropriate School Dean.

Meetings

Career-Track: First Tuesday of each month between September and June, with additional meetings
Frequency: Scheduled as needed.

Tenure-Track: Only tenured faculty will review and vote for tenure-track promotion/tenure reviews.
Frequency: Separate meetings will be scheduled in November and December.

Location: Waitzer Hall, 10^th Floor, Room 1031 and/or Virtual Meeting Platform

Duration: Approximately one to two hours depending upon the number of dossiers under review.

Charge

To assess the research environment of the Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion University (VHS) and recommend strategies for its improvement; facilitate research-related activities; cultivate and update the Senior Associate Vice President of Research on research-related fund-raising opportunities and communication of research advances to highlight VHS discoveries.

Meetings

Frequency: Quarterly or as-needed basis

Location: Waitzer Hall/Virtually

Duration: Approximately 1 hour – times will vary

Committee Criteria/Scope

Reviews selected internal funding applications, selects abstracts and presentations for Research Day and scores posters, among other responsibilities related to the enhancement of research at VHS. From time to time, work group task forces will be established for additional targeted reviews and discussions; examples include: Cores and infrastructure, capital equipment, research abstracts, internal grants, clinical research and outcomes research.

Member Criteria

Research experience, in basic or translational science or clinically oriented (outcomes) research.

Charge

The SEC provides leadership for enrollment management across academic programs at the VHS medical campus (School of Medicine and School of Health Professions) and serves as the oversight body responsible for setting strategic direction for enrollment planning. The SEC establishes enrollment and recruitment goals, develops comprehensive data-driven strategies to ensure long-term enrollment stability, and uses innovation to improve fiscal sustainability.

Meetings

Frequency: Quarterly on the third Thursday of the month

Location: Virtually

Duration: 1:00pm – 2:00pm

Committee Criteria/Scope

Evaluates enrollment trends and initiatives; oversees effective use of fiscal resources for enrollment management; identifies best practices to optimize enrollment outcomes; collaborates with institutional stakeholders to develop, implement, and evaluate enrollment management goals and strategies aligned with the VHS-EVMS Strategic Plan; and develops innovative marketing strategies to recruit academically qualified applicants who align with the institutional student profile.

Member Criteria

Collaboration and teamwork are essential for institutional success. The SEC comprises members from across the medical campus, including but not limited to program faculty, staff from Admissions and Enrollment, Finance, Research, and Student Affairs.

Charge

To serve in an advisory and support capacity to Student Affairs in the oversight and review of student services related to health and wellness, the learning environment, and academic development. The Committee will inform best practices developed by Student Affairs to maintain a supportive, professional, safe, and enriching experience for all students and to fulfill applicable accreditation requirements.

Meetings

Frequency: Monthly (usually 4th Monday)

Location: Online via Zoom

Duration: Approximately 1 hour from 5:00PM-6:00PM Eastern Time

Member Criteria

The following are expected qualifications to be considered for this committee:

• Desire to be involved in the review of Student Affairs (evidenced by 1st or 2nd choice on the Standing Committees survey results)
• Interaction with students on a regular basis in academic or clinical settings
• Time to devote to monthly meetings and focus groups
• Willingness to review and stay current on information and documents provided in preparation for or follow up to monthly meetings

For more information about this committee, please contact:

Dr. Allison Knight
Assistant Vice Dean, Student Affairs
Student Affairs
knightap@odu.edu