[Imc-newsroom] Consent to Observe IMC Meetings:

[Sascha Meinrath]

Hi everyone,

For the past couple years, I've been mentioning that I plan to do my
dissertation on the IMC.  Recently I received the go-ahead from the
Institutional Review Board of UIUC to begin "officially" observing
meetings at the UCIMC.  Below is a statement I'm required to send to all
groups that I may be observing.

--Sascha

***

Sascha Meinrath of the Department of Psychology at the University of
Illinois and students working with him would like to observe UCIMC
meetings as part of a research study on community collaboration within
alternative settings.  This study would involve Sascha and his students
taking notes during meetings to learn more about how collaboration works.
He hopes to learn more about how groups work together, how they organize
themselves, what types of goals they focus on and achieve, and what
facilitates this work.  The observation would begin at the next meeting
following this letter unless anyone expresses concerns and/or does not
wish to consent to the observation.  The notes from these observations
would be strictly confidential. Only Sascha and members of his research
team would have access to the notes.  In addition, any publication, report
or presentation of research results from these observations would not
identify participates.  Your decision to participate, decline, and/or
discontinue your participation at any time will not affect your status as
a member of the Urbana-Champaign Independent Media Center, your
employment, or your relationship with the University of Illinois.  If you
are not comfortable with his observing group meetings or have any other
concerns or questions about this research, please contact Sascha Meinrath
directly at 278-3933 (sascha at ucimc.org) or any Steering Group Member at
the UCIMC.  If you have questions about your rights as a research
participant you can contact the Institutional Review Board Office at the
University of Illinois by phone (217-333-2670) or email (irb at uiuc.edu).
You can contact Sascha and/or a Steering Group Member at anytime to
request that the observations be discontinued.  Please feel free to retain
a copy of this consent form for your records.  Thank you.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Sascha Meinrath