Senior-level RCR Questions

Questions for Provost about the university’s RCR program

• What is your message/expectation for the RCR program (the tone from the top)?

• What is the evidence of this message (e.g., signed memos sent campus-wide; direction to faculty to participate; message to students, etc.)

• How often do you communicate the standards and expectations of the training program? [How do you communicate this message if not clear from above Q?]

• How do faculty and students respond to the tone from the top and what is evidence of this response? [assuming they are aware of it—see above Q]

• Faculty involvement:

  • In order for faculty members to serve as effective role models to trainees, how are faculty trained in teaching the concepts of RCR?

• Are any faculty members taking any RCR training?

• What is the basis for faculty participation (e.g., volunteers, assignments, etc.)? [the number of volunteers could be a measure of the tone from the top.]

• What is the incentive for faculty participation? Is it part of its T&P evaluation?

• What are the pressure points working against the program?

• Who is responsible for funding the program? How much funding/resources do you put into the program (includes faculty or admin FTEs)?

• Does this person(s) report directly to you about the program? How often?

• Who administers the RCR program?

[if this person is not the one who is responsible for funding]:

• Does this person(s) report directly to you about the program? How often?

• What authority does this person have to allocate resources and make changes to the program?

• How does the university promote the RCR program?

• Does the university offer appropriate incentives for participation and disciplinary measures for violations?

• Who do you think should participate in the training? [just those required or broader; faculty? What about subjects of university inquiries and investigations?]

• Does the university have a designated neutral ombudsman to provide advice to trainees or faculty members on issues pertaining to responsible mentor/mentee conduct?