°ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±Ô¤²â

Senate Agenda - EXHIBIT V - November 17, 2000

REPORT OF THE UNIVERSITY COUNCIL ON ANIMAL CARE

FOR APPROVAL

1. Procedures for the Use of Animals

Recommended: That the Senate approve the following amendment to the Introduction to The University of °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±Ô¤²â Ontario Procedures for the Use of Animals:

A. Introduction

The University Council on Animal Care (UCAC) is responsible to Senate for all aspects of procurement, maintenance, and the use of animals in research, teaching or testing. The UCAC shall ensure adequate review according to the procedures in this document.

All applications for the use of animals will be reviewed by the Animal Use Subcommittee (AUS). Appeals of decisions of AUS are made directly to UCAC.

Review of applications will ensure that procedures are in accord with the regulations of the Animals for Research Act (Ontario) and the guidelines and policy statements of the Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC) particularly those contained in the "Ethics of Animal Experimentation" document.

The procedures described here apply to all instances of research, teaching or testing involving vertebrate animals performed at The University of °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±Ô¤²â Ontario, its affiliated hospitals and research institutes, to field research that involves more than simple observation (e.g., trapping, artificial provisioning, etc.) and to University faculty members carrying out research as principal investigators at another institution or field station.

Failure to comply with these procedures will result in not receiving approval for the project by the UCAC. As warranted by the severity of circumstances, this may also include revoking of University approval for research and teaching involving animals and notification of this decision to Department Chairs, Institute Heads, as well as appropriate granting and licensing agencies.

Background:

As of March 2000, the Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC) updated their recommendations for terms of reference for animal care committees. As a result, minor amendments to the terms of reference of the University Council on Animal Care (UCAC) and the Animal Use Subcommittee (AUS) will be recommended⁽¹⁾ to bring them into line with the CCAC's recommendations. The above-noted amendment will make the Procedures for the Use of Animals consistent with the revised terms of reference of AUS.

2. Standardized Training in Animal Care and Use

Recommended: That the Senate approve and recommend to the Board of Governors, through the Vice-Chancellor, the establishment of a policy on the Standardized Training in Animal Care and Use as shown in Annex 1, to come into effect January 1, 2001.

Background:

The research community at the University of °ÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±Ô¤²â Ontario is aware of the need to ensure the well-being of animals used in our work by following national guidelines from the Canadian Council on Animal Care and the legal requirements of the Animals for Research Act (Ontario). It is a given that the use of animals is a privilege and must be carried out with due consideration of the welfare of the animals. It is also recognized that, at the same time, the research environment at UWO must be open to facilitate advances in the biomedical sciences that can only be achieved with the use of animals.

To these ends, the University Council on Animal Care (UCAC) proposes the introduction of a mandatory course of training for graduate students, post-doctoral students, visiting fellows, residents, tutorial assistants, research technicians, and animal care technicians whose work depends on animal use. The primary objective of this training will be to ensure that these people working in a laboratory that comes under the jurisdiction of the University Animal Care and Veterinary Services will be informed of the rules, regulations and laws that govern the use of animals in research as well as of the latest basic animal handling techniques.

UCAC recognizes that individuals working with animals may have received formal or informal training elsewhere or in the past that easily qualifies that person for animal work and that this prior knowledge will exempt them from the proposed mandatory training course.

The proposals herein have been developed with the objective of creating a positive atmosphere for research at UWO and ensuring that the high standards of animal care and use on this campus are maintained.

In a recent assessment from the CCAC, there is a recommendation that such mandatory training be introduced. As well, a document entitled "Guidelines on Institutional Animal User Training" was issued in 1999 that presents training requirements for institutional animal users which will become mandatory for participants in the CCAC assessment program by January 2003.

The UNIVERSITY of WESTERN ONTARIO

POLICIES and PROCEDURES

POLICY

1.00 Graduate students, post-doctoral students, visiting fellows, residents, tutorial assistants, research technicians, and animal care technicians (hereinafter referred to as "Animal Users") who use animals in academic endeavours, or through their employment at UWO or its affiliated institutions, are required to attend the Animal Care and Use Course (½ day seminar) and appropriate 'hands-on' workshops. Evidence that an equivalent course or experience has been obtained elsewhere will exempt Animal User from this requirement.

2.00 Ideally, attendance at the Animal Care and Use Course should occur prior to using animals, however, it is recognized that this could delay important research, so the next available session must be attended. As well, to facilitate their comfort and experience, trainees are encouraged to take as many of the 'hands-on' workshops as they wish.

2.01 Animal Users training at UWO when this policy initially comes into effect (January 2001) will be required to take the course if they have not already done so.

3.00 The Animal Use Subcommittee (AUS) may require further individual training where problems of animal use and care occur.