Minors in the Research Workplace Compliance & Safety
Important Notice
It’s here! The Office of Recruitment and Science Outreach is happy to announce the release of the online application for visiting minors. By switching to an online form to begin the application process, minor applications are now received and housed in one central location, improving tracking of the individual through the process, and providing a historical record that is available for reporting.
Please read, to completion, the infographic below to understand the process fully BEFORE initiating forms. We are grateful for your cooperation and participation and the collaborative endeavor of many UTHSA faculty and staff who are working diligently to ensure the most efficient onboarding process possible for minors in the research workplace.
Minors in Workplace New Processing Timeline
The first step in the process is the mentor must register. Once they complete their portion, an email will be generated to the mentee and they will complete their portion. This ensures students do not initiate the process without a mentor on board.
We are happy to welcome individual students, who are 16-17, to volunteer or work in our research labs. We strongly encourage the students to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before they come onto campus. If they have not received COVID vaccination, we will offer vaccination through our hub for students planning to be on our campus longer than 30 days.
Research Mentor
ALL mentors with minors in the research workplace MUST register as such. Mentor training and registration for faculty wishing to have students in the lab must be completed as the first step in this digital process. See link above to begin the process. Mentors who have already taken the Youth Protection Training, simply indicate that on the form. Please only check yes, if you have taken the course within the last 3 years and you have a received your certificate from Ms. Avendano confirming passage of assessment.
Minor Student Trainee
Students, please note that this is not a mentor-matching program. Our office is responsible for documenting compliance required paperwork in order for students to work in a research lab on campus. If you do not yet have a mentor, we encourage you to reach out to potential mentors whose work interests you by searching our faculty directory and reaching out to them via email with a detailed reason why you would like to learn under their guidance, a resume and a schedule of your availability.
https://directory.uthscsa.edu/
Once your mentor completes the request process you will receive an email with a unique link for you to complete your forms.
Fees
Fees associated with the processing of minors are covered through institutional funds to alleviate financial burden on minor trainees. In order to ensure the meeting of institutional compliance requirements, all digital forms must be completed.
Finally, each minor student must attend environmental health and safety training BEFORE entering into the lab. This will now be accomplished through the digital platform, UT Learns. Students will be notified via email when they have been assigned required courses.
Special Circumstances
Reprocessing of Current Visiting Students: Students who are already in research labs and wish to extend their research experience must reach out before their original time of their visiting student period is over. You must resubmit the digital form and click on bubble stating “extension with existing department”.
Please note
Minor students are not allowed in the university research workplace unless they have completed this entire digital process, received training and have passed background check to allow them to receive a UTHSA badge. Badges and parking must be scheduled with UTPD at the link below:
https://book.appointment-plus.com/cthg4slv/#/
Process is in alignment with UT Health San Antonio HOP Policy 8.11.1
MInors in the Research Workplace UPDATED HOP policy 8.11.1
For questions or additional information, please contact Dr. Irene Chapa, Executive Director of the Office of Recruitment and Science Outreach (ORSO) at 210-567-3941 or via email to chapai@uthscsa.edu or Adriana Avendano, Academic Programs Coordinator-Senior at 210-567-3587 via email at avendanoa@uthscsa.edu.