AAALAC Site Visit Begins Tuesday, June 13

Beginning this Tuesday, June 13, and running through Friday, June 16, U-M will be hosting site visitors from AAALAC International (AAALAC) for the university’s re-accreditation site visit. During this time, you should anticipate a visit to all animal housing locations on campus, as well as visits to many laboratories.

Please review the complete Site Visit Schedule  (or paste animalcare.umich.edu/aaalac-schedule into your web browser) for more information on the specific days/times that individual buildings and floors will be visited.

Should there be any last-minute changes to the schedule during the week of the visit, the Animal Care & Use Office will attempt to contact your designated laboratory spokesperson(s).

If you have not yet done so, please designate your AAALAC Spokesperson in eRAM as soon as possible.

To serve as good hosts and stewards of our institution, we ask that you remember to:

• Complete – at a minimum – the Five AAALAC Essentials  (available via PDF download using valid Level-1 U-M login credentials)
• Display your U-M ID badge at all times
• Wear proper personal attire, which includes:
  • Shirts or tops that completely cover the upper torso,
  • Long pants that completely cover the legs, and
  • Closed-toe shoes.
• Remember that it’s OK to say “I don’t know” if that is genuinely the case. Then, offer to contact the appropriate party (often ULAM or the ACUO) to get the correct answer.
• Be passionate about your research and your care and use of animals. Site visitors are often interested in hearing about your laboratory’s research.

Exit Briefing

Finally, we encourage you to show your support for our program and the university by joining us at the AAALAC Exit Briefing on the afternoon of Friday, June 16. During the Exit Briefing, the Site Visit Team will summarize their key findings for the U-M research community. Although this session does not allow for open discussion, it provides unique insight into our program’s core strengths and areas for further improvement.

For convenience, this will be a hybrid event with both in-person and virtual attendance options available. Additional information about the timing of the Exit Briefing will be communicated to the U-M animal care and use community via email.

Questions?

Questions about the AAALAC Site Visit should be directed to the Animal Care & Use Office at acuoffice@umich.edu or (734) 763-8028.

We hope that you will join us in capitalizing on this opportunity to demonstrate to our colleagues and peers that the entire U-M community shares our commitment to continually pursue the highest standards of excellence for compassionate and humane laboratory animal care and use.

 Links marked with a lock icon can only be accessed using valid Level-1 U-M login credentials.