The regulations are relatively silent on the issue of IACUC reappointment. While the new president of Great Eastern will serve as the CEO, his or her predecessor's appointments to the IACUC do not expire at the end of her term. Great Eastern's duly constituted IACUC does not require reappointment by the new president, unless that individual specifically wants to make some changes in the Committee's membership.

Under the AWRs, the CEO is authorized to appoint an IO and delegate all or some of the CEO's responsibilities for compliance with the AWRs to that individual. The one caveat is that the person serving as the IO does have to be authorized to legally commit the institution to compliance with requirements of the AWRs. When the new president takes over, it would be prudent for that individual to appoint or re-appoint an IO because of the role that the IO plays in taking on delegated responsibilities and actions, for which the president/CEO is ultimately responsible. Depending on the institution and president/CEO, the responsibility for appointment of IACUC members can be one of the delegated responsibilities given to the IO.

Although not required under current animal welfare regulations, it would be advisable to consider developing an institutional policy or procedure regarding the appointment of IACUC members, their terms, and the survivability of their appointment despite changes of the CEO or the IO. A separate policy for the appointment of the IO should also be developed. That policy should stipulate what responsibilities and actions have been delegated by the CEO and include some statement regarding appointment or reappointment at the discretion of a new or interim CEO. The existence of such policies will help to obviate any questions regarding these appointments.

Finally, it is important to remember that any change to the CEO or IO must be reported to the USDA Animal Care Regional Office within ten days of its occurrence.