Small University Programs

["Thomas Graham" <graham@ccmail.nevada.edu>]

     I would like to hear from RSO's of other academic radiation safety 
     programs who are applying for broad-scope licenses or have had recent 
     experience with such applications.  Our program faces a crisis in that 
     there is only one professional position, that of RSO, and the history 
     of our specified license has shown the need for an assistant RSO and a 
     technical position.  On the other hand, we anticipate only ten to 
     twelve users under the broad license, and no additional staff 
     unless/untill the use increases.  Instead of a broad-scope license, we 
     may be reduced to individual licenses for each user.
     
     The only alternative appears to be an "innovative" approach which will 
     somehow combine a structure based on individual programs for each lab 
     with a central RS Office and/or committee providing timely approval of 
     research and teaching programs.  The individual programs would bear 
     the burden of maintaining control of radioactive materials, enabling 
     the RSO to keep knowledgeable of all activities and to review 
     proposals, through minimizing technical and routine tasks.
     
     I am particularly interested in ideas and experiences regarding 
     maintaining a small program through inevitable absences of the RSO for 
     meetings, vacation, illness, and so forth.
     
     Thomas Graham
     
     graham@ccmail.nevada.edu