To seek information from the students they want to observe and interview, the evaluators should seek clearance from the university's Institutional Review Board. There is a high likelihood that the board will require that letters of consent, with guarantees of anonymity, be signed by students because the information they will be asked to provide will be beyond their regular courses of study. As a courtesy, they should also notify the geology instructors. Most students are no longer minors so consent from parents or guardians will not be necessary. Students under 18 years of age are minors. For these students, consent from their parents or guardians will be required.