In February 2020, the university adopted a Conflict of Commitment Policy designed to ensure that faculty and staff conduct the affairs of the university with high ethical and legal standards and in a manner that will further the interests of the university community. As part of this responsibility, the university expects faculty and staff to apply their time and effort appropriately, to use university resources toward university ends, and to avoid any interaction that creates, or appears to create, a Conflict of Commitment. A Conflict of Commitment is a situation in which an individual engages in outside activities, either paid or unpaid, that interferes with the individual’s primary professional obligation and commitment to the university. The policy applies to faculty with a full-time academic appointment at the university and to full-time administrators at the university (e.g., provost, vice provosts, vice presidents, associate/assistant vice presidents, deans, program directors, directors, associate/assistant directors, athletic directors, coaches, etc.).
On an annual basis, faculty and staff members to whom this policy applies must provide information on the nature and extent of any outside professional activities and any financial interests related to their institutional responsibilities. Faculty disclosures are reviewed by the faculty member’s school dean. At the discretion of the school dean, disclosures may also be shared with and reviewed by the provost, vice provosts, department chairs and others if/as necessary based on one’s role in university activities. Staff disclosures are reviewed by the vice president, vice provost, or provost or their designee. If there is doubt about the existence of an actual or apparent Conflict of Commitment, or uncertainty as to the relation of an outside professional activity to one’s institutional responsibilities, the faculty or staff member should err on the side of disclosing it for review and approval.
You may access the Conflict of Commitment Policy here.
If you have a Conflict of Commitment, please use this Google Form to report it. Your school dean or your vice president will then follow up with you. You are not required to complete the form if you do not have a Conflict of Commitment.
