Conflicts of Commitment and Reportable Outside Activities

In July 2011, Purdue adopted new policies on conflicts of interest and commitment and on reportable outside activities, University Policy III.B.1, "Conflicts of Commitment and Reportable Outside Activities." This policy defines what constitutes a conflict of commitment and what outside activities need to be reported to the University. It provides links to other policies dealing with conflicts of commitment and to the Reportable Outside Activity Form, which needs to be completed by faculty and staff when a new reportable activity is undertaken, and on an annual basis for those that are ongoing. Department heads are responsible for monitoring the reportable outside activities of those they supervise and determine whether they are within the University guidelines. If there are questions, contact Kirke Willing, Director of Financial Affairs.

The College of Liberal Arts also has a policy on conflicts of interest that are not limited to those involving financial interests or external (to Purdue) commitments-which are the focus of the University policy. In September 2008, the CLA Faculty Senate approved a report from an ad hoc committee charged with creating a policy for the college to cover conflicts such as those which might arise in promotion and tenure deliberations. The policy identifies a procedure for disclosing potential conflicts, relationships that might produce a conflict of interest, and decisions in which those who have a conflict of interest should not participate. Click here for a copy of the report and the recommended guidelines.

If you have questions about conflicts of interest involving academic decisions, contact Associate Dean Wei Hong.