Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1994 [PAGE 509]

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UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

497

Careful scrutiny is required when the academic staff member's financial interests, or the assumption of outside executive or administrative responsibilities, appears to be incompatible with the individual's duties and obligations to the University. Likewise, such financial interests and activities merit additional monitoring when the academic staff member may be in a position to influence University research or business decisions in ways that could lead to the staff member's direct or indirect personal financial gain or give improper advantage to the staff member's family or others. If the proposed activities are to be approved, appropriate control mechanisms must be established in writing prior to the commencement of the activity and continuously monitored. Research agreements with external entities, especially entities with which academic staff members have a financial, managerial, or executive relationship, are of special concern. The terms and enactment of such agreements must maintain basic academic values and promote the development and open dissemination of knowledge. Likewise, the educational experience of the University's students and postdoctoral fellows should not be diminished or impeded in any way. In order to maintain the University's credibility and public trust, neither interference in the choice by academic staff members of the scientific or scholarly subjects they pursue, nor diversion of their energies or University resources from its primary missions should occur. All research agreements between the University and external sponsor are subject to prior approval through established University review procedures. The involvement of University students or employees in the outside professional activities of an academic staff member can be beneficial. However, such involvement must be disclosed, reviewed, and approved in writing by the unit executive officer in advance to assure that exploitation or unreasonable interference with University duties and responsibilities, including course and thesis work, does not occur. Students and staff involved in these outside professional activities shall be made fully aware of the circumstances, University policy regarding these activities, and the precautions instituted by the academic staff member and the unit executive officer in its regard. Additional situations of concern include those that might prejudice an academic staff member with respect to judging other staff in issues of rank, pay, and tenure by virtue of collaboration in outside activities. The unit executive officer may need to implement appropriate monitoring depending on the facts of specific cases. State and federal agencies have legitimate concerns that any research they sponsor is free of bias due to financial interests of the investigator and institution, that funds provided be expended as intended, and that the commitment of time and effort be appropriate for the project supported. Most governmental agencies have required institutions to assume the responsibility for ensuring that these concerns are addressed. Failure to comply may jeopardize existing or future funding. Accordingly, academic staff members must cooperate fully with the University to ensure that the institution can resolve and/or manage potential and actual conflicts of commitment and interest in conformity with regulations of governmental granting agencies.