Outside Professional Activities
| Found that issues related
to University Policy on Outside Professional Activities seemed be
particularly confusing to faculty and administrators |
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| To further add to the
confusion there are federal requirements that are separate from University
policy |
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| Will cover: |
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| • What institutional and federal policy entails |
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| • when they apply |
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| • how to report activities |
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| Outside professional
activities are not a bad thing or something to be avoided |
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| USC and all research
universities encourage (and expect) faculty interactions and working
relationships between faculty and government agencies, business &
industry as important parts of their research, education and public service
activities (See policy preamble – goes to lengths…) |
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| Interactions with the
private sector bring increased potential for financial conflicts of
interest or the perception of conflict
(commitment as well as financial) |
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| This is what must be avoided
and what federal and institutional policy is designed to address |
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| The University is
responsible for assisting its faculty identify activities that present
potential conflicts and in reducing or managing the conflicts to
assure that they do not threaten the integrity the university and faculty. |
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| Not possible nor
necessary to eliminate all perceived or real financial conflicts of
interest. existence of a conflict is not necessarily a problem; it is how
individuals and institutions respond (don’t respond) to conflicts that may be
problematic. (That is where a
clear enforced policy comes in) |
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