II - 3.10 - Policy on Professional Commitment of Faculty

I. Policy and Purpose

With the acceptance of a full-time faculty appointment with the University System of Maryland ("USM"), at Bowie State University ("BSU"), one makes a major professional commitment to the mission and goals of the Institution and its students, with the essential components of:  instruction; student direction and advisement; research; professional, public, and institutional service; and administration. These vary in their relative distribution of time according to the particular talents and interests of the full-faculty member and the needs of the academic unit as determined by the department chair and/or other responsible administrator.

Consulting or professional services rendered to the University during an appointment period may not carry a stipend, except with the advance approval of the President or the Provost.

The purpose of this Policy is to identify and delineate the conditions under which a full-time faculty member may undertake external professional consulting or other professional activities

II. Applicability

A. Scope

This Policy covers all of the faculty member's external professional activities during his/her contractual period with the University.

B. Eligibility

This policy applies to all full-time faculty members.

C. Responsibility

The faculty member is responsible for ensuring that his/her external professional activities are in keeping with this Policy, and the Provost via the Department Chair and School Dean, is responsible for administrative accountability for this Policy.

III. Guidelines and Standards

A. External Commitment

Professional consulting and other external professional activities, whether income-producing or not, may be undertaken only when it is assured that all of the faculty member's contractual responsibilities to BSU will be met, including departmental responsibilities and obligations to students and colleagues. Ordinarily, these activities shall be undertaken only when the faculty member's involvement is likely to enhance the professional standing of the faculty and/or contribute to the fulfillment of the mission of the University.

  1. Professional consulting or professional services which carry a stipend and are rendered to another institution to the University System of Maryland or another state agency in Maryland require the advance approval of the President or the Provost.
  2. A faculty member may not make substantial use of the physical resources of BSU in connection with consulting activities, unless the University is reimbursed in accordance with prior arrangements or unless such reimbursement is waived by the President or Provost.
  3. A faculty member shall not convey endorsement by BUS or the University System of Maryland of any recommendations of, or results from, his/her consulting activities.
  4. No individual shall enter into any agreement in the pursuit of consulting services which conflicts with the University System of Maryland Policy on Intellectual Property without the written waiver or consent of the Chancellor or his/her designee, as detailed in III B below.

B. Conflict of Interest and/or Commitment

  1. Although external activities might enhance BSU and the University System of Maryland, they also may create the potential for conflicts of interest and/or commitment.
  2. In instances where a conflict of interest, or the appearance of conflict, may arise in the context of the State Ethics Law (Article 40A of the Maryland Annotated Code), an advisory opinion should be obtained from the State Ethics Commission.
  3. Situations which have the appearance of conflict require a faculty member to inform the Department Chair or the School Dean, who will confer with the Provost, if necessary, for resolution.

C. Approval of External Professional Activities

  1. Annually, all full-time faculty requesting approval for external services must complete and submit the University's Outside Employment Form, which must be submitted to the Department Chair, the School Dean, the Provost and the President.
  2. If a faculty member proposes to provide external professional consulting or other services, he/she must notify the Department Chair, in writing, of his/her intent and be able to demonstrate an absence of conflict of interest or commitment.
  3. The Department Chair must determine that the faculty member's external consulting and/or other professional activities (1) are not in conflict with both BSU's and the University System of Maryland's Policies on Professional Commitment of Faculty; (2) does not violate the State of Maryland's Public Ethics Law (Article 40A of the Maryland Annotated Code); and (3) does not interfere with the faculty member's obligation to students, colleagues, or the University. The Chair shall forward the request, with or without endorsement, to the School Dean who shall forward the request, with our without an endorsement, to the Provost.
  4. If necessary, the Provost may meet with the faculty member and the Department Chair or School Dean to further clarify the delineation between obligations to the BSU community and the proposed external consulting or professional activities to be undertaken.
  5. The Provost with or without endorsement, shall forward the faculty member's request to provide external professional services to the President.
  6. The Provost shall make a final determination as to the disposition of the faculty member's request.

IV. Result

A system which allows for faculty contributions external to BSU while ensuring that such contributions do not detract from, or conflict with, the faculty member's contractual responsibilities to his/her school, department, students, or the University.

V. Exceptions and Deviations

None

VI. Definitions

A. A conflict of interest arises when the faculty member influences, or is in a position to influence, the University's decision for personal financial gain or benefit.

B. A conflict of commitment situation arises when outside activities substantially interfere with the faculty member's obligation to students, colleagues, or the University.

 

iEffective Date:  01/17/2002

iReplacement For:

Additionally, this policy supercedes, in whole or in part, any policy(ies) and/or procedure(s) established by the Regents, Trustees, Presidents, or their designees, of the former institutions of the University of Maryland, and of the former State Universities and Colleges, and of the Regents of the University System of Maryland that are in conflict with the policy(jes) purpose, applicability, or intent, that may be have been overlooked and not included as a specific citation under “Replacement For”