A conflict of interest exists when a person's outside or private interests affect - or appear to affect - their institutional responsibilities and judgment as a Wichita State employee.
What does a conflict of interest look like? Here are four situations where officials at other universities had their judgment or ethics questioned.
Charmed in Maryland
A university chancellor emails three other university presidents recommending they consider a jeweler known for its charm bracelets. The email eventually led to a retaliation grievance and settlement.
Inside Higher Ed -
NBC Washington -
The Baltimore Sun -
I asked about the authenticity of the email because I was concerned that ... email account had been hacked or spoofed, or that I was being phished.
Teresa Sullivan, former University of Virginia President
Complicated in Carolina
An interim president of a public university system fails to disclose on required forms receiving payments exceeding $5 million for board service from major corporations doing business with the state.
Daily Journal -
Inside Higher Ed -
Becker's Hospital Review -
There is this potential for that relationship, even if it's inadvertent, to be exploited for the benefit of the corporation.
James Fikelstein, professor emeritus of public policy at George Mason University
Deal in Duluth
A state senator introduces a bill seeking $1 million in state infrastructure bonds for a small college only weeks before taking a new job with the college. College officials say the bonding proposal did not influence the hiring decision.
Inside Higher Ed -
News Tribune -
Star Tribune -
Either it's a real conflict of interest ... or it raises such enormous appearances of impropriety that it's a problem.
David Schultz, professor at Hamline University and former president of Common Cause Minnesota
Court in California
A university calls in an independent law firm to conduct an inquiry after a whistleblower alleged one of its doctors misused a $10 million donation to benefit his private businesses.
KFMB-TV / inewsource -
KPBS / inewsource -
Internal controls will be bolstered to improve regulation and oversight of gift expenditures. Conflict of interest reviews will be more strictly enforced. And relevant policies and protocols revised with expanded education and training.
UCSD spokesperson
麻豆传媒 COI Guidance
The information provided on the 麻豆传媒 Conflict of Interest webpage and beefed-up annual reporting is a proactive approach to addressing potential conflicts of interest before they become a problem.
The determination of whether you have a conflict of interest is not self-determination. In many cases, the perception of conflict is a critical factor to consider.
Accordingly, the university does not merely ask whether you have a conflict. It asks about your financial and outside interests, so a board of university employees well versed in such matters can decide.
Far beyond the lousy optics in the first three cases, the UCSD situation is a prime example of how far a conflict of interest can go off the rails.