[CCoE Notice] Board of Regents Annual Policy Distribution: Please Read....

Fritz Claydon fclaydon at uh.edu
Wed Sep 7 15:31:23 CDT 2011


UHS Board of Regents requires that the following policies are distributed to
each employee annually.  As an employee of UH, you are responsible for
reading and understanding the policies provided below.

21.03         Academic Freedom
                  To establish and clarify the rights and responsibilities
of the faculty
                  pursuant to academic freedom, the board adopts the
following policy:

21.03.1      The faculty member is entitled to full freedom in research and
in the
                  publication of the results, subject to the adequate
performance of the
                  faculty member’s other academic duties; but research for
pecuniary return
                  should be based upon an understanding with the authorities
of the
                  component university.

21.03.2      The faculty member is entitled to freedom in the classroom in
discussing
                  the subject matter, but the faculty member should be
careful not to
                  introduce into the teaching controversial matter which has
no close
                  relation to the subject.

21.03.3      The faculty member is a citizen, a member of a learned
profession, and an
                  officer of an educational institution. When speaking or
writing as a citizen,
                  the faculty member shall be free from institutional
censorship or
                  discipline, but the faculty member’s special position in
the community
                  imposes special obligations. As a person of learning and
an educational
                  officer, the faculty member should remember that the
public may judge
                  the profession and the institution by the faculty member’s
utterances.
                  Hence the faculty member should at all times strive for
accuracy, exercise
                  appropriate restraint, show respect for the opinions of
others, and make
                  every effort to indicate that the faculty member is not
speaking for the
                   institution. (11/1 8/0 4)

29.02         Sexual Harassment
                  The board, the system, and the component universities are
committed to
                  providing a professional working and learning environment
free from sexual
                  harassment. Sexual harassment is a form of sex
discrimination and is
                  illegal. Neither the board, nor the system, nor any
component university
                  will tolerate any form of sexual harassment. Furthermore,
the board, the
                  system, and the component universities are committed to
providing the
                  training to educate staff, faculty, and students about
sexual harassment
                  issues.

                  The component universities and the system administration
shall adopt
                  policies consistent with this policy. The rights of
claimants and
                  respondents will be protected by the procedures developed
by the
                  institutions. (1/1 8/04)

57.01        Code of Ethics

57.01.1     All members of the board and all employees of the system and its
                 component institutions shall adhere to the highest ethical
standards of
                 conduct reflected in state law and board policies.

57.01.2     The system code of ethics is comprised of the following
components:

          A. Statutory Standards of Conduct for State Employees, Section
572.051,
                    Texas Government Code;
          B. the following board policies:
                    1. Academic Freedom (21 .03)
                    2. Sexual Harassment (29.02)
                    3. Governmental Appearances (81.01)
                    4. Consulting and Paid Professional Service (57.02)
                    5. Dual Office Holding (57.04)
                    6. Nepotism (57.07)
                    7. Conflicts of Interest (57.08)

57.01.3      All members of the board and employees of the system and its
component
                  institutions shall be furnished a copy of the laws and
policies comprising
                  the code of ethics at the time of employment or
commencement of service
                  and at the start of each academic year. (05/17/07)

57.01.4      All members of the board shall annually sign conflict of
interest
                  certification statements affirming their compliance with
their official oath
                  and specific provisions of Texas statutes related to
ethical behavior.

57.02         Consulting and Paid Professional Service
                  Full-time members of the faculty and professional or
administrative staff
                  may engage in external consultation or other paid
professional services,
                  provided such activities benefit the system and contribute
to the
                  professional development of the individual.

                  This privilege is subject in all instances to the
conditions set forth below.
                  Failure to comply with this policy may subject an employee
to disciplinary
                  action including reprimand, suspension, or termination.

57.02.1      The first responsibility of the individual is to the system,
and outside
                  professional commitments should not interfere with the
person’s full-time
                  responsibility to the system.

57.02.2      No outside obligation should result in any conflict of interest
involving
                  the individual’s responsibilities to the system or to its
programs, policies,
                  and objectives. Consulting and other professional
agreements that
                  represent actual or potential conflicts of interest must
be avoided.

57.02.3      Use of system facilities, space, equipment, or support staff
for consulting
                  or other paid professional activities is permitted only if
a financial
                  arrangement has been concluded between the individual and
the
                  administration prior to the employee’s beginning the
outside consulting or
                  other paid professional service.

57.02.4      Individuals may not represent themselves as acting in the
capacity of
                  system employees when conducting consulting or other paid
professional
                  activities. The system bears no responsibility for any
actual or implied
                  obligations or liabilities incurred by the individual
resulting from a
                  consulting or other paid professional agreement or
activity.

57.02.5      Faculty who wish to arrange consulting or other paid
professional
                  activities must provide prior written notification to
their dean. Review by
                  their dean of such activities will include consideration
of any real or
                  apparent conflict of interest and the benefit of the
proposed service to the
                  system and the component university. Each faculty member
who engages
                  in consulting or other paid professional service,
including teaching on a
                  temporary basis at other institutions, must ensure that
such activities do
                  not require commitments of time averaging more than one
day per
                  calendar week, and must arrange such activities so as not
to interfere with
                  regularly scheduled classes.

57.02.6      Professional or administrative staff who wish to arrange
consulting or
                  other paid professional activities must obtain prior
written approval from
                  the appropriate supervisor. While consulting is a
recognized aspect of
                  faculty activities with the limitations noted in this
document, consulting by
                  professional or administrative staff must be justified on
an individual basis
                  by clear and direct benefit to the system.

57.02.7      When any of an individual’s salary is paid from funds for
externally
                  sponsored activities, the time allowable for consultation
or other paid
                  professional activities must comply with sponsor
requirements.
                  Unpaid public service is not included in this policy, nor
are occasional
                  lectures that include fees, unless these activities
require significant
                  amounts of time or otherwise conflict with regular system
obligations.

                  Each president and the chancellor will establish a process
for monitoring
                  outside paid professional activities of their faculty and
staff in order to
                  ensure that such activities are consistent with the above
policy and also
                  serve system purposes. The chancellor will report to the
board annually on
                  such activities. (05/17/07)

57.04         Dual Office Holding
                  The board must give its approval before any officer of the
system or its
                  component institutions may hold other non-elective state
or federal office
                  or position of honor, trust, or profit. Approval must
include formal
                  findings that the dual office holding is of benefit to the
state or required by
                  state or federal law, and creates no conflict of interest.
(1 2/1 6/08)

     For more information on Consulting and Paid Professional Service and
Dual Office
     Holding and required forms, please go to the links below:


http://www.uh.edu/af/universityservices/policies/sam/2HumanResources/2A8.pdf<http://uhhelpdesk.custhelp.com/rd?1=AvUU%7EwpTHP8S6tj5GrAe%7EyL%7EJvsq%7EzT%7Edzuolzr%7E&2=2801>

     http://www.uh.edu/af/universityservices/policies/mapp/02/020107.pdf<http://uhhelpdesk.custhelp.com/rd?1=AvUU%7EwpTHP8S6tj5GrAe%7EyL%7EJvsq%7EzT%7Edzuolzr%7E&2=2802>


57.07         Nepotism
                  Relatives of members of the board shall not be employed by
the system
                  unless the employment took place at least one year prior
to the
                  appointment of the board member. Relatives of other system
employees
                  shall not be employed by the system in positions where the
employee has
                  the official authority to hire or recommend or approve the
hiring, salary, or
                  promotions of the relative.

                  Relatives shall not be employed in the
supervisory-subordinate
                  relationship even if it results from marriage after the
employment
                  relationship was formed. The provisions of this policy
apply to all system
                  programs regardless of funding source.

                  For the purposes of this policy, the term “relative” is
defined as anyone
                  related to the employee within the second degree of
affinity or the third
                  degree of consanguinity and includes the employee’s spouse
and the
                  employee’s or the spouses’ parents, grandparents, great
grandparents,
                  brothers, sisters, half brothers and sisters, children,
grandchildren, great
                  grandchildren, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, first
cousins, second
                  cousins, and persons married to them. (11/26/07)

57.08         Conflicts of Interest
                  All members of the board and employees of the system and
its component
                  institutions shall adhere to and be furnished  a copy of
the Statutory
                  Standards of Conduct for State Employees, Section 572.051,
Texas
                  Government Code, and shall avoid conflicts of interest,
generally
                  described as the use of one’s university employment or
position
                  to obtain unauthorized privileges, benefits, or things of
value for oneself
                  or others, including the following:

57.08.1      No board member or employee shall solicit, engage, or agree to
accept
                  any privilege, benefit or thing of value for the exercise
of his or her
                  discretion, influence, or powers as an employee or regent,
except as is
                  allowed by law.

57.08.2      No board member or employee shall accept any privilege,
benefit, or
                  thing of value that might influence him or her in the
discharge of his or her
                  duties as an employee or regent.

57.08.3      No board member or employee shall use his or her position to
secure
                  special privileges or exemptions for himself or herself or
others, except as
                  is allowed by law.

57.08.4      No board member or employee may be an officer, agent, employee,
or
                  member of, or own an interest in a professional activity
that foreseeably
                  might require or induce him or her to disclose
confidential information
                  acquired by reason of his or her system position.

57.08.5      No board member or employee shall accept employment or engage
in any
                  business or professional activity that foreseeably might
require or induce
                  him or her to disclose confidential information acquired
by reason of his
                  or her system position.

57.08.6      No board member or employee shall disclose confidential
information
                  gained by reason of his or her system position, nor shall
he or she
                  otherwise use such information for his or her personal
gain or benefit.

57.08.7      No board member or employee shall transact any business for the
system
                  with any entity of which he or she is an officer, agent,
employee, or
                  member, or in which he or she owns a significant interest.

57.08.8      No board member or employee shall make personal investments in
any
                  enterprise that foreseeably might create a substantial
conflict between his
                  or her private interests and the system’s interests.

57.08.9      No board member or employee shall accept other employment that
might
                  impair his or her independence of judgment in the
performance of his or
                  her system duties.

57.08.10    No board member or employee shall receive any compensation for
his
                  or her services to the system from any source other than
the State of Texas
                  except as is allowed by law.

57.08.11    No board member or employee who exercises discretion in
connection
                  with contracts, purchases, payments, claims, or other
pecuniary
                  transactions shall solicit, accept, or agree to accept any
benefit from a
                  person or entity the employee knows or should know is or
is likely to
                  become financially interested in such transactions.

                  Failure of any employee to comply with the foregoing shall
constitute
                  grounds for discharge or other disciplinary action. (05/1
7/0 7)

81.01         Governmental Appearances
                  All system and component university employees appearing
before
                  Congress, the Texas Legislature, City, County, or
governmental body, or
                  their agencies, committees, or members to offer testimony,
opinions, or
                  commentary in regard to existing or potential laws, rules,
or regulations,
                  not expressly authorized to do so by the board or
                  the chancellor, must clearly state in advance that they
are appearing in
                  their individual capacities and that their testimony,
opinions, and
                  commentary are not authorized by, and must not be
construed as reflecting
                  on, the position of the system. (05/17/07)


Sandy Coltharp
Director, Talent Management
UH Human Resources
360 McElhinney Hall
Houston, Texas 77204-5009
Tel: 713-743-3988
scoltharp at uh.edu



-- 
Fritz Claydon Ph.D.
Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Associate Dean of Administration and Research
University of Houston
Cullen College of Engineering
713.743.4204
fclaydon at uh.edu


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