Outside Employment and Consulting

Authority: President
Date Enacted or Revised: June 27, 2006; Revised March 2016; March 16, 2022

Purpose

This policy relates to employment directly undertaken by employees of University of Louisiana System (ULS) institutions with outside employers or to self-employment (including consulting) and does not relate to employment in which arrangements are made officially through the institution by contract with or grants to the institution.

Statement of Policy on Outside Employment (From ULS Rules)

  1. A member of the faculty or staff may engage in outside activities, paid or unpaid, which do not conflict, delay, or in any manner interfere with instructional, scholarly, and/or other services they must render in the nature of their University employment.
  2. A full-time member of the faculty or staff who is presently engaged, or who plans to engage, in such activities outside of their broad institutional responsibilities, during any period of full-time employment by the institution, shall report to the chairman or head of their department in writing the nature and extent of such activities and the amount of time the work will require. In all such instances, the department head or chairman shall forward the report to the employee’s administrative superior who will make a complete disclosure of these facts to the campus head or their designee. A similar procedure shall be followed by deans in reporting to their vice presidents in reporting to the president.
  3. No full-time member of the faculty or staff shall engage in such outside employment (or continue such employment if already so engaged) without the written approval of the department head and dean. In the event that either the department head or the dean believes that such outside employment involves, or may involve, a matter of public interest or interfere with duties to the institution, the matter shall be referred through the appropriate channels to the president of the University or his designee for approval.
  4. It is the responsibility of the employee to make clear to any outside employer that in accepting such employment they do so as an individual independent of their capacity as a member of the staff of the University. This might best be accomplished by providing with oral testimony or written reports a statement to the effect that the views expressed are those of the employee and do not necessarily reflect the views of the institution. In no case should the individual concerned use the name of the institution or their University title officially, or in any way, in support of any position they may take.
  5. The institution recognizes the fact that a person qualifies as an expert because of their training and experience. Therefore, biographical data, including a statement of employment by the University, may be included as introductory material to written reports (but not incorporated in the body of the written report) by the outside employer, or orally in the case of expert witness, by way of establishing the writer as a qualified expert.
  6. Institutional resources shall not be used for personal gain. No University personnel, laboratories, services, or equipment are to be used without administrative authorization in connection with outside employment University employees.

Reporting Procedures

Vice presidents shall submit reports of an employee’s outside activities to the University president.

Code of Ethics Requirement

Compliance with the provisions of this policy is required by the Louisiana Code of Governmental Ethics. Violation of this policy may result in a violation of the Louisiana Code of Governmental Ethics and penalties applicable thereto and/or appropriate sanctions by the University and/or the Board of Supervisors for the University of Louisiana System. All employees, both full-time and part-time, are reminded that they are subject to the Louisiana Code of Governmental Ethics.

Conflicts of Interest (July 2009)

University employees are expected to perform their duties conscientiously, honestly, and in accordance with the best interests of the University. 

University employees are public servants of the state of Louisiana, and as public servants, University employees are required to abide by the Louisiana Code of Governmental Ethics, which includes laws prohibiting conflicts of interest.  Essentially, these statutes preclude public servants from participating in transactions of their employing state agency where the public servant has a personal substantial economic interest. The Louisiana Code of Governmental Ethics, Louisiana Revised Statutes 42:1101-1170, may be found at http://www.ethics.state.la.us/Pub/Laws/ethsum.pdf.

A conflict of interest may occur when public interests come in conflict with personal interests. A potential conflict of interest occurs when an employee is in a position to influence a decision that may result in personal gain for that employee or for a relative as a result of a University’s business dealing. 

Personal gain may result not only in cases where an employee or relative has a significant ownership in a business with which the University does business directly, but also where an employee or relative receives a substantial gift or other special consideration in consideration for a business dealing or transaction involving the University.

The existence of an employee’s relationship with an outside business does not automatically create a conflict of interest. However, if an employee has any influence on a transaction involving a purchase, contract, lease, or other transaction, it is imperative that the employee disclose to their supervisor, as soon as possible, the existence of any actual or potential conflict of interest so that safeguards can be established to protect all parties.

Conflicts of Commitment

A conflict of commitment occurs when an employee commits time and effort to an outside, non-University related endeavor that compromises or interferes with the employee’s efforts for the University. During University working hours, employees owe their full commitment of time and effort to University activities and responsibilities and must act in the institution’s best interests. Employees must avoid committing time and effort to endeavors that interfere with their commitment to the University.

Communication

This policy is distributed via the University Policies webpage.