Employees of the College should avoid a conflict of interest, defined as involvement that limits a person’s ability to support the best interest of the College when performing their job. A conflict of interest may take various forms. It begins when an employee is or may be in a position to influence the College's business, research, or decision-making that could lead to any form of personal gain for the staff member or others closely associated with that College employee. No employee should have any financial or other interest in business transactions or relationships that could reasonably be construed to give rise to a conflict of interest, real or apparent, that would affect independent and unbiased judgment in carrying out an employee's duties to the College.
An employee shall be considered to have a conflict of interest if:
- Such employee has existing or potential financial or other interests which impair or might reasonably appear to impair such employee’s independent, unbiased judgment in the discharge of their responsibilities to the College, or
- Such employee is aware that a family member (which for purposes herein shall be a spouse, parents, siblings, children and any other relative if the latter reside in the same household as the employee), or any organization in which such employee (or family member) is an officer, director, employee, member, partner, trustee, or controlling stockholder, has such existing or potential financial or other interests.
All employees shall disclose to the Vice President for Finance and Business Affairs any possible conflict of interest at the earliest practicable time to allow the College to take appropriate action to address the conflict of interest. Failure to disclose a conflict of interest may result in disciplinary action including, but not limited to, termination of employment.