Policies and Procedures
Consulting Activity by EPA Employees
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MEMORANDUM
TO: Deans, Directors, Department Chairs, and Human Resources Facilitator FROM: Paul Hardin SUBJECT: Use of University Resources in Consulting Activity by EPA Employees DATE: October 6, 1993 We frequently receive inquiries concerning the extent University facilities may be used in connection with the external professional activities undertaken by faculty and EPA non faculty employees. This memorandum is intended to provide guidance for you and your colleagues on this topic. Additional questions may be directed to the Office of University Counsel (962-1219) or the Internal Audit Department (962-2554). As provided in the Board of Governors' Policy on External Professional Activities for Pay, University employment responsibilities include primary duties (teaching, scholarship, institutional service) and secondary duties. Secondary duties refer to certain professional affiliations and activities traditionally undertaken by faculty and other professional staff members outside of the immediate University employment context that redound to the benefit of the profession and to higher education in general. Such endeavors (which may or may not entail the receipt of honoraria or the reimbursement of expenses) include membership in and service to professional associations and learned societies; membership on professional review or advisory panels, presentation of lectures, papers, concerts or exhibits, participation in seminars and conferences; reviewing or editing scholarly publications and books, and service to accreditation bodies. Such integral manifestations of one's membership in a profession are encouraged, as extensions of University employment, so long as they do not conflict or interfere with the timely and effective performance of the individual's primary University duties. Use of University facilities (office space, secretarial time, and the like) in connection with these duties is fully appropriate. To be distinguished from these duties are what the Policy refers to as "external professional activities for pay". When activities are undertaken that are outside the course and scope of employment but nevertheless are based on the professional knowledge, experience, and abilities of the faculty member or EPA non faculty member, the Policy indicates that no inappropriate use of University facilities, equipment, personnel, or other resources may be made in connection with these activities. What constitutes inappropriate use of University resources has received the attention of the auditor and of this office for a number of years. Under the Board of Governors' recent revision of its Policy on External Professional Activities for Pay, inappropriate use or exploitation of University resources includes the use of any services, facilities, equipment, supplies or personnel that members of the general public may not freely use. A person engaged in external professional activities for pay may use, in that connection, his or her University office on a limited basis and publicly accessible facilities such as University libraries; however, a University office shall not be used as the site for compensated appointments with clients, e.g., for counseling or instruction. Under no circumstances may a supervisory employee use the services of a supervised employee during University employment time to advance the supervisors external professional activities for pay. Such services are discouraged even on a reimbursement, out-of-the-office basis, because of the serious difficulty such use presents, for example, with the Wage-Hour laws. The telephone system should not be used for personal long-distance calls, including those associated with external professional activities for pay, even if there is reimbursement for such calls. Fax machines and cellular phones similarly should not be used. For written communications, under no circumstances should University letterhead or postage be used for external professional activities, nor should other representations be made that imply University sponsorship or endorsement. Although use of University Libraries would not be inappropriate, to the extent the services used are available to the public, use of certain on-line library research services and data bases is often restricted to University use by our licensing arrangements. Consequently, such services may not be appropriately used in connection with external professional activity. Please bring the contents of this memorandum to the attention of your faculty and EPA non faculty colleagues. Thank you for your assistance. |