Know the Code – Standard 5

Acknowledge and appropriately manage conflicts of interest

UA community members who are UA faculty and staff owe their primary professional allegiance to UA and its mission to excel in the highest levels of education, research, scholarship, and service. UA community members have an obligation to be objective and impartial in making decisions on behalf of the University. External professional activities, private financial interests, or the receipt of benefit from third parties can cause an actual or perceived conflict between UA’s interests and an individual’s private interests.

UA community members are expected to:

• Accept benefits, awards, and prizes from external entities only in accordance with federal and state laws and UA policies and standards;
• Disclose relationships with third parties, such as consulting, board membership, or professional services, in accordance with UA’s policies and processes to ensure objective judgment in purchasing, research, and other UA business and to identify any potential or actual conflicts of interest;
• Adhere to any management plans created to manage conflicts of interest;
• Ensure one’s personal relationships do not interfere with objective judgment in decisions affecting UA employment or academic progress of any UA community member;
• Not engage in any other activity that a reasonable person would expect to impair, or that would appear to impair, the independent judgment of the UA community member in the performance of his or her public duties.