Starting this year, university faculty members will find it harder to divide their time between Ohio State and other universities because of Ohio State’s new conflict of commitment policy.
The policy, implemented during the July Board of Trustees meeting, was enacted in compliance with federal regulations, making it nearly impossible for instructors to teach at another university during on-duty quarters while they are employed by Ohio State – unless those activities do not take away from their work here.
“The policy attempts to assure that when faculty engage in activities external to the university, they do so in a way which does not interfere with their responsibilities in teaching, research and service,” said Susan Fisher, professor of entomology and secretary of the University Senate in an e-mail.
A conflict of commitment exists when external or other activities are so substantial or demanding as to interfere with the individual’s teaching, according to the policy.
If faculty members gets the opportunity to teach a course at another university for which they will be off campus, they may do so only if credit or prestige is given to OSU, Fisher said.
Faculty members may only teach the course if their department chair and dean approve it, she said.
David Horn, a professor and chair of the College of Humanities, chaired the University Senate Steering Committee when the policy was being written.
“All of my colleagues work from time to time for entities other than this university,” Horn said in an e-mail. “Many also volunteer their time to local schools and other community organizations.”
Horn said in the e-mail that outside work for professors is consistent with their duties as faculty members at Ohio State, and none of it demands so much time that it interferes with their performance as researchers or teachers.
“Indeed some of it would be considered a professional obligation,” Horn said in an e-mail.
The policy also states that faculty members may not use their expertise during on-duty quarters to provide services that compete with an academic or service entity within OSU.
Faculty members are also allowed, under limited circumstances, to participate in activities, such as political issues, that would cause their absence, as long as the instructor identified some benefit for the university, Fisher said.
However, faculty members are prohibited from taking part in private business activities that are found to be detrimental to the instructor’s research or educating responsibilities, according to the policy.
If a faculty member decides to pursue the activity in violation of the policy after a prohibition has been issued by the chair, dean or provost, charges could be brought against the faculty member, Fisher said.
“The sanctions vary with the severity of the violation,” she said. “In a very dire case where the faculty member persists in a prohibited activity and is not dissuaded after repeated warnings, it is possible he could be fired.”
