3.4 Outside Activities–Conflicts of Interest and Commitment

Faculty members’ professional activities are generally understood to encompass efforts that will enhance their professional stature. Teaching, research or creative work, writing and publishing, scholarship in action and other activities for the public good, participation in meetings of learned societies and professional associations, and conduct of and participation in seminars, conferences, and workshops are included in professional activities encouraged by the University.

Policy Statement
The mission of the University is to promote learning through teaching, research, scholarship, creative accomplishment, and service. As a natural outgrowth of the University’s mission, it may be appropriate and desirable that Members of the University (hereinafter defined as faculty and salaried employees of the University) be professionally involved in outside activities such as lecturing at other institutions, practicing their profession, consulting, and serving in professional and community organizations. Such activities can enrich teaching, extend professional expertise, and contribute to the advancement of knowledge. In addition, it is recognized that faculty may from time to time have ownership interests in, compensation arrangements with, or various other relationships involving third parties with which the University conducts business.

While outside activities are generally encouraged and while other relationships may be permitted, in some circumstances, they can give rise to apparent conflicts. These conflicts can exist when a faculty member has certain financial or other interests or relationships or when there is a commitment of time or effort to non-University activities that prohibits them from meeting their obligations to the University. For the purposes of this policy, “Conflict of Interest” and “Conflict of Commitment” have been defined in the following ways:

a. Conflict of Interest occurs when a faculty member or salaried employee is in a position to influence a decision on University policies, purchases, programs, or decisions from which they or a close family member or other associate might directly or indirectly receive a benefit. Such benefits can include, but are not limited to, receipt of a financial gain, gift, gratuity, favor, notoriety, or participation in nepotism or bribery.

b. Conflict of Commitment arises when a faculty member’s involvement in outside activities substantially interferes with their primary commitments to the University. Such interference can include, but is not limited to, performance of outside activities (i) during an employee’s work hours for the University or (ii) other than during work hours to an extent that renders the employee incapable of satisfactorily performing their responsibilities to the University.

Conflicts of interest that relate to an investigator’s financial interests being affected by research, scholarship, education, or other externally funded activity are covered under Section 3.4.

Conflicts of Interest or Commitment may occur even though a faculty member’s outside activities involve comparatively little time.

If a faculty member engages, or proposes to engage, in any activity which involves any actual, potential, or apparent Conflict of Interest or Conflict of Commitment, the activity and the conflict(s) must be promptly disclosed in writing to the University Administrator (i.e., supervisor, director, dean, department chair, school director, vice president, senior vice president, or vice chancellor) having the most immediate supervisory relationship to the faculty member or salaried employee, before engaging in or continuing to engage in the activities which produce the conflict https://policies.syr.edu/policies/faculty-teaching-and-research/conflict-of-interest-and-commitment-for-faculty-and-staff/

Updated April 17, 2024

Faculty members are expected to:

• participate on departmental, school/college, and University committees;
• attend departmental meetings and school/college faculty meetings regularly;
• participate in activities appropriate to the academic field or profession;
• and attend Convocation, Commencement, and other all-University functions.

  Updated April 17, 2024

Syracuse University is dedicated to teaching, research, and the dissemination of knowledge. When these activities have been supported by the University and result in the creation of properties that have economic interest and value, Syracuse University will retain title to, or have a fair and equitable income interest proportional to the University’s investment in, those properties that will reflect the legitimate interest of University investment, as well as the traditions of academic freedom and pursuit.

Members of the University: For the purpose of this policy, member(s) of the University are defined as faculty, staff, students, or any person performing research or engaging in work or study utilizing University resources or facilities, whether or not they are compensated for their services.

Technology: For the purposes of this policy, technology denotes inventions, discoveries, creations, technical innovations, information in various forms, including computer software, and tangible research property created in the course of research. Tangible research property includes, but is not limited to, notes, sketches, drawings, results of research or experiments, computer code or records, or any embodiment of the technology into any form. For purposes of this policy, technology does not include any copyright publication.

Title and Interest in Copyright Publications: Title to any copyright publication belongs to the member who has created the copyright publication, except in the case when it has been created under a sponsored program where there are ownership restrictions or in the case the copyright publication was created as part of a member’s explicit work assignment. Copyright publication includes, without limitation, written and artistic materials (such as articles, books, compilations, and visual and performing art works), whether or not protected by copyright. Under this policy, copyright publication does not include software.

Generally Available Resource(s) and University-Allocated Resources(s): For the purposes of this policy, generally available resource(s) refers to office space, library, and traditional desktop computers. In addition, the University will construe salary paid from regularly budgeted department accounts as generally available resource(s). In those cases where salary was paid to accomplish or produce certain tasks or materials that were part of the member’s work assignment with the University or part of a sponsored program, that salary is considered a University allocated resource(s). Other University allocated resource(s) refers to all University resources and facilities that have not been defined as generally available resource(s).

Technology Resulting from Research Supported with Externally Sponsored or University-Allocated Resources: Title to technology resulting from research, work, or study which was supported by externally sponsored or University-allocated resources will belong to Syracuse University. Any revenue received by the University as a result of the license or transfer of such technology will be distributed to those who created the technology in accordance with the paragraph, Distribution of Revenue (below). The University may transfer its interest in the technology to a member, a member’s corporation, or an organization with which a member has significant financial ties. In this situation, a license agreement will be negotiated between that member or organization and the University.

Technology Resulting from Research Supported with Generally Available University Resources: Title to technology, except technology identified in the previous paragraph, resulting from research, work, or study solely supported with generally available resources will belong to the member, and the University will have an equitable interest in the net revenue (as defined in the paragraph, Distribution of Revenue, below) realized from the income, sale, or transfer of the technology. When the technology identified under this paragraph is transferred or licensed by a member to a third party or retained by the member for their economic development, a royalty agreement will be negotiated between Syracuse University and the member. The royalty and license agreement will reflect the University’s investment in the technology.

Committee on Intellectual Property: The Vice President for Research appoints a Committee on Intellectual Property including faculty from diverse academic units, at least one academic professional staff member, and at least one student. A normal term for service will be three years with membership renewable for one term. The Senior Vice President for Business and Finance and the Vice President for Research will serve on the committee as ex-officio members. A senior member of the faculty serves as committee chair. The committee advises the Vice President for Research on the interpretation, administration, and implementation of this policy. Any appeals of the decisions of the Vice President for Research are directed to the Chancellor.

Distribution of Revenue from Technology: Net revenue (defined as gross revenues less the costs and expenses incurred and related to the securing of legal protection, marketing, licensing, and other expenses associated with the technology) received by the University from the transfer, sale, or licensing of technology is distributed as follows:

• Fifteen percent of net revenues will be retained by the University in support of its costs in managing its intellectual property program.
• The remaining net revenues (distributable net revenues) will be distributed 50 percent to the inventor(s) or creators(s) and 50 percent to the University in accordance with the University’s schedule for calculating and dispersing distributable net revenues.
• The University’s share of distributable net revenues will be used for the support of the department(s) or unit(s) of the inventor(s) or creator(s), development of new intellectual property, or support of the University’s general research and scholarly goals.
• Modification of the standard distribution of distributable net revenue may be made in consideration of extenuating circumstances, including but not limited to proportion or royalties retained personally by inventor(s) or creator(s), extent of investment by all parties, and the additional support needed for further development of the technology.
• Any modification of the standard distribution of royalties will be made by the Vice President for Research in consultation with the Committee on Intellectual Property.

Management of University Technology: The Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) has the primary responsibility within Syracuse University for managing and administering matters involving technology developed at Syracuse. OSP will consult with members regarding the best means for development and transfer of the technology created by members. It may be necessary, in accordance with the terms of this policy, that any assignments, licenses, transfers, applications, registrations, or any other documents that are necessary to evidence the University’s ownership in technology be executed by members.

Disclosure: Under some United States and foreign laws, public disclosure, use, or sale of technology prior to obtaining statutory protection may prejudice, or destroy, the availability of obtaining certain legal protection. To protect the University’s, member’s, or any licensee’s rights in technology, no contractual or other legally enforceable agreement for the sale, transfer, or use of University-owned technology may be made except by the University in accordance with this policy. It is also essential to consult with OSP prior to making any technology publicly known or available.

Limited License in All Technology Created by Members: Notwithstanding any other provision of this policy, Syracuse University maintains a royalty-free, nonexclusive, and nontransferable license to use for noncommercial purposes for teaching, training, and research with the University, all technology created by its members.

Good Faith: The fair and effective implementation of this policy requires good faith cooperation, collegiality, and candor on behalf of Syracuse University and all of its members. For its part, the University will seek to advise affected members promptly and fully on all matters regarding technology. Members, in turn, will communicate promptly and fully with OSP whenever their research involves technology covered by the policy.

Amendment: This policy may be amended from time to time pursuant to the University’s policies and procedures in effect for amending documents setting forth University policy.

Drafted by the Senate Research Committee and approved by the Chancellor as interim policy July 13, 1992; Updated April 17, 2024

Any research involving human subjects should go before the Institutional Review Board (IRB), whether a classroom project, a thesis or dissertation, or a faculty member’s research and whether the research is funded or not. Research, as defined by federal regulations, is a systematic investigation designed to develop or contribute to generalized knowledge. The IRB is an independent committee approved by the National Institutes of Health. The board membership consists of experienced faculty from a variety of disciplines, as well as expert lay persons not affiliated with the University. The IRB is required to review all protocols for projects involving human subjects for compliance with guidelines prescribed by federal and state regulations. The board’s charge is the protection of human subjects from “research risks” that may be physical, psychological, social, or legal. Fundamental concerns in protocol review are to assure that the subjects will be fully informed and freely consent to participate in the project, that their right to privacy is protected, and that all data collected will be held as confidential and published without identifiers.

Updated April 17, 2024

The Office of Sponsored Programs (http://osp.syr.edu/), the Office of Corporate and Foundation Relations, and the Vice President for Research assist in the acquisition and administration of grants and awards for faculty research and instructional programs sponsored by outside agencies. The Office of Sponsored Programs must sign off on all such proposals.

Limited funds are available at the institutional level to assist new faculty members in initiating research projects. Requests for such support are made by submitting proposals through department chairs. (For details on some forms of University support, consult the Office of Sponsored Programs, http://osp.syr.edu/)

Syracuse University may enter into direct and indirect research contracts with intelligence agencies provided that such contracts conform to the University’s rules governing contracting with outside sponsors and that such contracts are made public by University officials.

Updated April 17, 2024

Faculty are expected to develop and maintain excellence as scholars, researchers, or artists and to engage with various communities—disciplinary or creative communities, the community of scholars on campus and across higher education more broadly, local publics including municipal, regional, and national communities and international communities, as appropriate. The generation or creation of new knowledge is important because it serves the mission of the research university, supports on-going teaching excellence, and contributes to the development of the academic disciplines.

Faculty members should assist the University to achieve its charter obligation to further the “diffusion of knowledge” by serving as lecturers, consultants, or committee members in groups created to advance the public welfare or to serve the public good.

Updated April 17, 2024

The complete education of students is a basic purpose of a university. Syracuse University is aware of its responsibility for the academic, emotional, and physical welfare of all students. Faculty are responsible for discharging pedagogical duties in the classroom and for maintaining and modeling respect for all students, including careful observation of the laws and policies governing student privacy. Faculty are expected to be knowledgeable about expectations governing student conduct as expressed in Academic Rules and Regulations http://coursecatalog.syr.edu and to advise students or refer them to other campus resources as appropriate.

In addition to classroom instruction, faculty are responsible for providing appropriate student support such as:

• Advising students at the department, school/college, and University level
• Mentoring graduate students at all levels
• Supervising Independent Study
• Supporting internship or practicum experiences
• Sitting on masters and dissertation committees

Faculty with responsibility for supervising Graduate Teaching Assistants (TAs) should meet regularly with their TAs and provide counsel and feedback, ensuring that their TAs are performing their roles as instructors, graders, or mentors consistent with academic and professional standards.

Updated April 17, 2024

All faculty members are expected to perform their teaching duties fully and conscientiously. Faculty are responsible for contributing to the development of curricula or programs in their academic units that reflect current disciplinary content and theory and for maintaining the highest standards in course design and implementation. Their courses should reflect the most current disciplinary research—both their own and that of others in the field.

Faculty responsibility to students includes planning rich and engaging class experiences; assessing student progress using appropriate methods; keeping and posting regular office hours; making additional time available for special appointments; and promptly reporting all student grades. Faculty are also responsible for making students aware of their expectations as instructors, as well as the University’s expectations as reflected in policies such as the Academic Integrity Policy.

The University expects that faculty members will be meticulous in meeting their academic assignments regularly and promptly and within the scheduled time period. Classes meet for the full period, beginning the first day of each semester and ending with any scheduled final exams. If for some reason instructors cannot meet a class, they should notify their department chair promptly.

Faculty members are expected to be on campus one week prior to the first day of classes and remain through Commencement.

Updated April 17, 2024

Teaching is a primary responsibility for most faculty. No single definition can encompass the variety of ways that “good” teachers enact their practice. The University expects that faculty will take teaching seriously and will work to maintain teaching excellence throughout their professional careers. Teaching encompasses not only classroom or online instruction but also advising and mentoring, supervising of students in field placements, internships, and practica, and supporting and supervising graduate study, writing, and research.

Teaching loads are defined by the various departments and colleges and are determined at those levels.

Updated April 17, 2024