Outside Activities and Interests

Baylor University recognizes that outside activities and interests are a normal part of an active, vibrant, and thriving university. In order to comply with federal directives and regulations regarding conflicts of interest, it is imperative that conflicts are identified and monitored. To accomplish this, the Board of Regents under University policy requires each full-time employee to submit an Outside Activities and Interests Disclosure form annually and to supplement, modify, or amend the disclosure during the year upon any material changes.

Please note that an outside activity or interest does not necessarily mean a conflict exists. This process allows the University to identify conflicts so that they can be monitored and appropriately managed as required.

Please refer to BU-PP 800, the Outside Activities and Interests Policy.

BU-PP 800 - Outside Activities and Interests Policy

Outside Activities and Interests FAQ

Policy Principles

Conflicts of interest exist when an employee of the University has an outside personal and/or economic interest, which may potentially oppose the best interests of the University.

Conflicts of Commitment usually involve issues of time allocation. Whenever an employee's external activities exceed reasonable time limits, or whenever an employee's primary responsibility is not to the University, a conflict of time commitment could exist.

The appearance or perception of a conflict of interest or commitment can be as detrimental or damaging as actual conflicts; therefore, it is University policy to manage and monitor conflicts or appearances of conflicts appropriately.

How to Submit a Disclosure

Outside activities and interests disclosures are submitted in CARA. You will receive an email from CARA with a link to complete your disclosure. Once you’ve submitted your disclosure, CARA retains your disclosure and allows you to edit it at any point in the year. Log into CARA using your BearID and password.

Log into CARA

Conflicts of Interest in Research and Sponsored Activities

Research Compliance in the Office of the Vice Provost for Research oversees conflicts of interest related to research, technology commercialization, and related activities; as well as responsible and ethical conduct of research, to ensure compliance with federal regulations. Please visit their website for additional information and resources related to conflicts of interest in research.

OVPR Research Compliance

Management of Disclosures

Your supervisor will review your disclosure first. This review will be provided in CARA to Internal Audit and Research Compliance for research disclosures.

Once Internal Audit reviews disclosures and Research Compliance reviews research disclosures, we will contact you if we need additional information or if there appears to be a conflict or potential conflict. If there appears to be a conflict or a potential conflict, the Outside Activities and Interests Committee will review the disclosure in consultation with representatives from your department and determine whether a management plan is necessary.

Management plans are written documents that enhance transparency and create separation between an employee’s personal activities and his/her university work in order to avoid the appearance of impropriety in University decision-making or research. They are created when there is potential overlap between an individual’s outside activities or interests and their Baylor University responsibilities.

Management plans protect both the employee and the institution. They provide safeguards that the employee follows and oversight from a manager (typically the employee's supervisor) to provide guidance on how to continue to engage in the outside activity and maintain the personal interest in a compliant manner consistent with University policy and federal requirements.

If you have a conflict of interest that needs to be managed, contact Internal Audit for assistance, or Research Compliance for research-related conflicts.

Pre-Approvals

Some outside activities and interests require pre-approval. Examples include activities and interests that will require more than one day per week of the employee’s time away from Baylor, activities and interests that will result in remuneration greater than $5,000, directing a program or lab outside of Baylor, and teaching outside of Baylor. For additional examples and other information on the types of outside activities and interests that require pre-approval, please refer to the Outside Activities and Interests Policy (BU-PP 800).