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Unit Head Responsibilities

RNUA: Unit Head Responsibilities

Ensure that all eligible employees comply with this mandatory policy. Academic staff should understand that compliance with university policies is included in the terms of employment, and that the university Policy on Conflict of Commitment and Interest includes sanctions for noncompliance. Academic staff includes faculty, academic professionals, and postdoctoral associates. Civil Service employees are covered under a different policy and do not complete the RNUA.
Inform eligible employees that the forms, detailed instructions and additional resources are available under the RNUA section of www.research.uic.edu/conflict.
Emphasize that this process is not mere “reporting” but requires prior approval.
Reinforce that if employees’ activities change during the year, they must submit a revised form in advance for review and approval of the activities.
Obtain the departmental checklist online, update the checklist as needed by adding or striking out names, and submit the completed departmental checklist to the next administrative level.
Collect completed report forms from all faculty and academic staff in their units each year.
Engage in discussions and follow up questions with academic staff as needed to clarify the details of any reported activities as well as any activities you think may have been overlooked or unreported. Careful administrative review is required of forms initially submitted in the fall as well as any revised forms received during the academic year.
Complete the administrative review and approval and sign Page 2 of each form.
Respond within 14 days of receiving an employee’s request for approval of activities. If 14 days pass without a response, the academic staff member has the right to take the request to the next higher administrative level.
Provide employees the opportunity to respond before the form is transmitted to the next administrative level if you deny any activities or don’t reach voluntary agreement with the employee about how to manage or eliminate the conflict.
Be sensitive to at least these general categories of problems during the administrative review and approval process:
- whether educational programs/progress (or other interests) of students or other staff might be detrimentally affected by involvement in the reported outside activities of a staff member;
- whether university research programs and agendas might be inappropriately influenced by the outside interests or involvements;
- whether the dissemination of knowledge might be unduly constrained; or
- whether public resources might be used for private gain.

Forward to the college any forms requiring additional review and/or approval. Also forward all attached statements. Forms requiring additional review and approval include:
- forms indicating a “yes” response to any of the four boxes in Part I;
- forms reporting more than one day per week outside activity during the contract period in Part II;
- forms indicating non-approval of retrospective or prospective activities;
- all Unit Heads’ forms must be forwarded to the college.

Keep copies of the forms on file in the department.
Comply with requests for copies of forms in the event of a federal audit, freedom of information act request, or administrative request for review.
Meet processing deadlines; in AY 2010-2011 these deadlines are:

September 17, 2010: RNUA forms available online for completion by academic staff;
October 1, 2010: academic staff forms due to Unit Head for administrative review;
October 22, 2010: completed checklists and forwarded forms due to Colleges;
November 12, 2010: completed checklists and forwarded forms due to OVCR.

Questions?

Contact the conflict of interest officer at RNUA@uic.edu or (312) 996-4070, or consult the frequently asked questions available under the RNUA section of www.research.uic.edu/conflict.