CHAPTER 7:
UNIVERSITY POLICIES RELATED TO EXTRAMURAL ACTIVITY OF FACULTY
1. CONSULTING POLICY

Although the primary function of Auburn University is to render service to the people of Alabama through its established programs of instruction, research, and extension, the University recognizes its obligation to make available the services of the many highly trained specialists on its faculty to business, industry, governments, professional societies, or other appropriate groups. Moreover, outside services of a professional nature generally strengthen the faculty member and contribute to improvement of teaching and research programs. Professionally performed faculty consulting activities also improve and enhance the reputation and ranking of the University. Therefore, the University strongly encourages the involvement of its faculty in extramural activities which are consistent with their primary responsibilities to the institution. These activities typically invite a faculty member to use his or her specialized knowledge to provide advice, information, analysis, instruction or judgment about a problem, situation, or area of scholarship in an academic discipline.

The following guiding principles and policies have been established to simultaneously promote faculty consulting activities and prevent conflicts of interest, interference with University functions, or unethical practices:

1. The major criteria to be used in determining whether a particular extramural activity shall be encouraged or permitted are:

 a. The effect of the activity on the individual and the University, professionally and academically.

 b. The extent to which the activity will complement the University's programs and will benefit students or interfere with the effective discharge of the faculty member's responsibilities to the University. The faculty member’s responsibilities include not only formal classroom and laboratory activities, but also such other duties and opportunities as student counseling, committee work, preparation of scholarly publications, and continued professional development.

2. It is the responsibility of the department head, dean or director to both promote and exercise judicious control of consulting activities to ensure the enhancement of the University’s reputation and to ensure that no University functions are neglected. It is the faculty member's responsibility to ensure that his or her teaching responsibilities are covered during the approved consulting period.

3.  Consulting activities must conform to the guidelines regarding conflict of interest and conflict of commitment included elsewhere in the faculty handbook.

4. The President is directed to formulate, implement and publicize procedures to enforce this policy as required by applicable regulations.

Full time faculty members may be allowed to consult and/or be involved in appropriate continuing education and public service activities with the consent of their department head. For cases in which a consulting activity requires the absence of a faculty member from class for more than one week consecutively the activity must be approved by the Provost upon recommendation of the department head, dean or director. This policy is not intended to limit consulting activities of faculty outside the normal work day, during vacation leave, or during the summer for nine-month employees not employed by the University during the summer.
Auburn University will assume no responsibility for the competence of its faculty members with respect to the performance of extramural professional activities, except those carried out under the auspices of established programs operated by the University.

In connection with extramural professional activities arranged outside established University programs, the name of Auburn University may be used only to identify the affiliation of the faculty member.

Faculty members should not commit specialized University facilities and equipment or other resources to external consulting projects unless such use is specifically approved in writing in advance by the department head or other appropriate administrator. Faculty members will be expected to reimburse the University for use of specialized equipment and facilities as well as materials. Neither approval nor reimbursement will be required for the use of the library, office computers, or office space for consulting activities.

Final reporting on all consulting activities shall be included as part of the faculty member’s annual report and faculty member evaluations conducted by the unit head.

A faculty member doing consulting work on his or her own time is not subject to restrictions on the amount of compensation he or she can earn. Such consulting work, however, shall not interfere with the faculty member's obligations to the University. The acceptable limit on these activities is considered to be the equivalent of an average of 1 day per work week during a given semester which includes a faculty member’s full time appointment unless additional time for these activities is approved by the provost.