10.2 Political Activity: Each employee of Auburn University is specifically exempted from any obligation or compulsion to support any candidate or cause even though the support of such candidates or cause may be urged or suggested by any other employee of the institution, or division, school, or department. An individual employee of the University who may be expressing personal support for a candidate or partisan issues should do nothing to suggest or imply that he speaks as a representative of Auburn University.

10.2.1 Auburn University recognizes the constitutional rights of its employees to participate in and to assume the responsibilities of citizenship in government affairs. These rights include that of seeking public office in local, county, state, and federal governments. It must be recognized, however, that this participation must not interfere with the performance of the employee's work obligations to the University.

10.2.2 Employees who decide to qualify for full-time elective office in federal, state, county, or municipal governments will submit their resignation at the time they present their request for qualification as a candidate of election. Such resignations will be upon the standard forms and will be processed in the same manner as all other resignations. Such persons, so resigning, will do so without any guarantee by Auburn University that they may be re-employed in the event they are not elected; or, if elected, they may be re-employed while holding an elective office; or, that they may be re-employed at the expiration of the term of office for which they have been elected.

10.2.3 Full-time employees of Auburn University may serve in nominally remunerative local and county elective offices provided the duties and responsibilities of such offices does not interfere with the proper performance of the duties of such employees to the institution. In such cases, it will be the duty of the employee, before qualifying for such nominally remunerative local or county elective office, to receive the approval of Auburn University. Such approval will depend only upon the effect of the elective office on the employee's ability to perform his or her University duties. However, in no case will such approval carry with it any obligation of Auburn University to support any such candidate. Approval will require a letter of understanding signed by the respective department head and Vice President.

Policies on Faculty and Staff Communication with State and Elected Federal Public Officials