Office of

Grant and Research Development

OGRD MEMORANDUM #10 11/17/89

Page 1



COMPENSATED OUTSIDE PROFESSIONALLY RELATED SERVICE

Introduction

Washington State University encourages worthwhile professional outside services by faculty.

Full-time faculty members are compensated for full-time service to the University. Faculty may have appointments in instruction, research, public service, extension, etc., or have assignments involving a combination of these responsibilities. Whatever the character of the appointments, the University expects that each full-time faculty member will carry a reasonable and full-time load, assuming a proper share of the total functions and responsibilities of the department, college, or other equivalent administrative unit, and the University.

Through consulting relationships with government, industry, public organizations, and others off campus, University employees can be an invaluable resource. The University encourages the lending of such assistance where it does not interfere with the employees' performance of University duties and when no conflict of interest exists. Under certain circumstances and within certain limits a faculty member may engage for compensation in outside professional service work beyond the scope of prescribed duties.

Guidelines

The following guidelines are intended (1) to provide for certain employees to engage in a limited amount of outside work for pay and (2) to protect the integrity of the employee-public university work relationship.

  1. Outside Work. This term is understood to include consulting, advising, research, demonstrating, or teaching in the general area of specialized professional competence for which the person is employed by Washington State University for other than said University. Not included is appearance on the program of a scientific or scholarly meeting attended mainly by professional peers or outside profit-making business activities engaged in for personal monetary gain. Outside work must be consistent with University goals and objectives and enhance the faculty member's professional development.
  2. Non-Interference with Professional Duties. Outside work must not interfere with a faculty member's normal official university duties, including those non-classroom responsibilities expected of all faculty members.
  3. Remuneration. Compensation or pay for any outside work is any salary, fee, honorarium or monetary gift or contribution beyond actual expenses. No compensation may be accepted by faculty members for tutoring students in courses they teach.
  4. Nature of Outside Work. "Outside work," as defined in 1 above, relates to the faculty member's normal university duties and field of academic specialization. Such work must not detract from the prestige of the University nor from the professional standing of the faculty member.
  5. Solicitation. Outside service or consulting work may not be solicited by a faculty member.
  6. Limit and Approval. Time and professional creative activity spent away from campus could diminish faculty-student exchange and the quality of performance of prescribed official duties. Therefore, without special consent of the dean or other comparable unit administrator, and of the Executive Vice President and Provost, on recommendation of the department chair, full-time faculty should not spend more than the equivalent of one day per week on the average over an academic year in outside work. These provisions do not apply to full-time faculty on nine-month appointments outside periods of obligated service.

Part-time faculty members may accept additional employment outside the University up to a level corresponding to a full-time position.

The department chair, or other comparable unit administrator, must determine whether outside professionally related service activities by an employee are interfering with official University duties in each specific case. If, contrary to expectation, such activities exceed one day per week on an average and prove in the judgment of the department chair or comparable unit administrator to interfere with prescribed standard University duties and obligations, the faculty member must seek an acceptable revision of outside work activities or apply for a partial or full leave of absence. A faculty member deemed not to be meeting University obligations will be dealt with as provided in the Faculty Manual.

  • 7. Use of Facilities. University facilities (equipment, materials, space, or clerical service) may not be used without approval in connection with compensated outside professionally related service work. Fees for such use may be determined by the department chair, dean or comparable unit administrator in charge, and in the event that campus-level facilities are involved, with approval of the President or of the Executive Vice President and Provost acting for the President. The fee schedule must be filed with the Controller, and the faculty member authorized to use such facilities is responsible to the University for payment of such fees.
  • 8. University Assumes No Responsibility. The University assumes no responsibility for the competence or performance of a faculty member who renders outside work for compensation, nor may such responsibility be implied in any advertising or contractual documents. University stationery may be used only for official University business.



  • (Approved by Research and Arts Committee March 20, 1986; edited April 2, 1986 and November 11, 1986.)

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