In view of the special relationship of the University of Wisconsin System to the state and to affirm as public policy within the system certain common standards to prevent conflicts of interest, the board hereby adopts the following code of ethics for unclassified staff pursuant to ss. 19.45 (11) (b) and 36.23, Stats.

1. (1) Every member of the unclassified staff at the time of appointment makes a personal commitment to professional honesty and integrity, to seek knowledge and to share that knowledge freely with others. Such a commitment is essential for the university to perform its proper function in our society and to ensure continued confidence of the people of this state in the University of Wisconsin System and its personnel. It is a violation of this commitment for unclassified staff members to seek financial gain for themselves, their immediate families or organizations with which they are associated through activities that conflict with the interests of the University of Wisconsin System.

2. (2) The Board of Regents, as a matter of policy, recognizes that:

   1. (a) Members of the unclassified staff have personal and economic interests in the decisions and policies of national, state and local government.
   2. (b) Members of the unclassified staff retain their rights as citizens to interests of a personal or economic nature.
   3. (c) The code of ethics must distinguish between those minor and inconsequential conflicts which are unavoidable in a free society and those conflicts which are substantial and material.

3. (3) In adopting the standards of conduct set forth in this chapter, it is the board’s purpose to prohibit only those activities which will result in a conflict between the personal interests of an unclassified staff member and that staff member’s public responsibilities to the University of Wisconsin System. It is not the board’s purpose to prohibit an unclassified staff member from freely pursuing those teaching, research, professional and public service activities which will not result in such a conflict, nor to prohibit a staff member from accepting any compensation, fees, honoraria or reimbursement of expenses which may be offered in connection therewith.

   Note: Subsection (3) should be read in conjunction with new s. UWS 8.025 concerning outside activities. The approach reflects the view that the major inquiry in regard to the acceptability of outside activities is whether they may or do present conflicts with, or detract from performance of, university duties and responsibilities.

History

History: Cr. Register, June, 1975, No. 234, eff. 7-1-75; r. (1) (a) 1. and 2. and (b) 4., renum. (1), (1) (a) (intro.) and (1) (b) 1., 2. and 3. to be (intro), (1) and (2) (a) to (c) and am., cr. (3), Register, January, 1986, No. 361, eff. 2-1-86; 2015 Wis. Act 330 s. 20: am. (intro.), (1), (2) (intro.), (3) Register April 2016 No. 724, eff. 5-1-16.