The policies are posted at louisville.edu/conflictofinterest
Last year, the University of Louisville Board of Trustees approved a code of conduct and the conflict of interest (COI) policies. The board action followed a report that noted weaknesses in UofL’s previous policies.
Those weaknesses are in large part due to recent research growth and the accompanying need for additional reporting, according to Rick Huck, conflict of interest officer.
Once the board approved the policies, a campus committee began to develop implementation procedures. Those procedures have been written, reviewed by the Executive Cabinet and approved by the council.
The announcement and posting of the policies is the first of three phases in which they will be implemented. Today’s announcement and activation of the website is phase one.
Phase two will include development of an automated system of filing disclosures required of all employees by the new policies. That work will take up to a year and will lead to the final phase, which will be electronic submission of the disclosures.
The new policies will “preserve the integrity of the academic, business, clinical and research missions of the university,” said Provost Shirley Willihnganz. “Working together to foster an atmosphere of honesty and integrity, we will continue to position the University of Louisville as one of the preeminent metropolitan universities in the country.”