Ethics and The University of Texas System:
A Brief Practical Guide
Ethical
behavior means being honest, telling the truth,
and doing what you said you
were going to do.
—Barbara Jordan
High ethical standards and compliance with the law are of critical importance
to The University of Texas System.
In order to achieve such standards and compliance, we provide to employees
with this publication, a brief practical guide to some of the more common ethics or legal
issues. The OGC Ethics website is available on the web and provides greater detail.
In addition, I encourage
you to contact your supervisor or the Ethics Officer on your campus if you have
questions about matters involving ethics laws or issues. If you have further questions,
I suggest that you follow up with the U. T. System Ethics Advisor.
It is our obligation -- to the State of Texas, the U. T. System Board
of Regents, and ourselves -- to be good stewards of the resources that have
been entrusted to us. I am deeply grateful for your commitment to ethical behavior,
and I am proud of your compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and
U. T. System policies.
Mark G. Yudof
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Conflicts of Interests: Officers, faculty, and employees
(collectively “employees”) of the U.T. System may not have a direct
or indirect interest, financial or otherwise, that is in conflict with the proper
discharge of their duties. Potential conflicts of interest must be disclosed.
Adherence to Law: Employees shall adhere to applicable laws, rules,
regulations, and policies of governmental and institutional authorities. The failure
to do so will be grounds for disciplinary action, up to and including termination
of employment.
Gifts: No employee shall accept or solicit any gift,
favor, service, or loan that might reasonably appear to influence the employee
in the discharge of duties.
Note: Making or receiving gifts, including
honoraria, may constitute a criminal offense under certain circumstances.
Confidential
Information: No employee shall disclose confidential information or use such
information for his or her personal benefit.
Self-Dealing: No employee
shall transact any business in an official capacity with any business entity of
which the employee is an officer, agent, or member, or in which the employee owns
a substantial interest.
Personal Investments: No employee shall
make personal investments that could reasonably be expected to create a conflict
between the employee's private interest and the public interest.
Outside
Employment: No employee shall accept other outside or dual employment or compensation
that could reasonably be expected to impair the employee's independence of judgment
in the performance of the employee's public duties.
Note: Outside employment
is further limited by other policies, laws, and regulations.
Sexual
Harassment and Misconduct: Sexual misconduct and sexual harassment are unacceptable
behaviors. Such unacceptable behavior includes verbal or physical conduct of a
sexual nature. Incidents of sexual misconduct or sexual harassment should be reported
to the office charged with reviewing such complaints where the incident occurred.
The Law: State officers
or employees commit a criminal offense if they intentionally or knowingly misapply
any "thing of value" belonging to the government that is in their custody
or possession as a result of their state employment in order to obtain a benefit
or to harm another person.
Telephones and Electronic Mail: Telephones
and e-mail are to be used for institutional purposes. Incidental use for local
personal calls or messages not interfering with work responsibility, however,
is not a misapplication of state resources. Personal long distance telephone calls
should not be charged to the institution and must be reimbursed by the employee
if charged inadvertently. U.T. telephone logs and e-mail are public property and
may be subject to open information requests.
Equipment and Supplies: State-issued machines, office supplies, and other equipment are to be used for
institutional purposes, not for personal or private purposes.
U.T. Vehicles: No U.T. employee shall use any U.T. vehicle for any purpose other than official
business of the institution.
Employee Time: Employee work time is
a “thing of value” belonging to the state. Employees may not use work
time for personal business.
Political Campaigns and Elections:
An employee shall not use institutional time, funds, equipment, or other resource
to work on a political campaign or to influence the passage or defeat of legislation.
Expense
Claims: Vouchers for travel expenses must be accurate and requested only for
expenses related to official business.
Liability for Property Loss: When institutional property disappears, whether through theft or other cause,
as a result of an employee failing to exercise reasonable care for its safekeeping,
such person shall be liable for the loss sustained by the institution.
Institutional
Credit Cards: Employees shall not use credit cards issued by the institution
for personal expenses unrelated to institutional business.
Internet: Access to the Internet via institutional computers is for institutional purposes.
Incidental personal use not interfering with work responsibility, however, is
not a misapplication of state resources. Improper or illegal use of the Internet
by employees may subject them to disciplinary action.
Software: Software
licensed to the state is to be used for institutional purposes, not personal purposes.
Only properly licensed software may be loaded on institutional computers.
Consulting
Contracts with Previous Employees: No funds shall be used to enter into a
consultant contract with any individual who has been previously employed by the
institution within the past 12 months.
Purchases From/By Employees: Purchases are not permitted from an employee unless approved by the President,
Executive Vice Chancellor, or Chancellor as appropriate. Similarly, no employee
may purchase equipment or property from the institution without appropriate approvals.
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