Stanford University Senate approves changes to conflict of interest and commitment policy

After a lengthy discussion, the faculty council on Thursday upheld two conflicts of interest and conflict of commitment policies, among other recommendations from the research committee (C-Res) to the university’s Research Policy Handbook (RPH). voted to merge into one policy.

The faculty board of trustees voted Thursday to approve proposed changes to the Research Policy Handbook and approve three recommendations for military transfer credits, cardinal services, and part-time enrollment for joint terminal students. (Image credit: Andrew Brodhead)

Senators also voted to approve three recommendations related to military transfer credits, expanded cardinal services, and part-time enrollment for co-terminal students, final exams for students isolated due to COVID We discussed the flexibility of

Dean Mark Tessier Lavigne also answered a senator’s question about gun violence and discrimination or harassment of members of the Jewish community on campus.

The Faculty Council has two current policies on Conflicts of Interest (COI) and Conflicts of Commitment (COC) – one for faculty (RPH 4.1) and one for academic staff and other faculty (RPH 4.4). Voted to approve the recommendation from C-Res that there is. ) – merged into one.

Senators also voted to approve changes to consulting and other outside professional activities by members of the Academic Council and University Medical Departments (RPH 4.3). One of the changes is to limit postdoctoral researcher consulting days to 13 days per quarter.

An administrative update was made to the relationship between students (including postdocs) and external entities (RPH 10.6) to add references to these policies.

The proposed changes were first taken up at a Senate session on April 7. Senators deferred or submitted items to allow more time to consider complex policy issues and submit questions and comments.

C-Res discussed and approved the proposed changes. It was endorsed by David Studdert, Acting Vice Chancellor for Research, Senior Vice Chancellor for Data Resources, and Professor of Health Policy.

Studdert said the policy change was motivated by the need to address concerns about a lack of clarity in the policy, including changes to federal research sponsors’ rules regarding activities that require pre-approval and disclosures. Moreover, the long-standing expectation that faculty identify and report conflicts on behalf of staff and postdocs is “second best” and “not aligned with best practice,” he said, underlining research policy and integrity. The vice president in charge, Cindy Keel, told the Senate in April. .

Kiel and Studart presented the item to the Senate, along with Jen Dionne, chair of C-Res and senior associate vice president of research platforms and shared facilities.

Some of the changes were minor clarifications, while others were more substantive, such as definitions of terms such as “external professional activities” and “professional services” and clarification of organizational roles. The Dean continues to be primarily responsible for her COI/COC oversight and may delegate disclosure of external professional activities to the Office of the Vice-Chancellor and Dean of Research (VPDoR). Other changes were made in response to federal requests. There are also clarifications and some narrowing down of activities that require pre-approval.

Also, the Stanford Consulting Rider – an addendum found within RPH 4.3 that can be used to enter into contracts for non-professional activities – should be applied to consulting engagements involving staff, academic staff, and postdocs. I have. Existing requirements only applied to faculty.

Several senators, including David Spiegel, Jack, Lulu, and Sam Wilson, a professor of medicine, opposed the change, describing the document as patronizing, disrespectful, and insulting to faculty, and stating, “Why drastic? Impose a statutory and inappropriate administrative remedy?” When, when, and when did the wise response to personal problems become available?”

“These and other proposed changes are not well thought out,” Spiegel said. “They will create more problems than they solve, such as poor oversight of conflicts of interest and lack of respect for faculty and staff. The proposed treatments are worse than the presumed disease.”

Studdert responded that some of the changes are motivated by new requirements under federal law. “The purpose of the policy is not to eliminate all conflicts that we have, but to identify those that exist and manage or reduce them where possible,” Studdert said. .

Kathryn “Kam” Moler, Vice President and Director of Research, emphasized the difference between disclosure and conflict of interest certification.

“[It’s] In most cases, having a conflict of interest doesn’t really matter. It’s manageable,” he says Moler. “It is our responsibility at Stanford University to identify and ensure that there are no conflicts of interest, so we are only asking people to disclose them.”

Much of Thursday’s discussion centered around the Stanford Consulting Rider. Several senators were concerned about the signature line at the bottom of the addendum added in January 2020.

Both Kiel and Studdert said they felt it was worth having a broader conversation about Ryder later on. There is no need to sign riders as

With Senate approval, communication, training, and education on the new policy elements will take place this spring and fall. Full implementation, including new policy elements and changes to the Outside Professional Activity Accreditation Scheme (OPACS) system, is targeted for winter 2023.

Gun Violence and Discrimination Against Jewish Communities

In light of the steady rise in gun violence, Branislav Yakovlevich, the Sarah Hart Kimball professor of humanities, said Stanford’s leadership has been on the board of directors at the Hoover Institution, which owns Fox News. I asked if they were planning to reconsider their relationship with members Rupert Murdoch and Rebecca Mercer. It is a major financial backer of the Breitbart News Network, noting its extensive track record of promoting gun rights and supporting gun lobbying.

President Tessier Lavigne shared her concern about lives lost to gun violence and said she personally dislikes gun violence related to both recent and distant past events. . He said university policy prohibits the use of guns on campus, but “beyond that, the university has taken institutional positions on the appropriate level or measure of gun control across the country. No,’ he said.

Tessier-Lavigne added that he doesn’t know the individual views of the 100-plus Hoover directors, but he suspects they may be different. “As a university, we are committed to the debate on this issue, the ability of individuals to voice their opinions, and, importantly, our faculty to ensure that they are informed about the issue for the benefit of the general public and policy makers. I support scholarships that contribute to the debate.I think that is the proper role for the university as an institution.”

Tully Friedman Economics Professor Michael Boskin raised concerns about recent and past discrimination or harassment of members of the Jewish community and asked what is being done or planned to address this issue. I asked if there was

Tessier-Lavigne agreed that this was a concerning and escalating development in the United States and asked the Commission to investigate specific allegations and advise on how best to support members of the Jewish community on campus. He said the association was established last year. The commission plans to share its findings and recommendations in the coming months, he added.

Final exam flexibility

Debra Satz, dean of the School of Humanities and Sciences (H&S), also urged senators to increase flexibility for those many students who are quarantined due to COVID-19 symptoms to take their final exams. “In some cases, students who cannot take an in-person exam find themselves in the position of having to wait a full year to take an in-person exam.”

In response, the Satz office has shared these concerns with faculty and staff to encourage flexibility regarding final exams, and has emailed all H&S deans to provide guidance for quarantined students this quarter. “We are still in a pandemic…and our immediate policies need to take that into account,” Satz said. “Going forward, we need to find better ways to balance student learning, student mental health, and impartial assessment.

Cardinal service notation

The Faculty Council also approved a recommendation to make Cardinal Service Notation a permanent notation offered at Stanford University, adding a Cardinal Commitment track and granting the notation.

Founded in 2015, Cardinal Service is a university-wide effort to make public service an integral part of Stanford education. Cardinal Service Notation was launched in 2016 as a pilot program for students meeting service-related requirements. The Haas Center for Public Service has submitted a Request for Proposal to his C-USP, noting that on average about 75 students receive a Cardinal Service Notation each year. The Cardinal Commitment program has been built since the inception of Cardinal Service Notation in 2016 to help students maintain their commitment to service for at least three quarters of her life.

military transfer credit

Senators approved a proposal to allow credits earned in military training and service to be eligible for transfer to Stanford University for the 2022-2023 academic year and beyond. Among the requirements, work must have been completed at an accredited college or university in the United States. Or must be on a joint service transcript assessed by the American Council on Education.

The University Registrar submitted the proposal to C-USP during the October session, and C-USP recommended approval of the military transfer credit proposal as outlined in the Transfer Credit AY 22 Proposal Document. Many of the students who would benefit from this policy were transfer students, and the legitimacy of the proposal is expected to increase that population.

co-terminal student

The Faculty Council also endorsed recommendations from the C-USP and the Graduate Studies Committee (C-GS) to increase the number of concurrent terminal students as outlined in the proposal to allow part-time enrollment of concurrent term students. Allowed part-time registration.

Co-terminal degree programs allow undergraduates to earn a master’s degree while pursuing a bachelor’s degree in the same or another department. The University Registrar’s Office proposed removing the requirement that co-terminating graduate students already have a bachelor’s degree in order to be eligible for part-time admission upon meeting certain eligibility criteria.

in memory

On another issue, the Faculty Council also heard a resolution in memory of Kurt Müller Vollmer (91), Emeritus Professor of German Studies and Humanities. He passed away on his August 3rd, 2019.