Introduction to Potential Conflicts of Interest and Conflicts of Commitment

What is a potential conflict of interest (COI)?

Broadly defined, a potential conflict of interest includes external ties that may bias, or may appear to bias, your judgment as a University faculty member. 

An example of a potential conflict of interest is…

You are on a committee to hire a faculty member to teach French history.  One of the candidates (or his or her research supervisor) sends you a very expensive bottle of scotch.