Introduction to Potential Conflicts of Interest
and Conflicts of Commitment

What are the limits?    

In the same vein, below is a potential conflict situation that raises multiple conflicts. 

You would like to create your own business that offers workshops to financial officers and other organizational decision makers.  It could be marketed to various units at the University as well as to other institutions.

• This situation creates a potential conflict of interest because it may appear that you could influence the University’s decision to hire this organization.  The same holds true for a UM faculty who receives pay from any outside organization that is a vendor (i.e., that provides goods or services to the University).
• In addition, this situation creates a potential conflict of commitment, since your work for this business could interfere with (or appear to interfere with) your ability to carry out your University duties, and also because the University may offer similar training.  Use of materials in these workshops that were developed as part of your work for the University may also violate the University’s copyright policy.  [http://spg.umich.edu/pdf/601.28.pdf]