Special Rules

Differences among University offices

The same unit allows gifts up to a value of $25 (as long as there’s nothing expected in return), whereas faculty and staff in my unit are not allowed to accept any gifts whatsoever, not even an inexpensive pen. Isn’t this unfair?

Depending on the circumstances, a seemingly insignificant gift can influence a person’s decisions.  For example, it’s been shown that when a pharmaceutical company provides free items such as pens and coffee mugs to health care providers, those providers prescribe more drugs made by that company.  In contrast, when a faculty or staff member in a school or college receives a free pen, it’s unlikely to affect the faculty or staff member’s or the unit’s decision-making. 

In other cases where you perceive there to be a conflict of interest, that person may have disclosed the situation and be following the plan that was developed to manage it.  To protect faculty and staff members’ privacy, details of that arrangement would not typically be made public.