The following standards apply to all employees of Central Washington University.

(1) Fiduciary Responsibilities. Employees serve the public trust and are obliged to fulfill their responsibilities in a manner consistent with this fact. All decisions are to be made solely on the basis of a desire to promote the best interests of Central Washington University and the public good. The university’s integrity must be considered and advanced at all times.

Employees are often involved in the affairs of other institutions, businesses, and organizations. An effective employee may not always consist of individuals entirely free from perceived, potential, or real conflicts of interest. Although most such conflicts are and will be deemed to be inconsequential, it is every  employees’ responsibility to make  staff, or designee, of the university, aware of situations at CWU that may involve the  employee’s personal or business relationships.

(2) Affirmation and Disclosure.The university requires all employees annually to affirm adherence to the following standards:

(A) Disclosure of personal or business interests and relationships. All employees will disclose to the university any personal or business relationship or interest that reasonably could give rise to a perceived, potential, or real conflict of interest.

1. Laws. State agencies (including colleges and universities) are subject to different conflict of interest laws in RCW 42.52 relating to financial interests and receipt of gifts. Unlike the local government conflict of interest laws, there are no minimum thresholds or exemptions. Any direct or indirect financial benefit could be assessed as a potential violation.

(B) Disclosure of potential or real conflict of interest. In the event there comes before the university a matter for consideration or decision that raises a potential or real conflict of interest for any employee, the employee shall disclose to staff, or designee, of the university, the existence of a potential, perceived, or real conflict of interest as soon as possible.

(3) Situations that Constitute Conflicts of Interest. While it is difficult to list all circumstances that may create a conflict of interest for individual employees, the university defines certain situations as prohibited actions. (See CWUR 3-45-090 Conflict of Interest Standards Procedures – All employees)         

[Responsibility: Business and Financial Affairs; Authority: Cabinet/UPAC; Reviewed/Endorsed by: Cabinet/UPAC; Review/Effective Date: 02/20/2019; Approved by: James L. Gaudino, President]