Here is perhaps the worst conceived and written paragraph in University of Washington policy history. Seven sentences without the hope of connecting their subject and verbs into a coherent expression. Read, enjoy. I’ll work through the finer points in a bit, but this is something to be savored. This is best read aloud to someone, slowly, clearly, so the full import of each attempt at an idea can be fully appreciated.
Involvement with commercial enterprise also offers the potential for conflicts of interest and commitment, for inhibition of free exchange of information, and for interference with the employee’s primary allegiance to the University and its teaching, research, and public service missions. However, such involvement may also enhance both the individual employee’s and the institution’s commitment to their shared missions. This commitment on the part of an employee is an essential element of the institutional ethos of the modern research university and is complemented by a recognition on the part of the University that any rewards that may accrue to the University as a result of an employee’s research efforts should be shared with the employee. Complementary essential elements of the University’s commitment to encouraging appropriate technology transfer are the protection of the University’s integrity and primary goals of education and open inquiry, and the management of potential conflicts of interest. Careful attention to avoiding such conflicts ultimately serves the interests of both the employee and the University. Toward this end, this section prescribes a disclosure and approval process for involvements with commercial enterprise deeper than usual professional affiliations or outside consulting. The policy recognizes the need for flexibility and the difficulty of anticipating all situations that may arise by leaving discretion to an employee’s supervisor to interpret the policy and evaluate the activity proposed in the context of the unit in question. Continue reading