Under Oregon ethics law and UO policy, employees may not take official action or make recommendations that could result in a financial benefit to themselves, a spouse, relative, or member of their household.
As a result, faculty who assign a textbook or other instructional material from which they may receive compensation, such as royalties, must obtain university approval before assigning the material.
Faculty must submit the Textbook Assignment Approval form in UO Forms and receive approval before the course begins and before assigning the material to students.
How to Complete the Form
Form Fields
Faculty member requesting approval
Enter your name.
Department
Enter your department.
School/College
Enter your school or college.
Title of selected text
Enter the title of the textbook or instructional material for which you are seeking approval.
Course title, term, and year
Enter the course title, term, and year in which the material will be assigned.
Rationale for use of the text
Provide a brief explanation of why the material is appropriate for the course. This information assists the department head and the Office of the Provost in evaluating the request. If the text is a nationally recognized or standard resource in the field, please note that in your explanation.
Strategy for mitigating the financial conflict of interest
Describe how the potential financial conflict will be mitigated. For example, you may:
- Place copies of the material on course reserve so students can access them at no cost.
- Decline royalties generated from sales attributable to your course.
- Donate royalties to the school or college.
Please note: if royalties are donated to the school or college, the donation may not be claimed as a charitable deduction on your tax return.
Form Routing and Approval Process
Faculty should route the form to their department head or dean's office for approval. Once departmental approval is obtained, the form will automatically route to the Office of the Provost for final review and approval.
Questions?
Contact the Conflict of Interest Office at coi@uoregon.edu.