Engaging in Outside Professional Activities

To comply with University policy AD77 Engaging in Outside Professional Activities (Conflict of Commitment) by providing direction to full-time faculty of the College of Health and Human Development regarding implementation of AD77 within the college.  These guidelines do NOT supplant the AD77 policy and faculty should consult both that policy and these guidelines.  For the purposes of that policy or these guidelines, there is no distinction between resident or online teaching. 

Finally, note also that additional University policies exist regarding outside business activities and consulting - Penn State Policy AC80 – Outside Business Activity and Private Consulting) and Penn State Policy RP06 –Disclosure and Management of Significant Financial Interests (formerly Individual Conflict of Interest). 

• Tenure-track or tenured appointments at another institution of higher education (except for a faculty member who holds a visiting rank here) are prohibited. 

• Teaching semester or equivalent length courses at a post secondary institution of higher education other than the University.

• Note that if a teaching activity as described above is submitted for prior approval under AC80 it does not need to also be submitted under AD77. The following additional teaching-related activities should be submitted for prior approval under AD77;
• Paid non-tenure-track academic professional appointments/positions in any area at other institutions of higher education or organizations providing educational instruction, domestic or international;
• Any teaching, course development, or research engagements of any length, paid or unpaid, in the area(s) of expertise for which the faculty member is under contract at Penn State that include a requirement for faculty to sign an intellectual property agreement;
• Teaching any course for academic credit during the summer (May 16 through August 14) at another post-secondary institution of higher education or other organization providing educational instruction (for tenure line faculty this is likely to be approved only under exceptional circumstances; for tenure-exempt faculty this is likely to be approved if it doesn’t interfere with contractual obligations at Penn State);
• Any non-credit teaching (including seminars and workshops) in the area(s) of the faculty member’s expertise at another post secondary institution ofhigher education or organization providing educational instruction, domestic or international, that involves more than five consecutive or non-consecutive days/sessions of instruction (for tenure line faculty these are more likely to be approved for summer than for the academic year; for tenure-exempt faculty these are likely to be approved if they don’t interfere with contractual obligations at Penn State); or
• Chairing doctoral or master’s thesis committees at another post-secondary institution of higher education or organization providing educational instruction, domestic or international.

• Seminars/workshops at another post-secondary institution of higher education for less than one week in duration (takes place over five consecutive on non-consecutive days or fewer); or 
• Serving in a non-chair capacity on a master’s or doctoral committee at another institution. 

Approvals for activities requiring pre-approval under AC80 should follow the process described in the policy and on the OSVPR website here.

All approvals for activities requiring pre-approval under AD77 must be obtained as far in advance as possible to allow time for full consideration, but no less than 4 weeks before the activity initiates. A faculty member may not commit to or sign a contract for services with another organization until approval has been provided by the academic unit head or center director.  All approvals will be assigned an expiration date, upon which approval for such arrangements must be renewed. In no case will approval be provided for more than one year.  In order for a request to be approved, it must be accompanied by the Engaging in Outside Professional Activities Approval Form.

For any activities requiring prior approval under AD77, completion of the Engaging in Outside Teaching Activities Approval Form serves as disclosure.  For activities not requiring prior approval, disclosure can and should be in the form of post hoc reporting to the academic unit head or center director through the annual review/Activity Insight.

Policy AD77 Engaging in Outside Professional Activities (Conflict of Commitment) 

Policy AC64 Academic Freedom

Policy AC80 Outside Business Activities and Private Consulting