University Committee Annual Report to the Shared Governance Council

Committee on the Conflict of Interest in Employment (COIE)
Report Year: 2024-2025

Committee Chair(s)
  • Lois Geist, Faculty Co-Chair
  • Barry Thomas, incoming Faculty Co-Chair for 2025-2026 term
  • Jan Waterhouse, Staff Co-Chair
  • Isandra Martinez-Marrero, incoming Staff Co-Chair for 2025-2026 term
Committee Members
  • Tom Arne Midtrod, Associate Professor, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
  • Lemuel Benedict Non, Clinical Assistant Professor, Carver College of Medicine
  • Meenakshi Sambharia, Clinical Assistant Professor, Carver College of Medicine
  • Phuong Nguyen, Associate Professor, Graduate College
  • Erin Turnis, Associate HR Director, State Hygienic Lab
  • Wendy Askling, Director of Finance and Budget Operations, College of Education
  • Donna Wong-Gibbons, Manager, Office of the Vice President for Medical Affairs
Committee ChargeThe Committee on Conflict of Interest in Employment reviews and considers for approval management plans that are developed by college/org administrators for associated individuals where a supervisory relationship or decision-making authority exists. The committee may approve or deny proposed management plans.
Current Year Meeting DatesThe committee met for their annual meeting on October 2, 2024.
Please indicate the typical frequency of meetings (e.g., first Tuesday of month at 4 pm). If there are subcommittees, please indicate the frequency of those meetings, too.Work was conducted digitally through April 7, 2025. Based on changes to the Conflict of Interest in Employment Policy, effective April 1, 2025, committee procedures were updated, and meetings were conducted monthly as needed to review and consider proposed management plans for approval or denial. The first such monthly meeting was held on April 30, during which the co-chairs introduced the committee to the changes in policy and procedure.
Current Year Activities
  • Effective April 1, 2025, the Conflict of Interest in Employment policy was revised.
    • Revisions significantly impacted the scope of committee members’ duties and increased committee authority.
  • Received and approved 14 management plans (11 were approved prior to the updated committee review process).
  • Conducted annual reviews on 41 ongoing management plans to date and closed 18 management plans that were no longer conflicts.
  • Sent an annual review request to senior HR leaders for all COIE management plans housed in University HR for review and necessary changes.
  • Followed up with all self-disclosed potential conflicts through the annual certification process.
  • Managed and maintained committee database on past and current cases.
Topics your committee will address during the coming year
  • Evaluation of new COIE submissions and continued monitoring of existing management plans.
  • Effectiveness of the changed process in reviewing and evaluating new COIE submissions and expanded scope of committee members.
Other issues of concernNone
What should we tell applicants for this committee regarding expectations of members (anticipated workload, existence of subcommittees, etc.)?
  • Committee work is confidential.
  • Monthly recurring meetings to review and discuss conflict of interest in employment submissions.
    • Sporadic ad-hoc meetings to review and discuss time-sensitive COIE submissions.
  • Committee members provide institutional approval or denial of proposed management plan submissions involving conflict of interest in employment.
  • MOU explaining committee members’ responsibility and confidentiality expectations must be reviewed and signed by all members.
Recommendations, if any, to the shared governance groups.None