Common use of Avoidance of Conflict Clause in Contracts

Avoidance of Conflict. Conflicts can arise because a committee member might be in the same department or program as one of the parties in dismissal proceedings, or given the close academic community that exists at the College, may have had contact, personal and/or professional relationships with one or more parties in the dismissal proceedings. These conflicts have the potential to bias, directly or indirectly, dismissal proceedings. DRC members must always keep this potential in mind and recuse themselves where a conflict of interest arises. If a member of the DRC is challenged by an entity (AHE, CBC, or the faculty member subject to dismissal proceedings) based on a perceived conflict of interest and the DRC member refuses to recuse themselves, the presiding officer will determine whether the challenged DRC member would be able to make a fair and impartial recommendation in light of the challenged person’s knowledge of the case, contact or personal or professional relationship with the faculty member facing dismissal proceedings. In no case shall a member of the DRC sit in judgment of their own case or the case of their spouse, significant other, or family member. The supervising administrator of the faculty member(s) subject to dismissal shall not be a member of the DRC.