The University of Montana’s Conflict of Interest and Financial Disclosure (COI) policy, not to be confused with CSI or any of those other crime scene TV shows, pulls facets of many regulations into one policy and an annual disclosure form.

Test your knowledge of Conflict of Interest – GO!

How often do I have to complete this COI disclosure form?

• Annually, even if nothing has changed from the prior year. Employees MUST also disclose any conflict that may arise during the year when it arises, not just on the annual disclosure submission.

Why do I have to complete the COI disclosure form every year?

• To provide full transparency of employee actions, and
• To maintain accurate and up-to-date information.

What is a conflict of interest?

• Participation in activities that could result in personal and/or financial gain.

Top three potential conflicts of interest include:

• Professional activity outside the University –e.g., using your University office or equipment for non-University business.
• Consulting – e.g., an outside entity wants to pay you for your area of expertise and will cover any associated travel cost.
• Family members – e.g., if your spouse, partner, or dependent child works with you at the University, you cannot supervise them or make any employment-related decisions for them.

When we have full disclosure of potential or perceived conflicts, the University can develop a plan to manage those conflicts.

So how did you do? As you can see, this can be complicated. If you have questions or concerns or are unsure about a potential conflict of interest, contact Claudia Denker-Eccles at Claudia.Eccles@mso.umt.edu or 243- 4755.