Conflicts of interest—whether real, potential or perceived—should be disclosed and managed to promote integrity and transparency during the search process. This guidance applies to both faculty and staff searches, recognizing that conflicts may arise due to professional networks, supervisory relationships, or institutional affiliations.
Types of Conflict of Interest
Conflicts of interest may be:
- Individual-level: Specific to a person’s relationships or history.
- Institutional-level: Related to the university’s prior engagement with a candidate.
Examples of individual-level conflicts:
- Supervisory or mentoring relationships (e.g., Ph.D. advisor, supervisor, mentor).
- Significant collaboration (e.g., co-PI on grants, co-authorship).
- Familial or close personal relationships (e.g., spouse, sibling, child).
- Shared financial interests or intellectual property.
Examples of institutional-level conflicts:
- Candidate is a current or former NIU student, employee, fellow, or postdoc.
- Candidate has extensive prior engagement with NIU that may provide insider knowledge or access.
Disclosing Conflicts of Interest
All search committee members and departmental participants must disclose any real, potential, or perceived conflicts to the associate dean, chair, or HR representative as soon as they become aware of them.
Examples:
- You are on a search committee and realize a candidate is a former supervisee or collaborator.
- You are invited to a candidate lunch and recognize the candidate as a former student or colleague.
Managing Conflicts of Interest
Before the search begins:
- Avoid appointing individuals with known individual-level conflicts to the search committee.
- Structure committees to ensure impartiality, especially when internal candidates are expected.
During the search:
- Register the conflict with the committee chair.
- Restrict involvement (e.g., comment last, abstain from scoring).
- Remove oneself from the committee if the conflict is significant.
For staff searches:
- Staff should not supervise or evaluate relatives or individuals with whom they have a close personal relationship.
- Written approval may be required for employment of relatives in the same unit.
- Staff should not participate in decisions where objectivity may be impaired due to personal relationships.
Equity in Candidate Experience
Internal and external candidates should receive equivalent treatment, including equal access to meetings, hosts and social events and consistent reference check procedures.
Outreach and Confidentiality
Faculty and staff may encourage individuals to apply. Once a person applies, any conflict must be disclosed and managed.
All search-related discussions, deliberations and votes are confidential. Individuals with conflicts should refrain from participating in informal discussions about candidates and may consult with the NIU Ombudsperson or relevant leadership if concerns arise.