Employees are sometimes in inherently unequal relationships with students or colleagues, creating the potential for abuse of power. Employees must not allow their private interests, whether personal, financial, or of any other sort, to conflict or appear to conflict with their professional duties and responsibilities. Employees must avoid any conduct that would lead a reasonable person to conclude that the individual might be biased or motivated by personal gain or private interest in the performance of duties. All known or potential conflicts of interest must be disclosed, in accordance with College policy. Employees may not take credit for others ideas or work, even in cases where the work has not been explicitly protected by copyright or patent.
Instructors hold a fiduciary relationship with their students.
This means that instructors, by the nature of their profession, are given powers to instruct students and pass professional judgement on student performance. These powers are given to the instructor in the trust that instructors interact with students only within the boundaries of professional duty. It is considered a breach of trust for an instructor to interact with students outside the boundaries of professional duty. An employee must not date or form an intimate relationship with a student with whom they have a professional contact in the course of their duties. Should an intimate relationship develop between employees in a reporting situation, the employee must inform their supervisors and discuss any potential conflict of interest.