The Department of User Solutions recently announced a variety of Workday tasks that all employees must complete prior to Nov. 15. One of the tasks outlined in that announcement is the required annual Disclosure and Management of Potential Conflicts of Interest and/or Commitment reporting process. This process is now being handled entirely in Workday, and InfoReady will no longer be used. 

Employees are given a window to submit disclosures as part of the annual reporting process that will close Nov. 15. All employees who receive compensation outside of the university must complete this process before that date.   

A conflict of interest is defined as a situation under which an employee:  

• May have the opportunity to influence university administrative, business or academic decisions in ways that could lead to personal gain  

• May give an improper advantage to self or others  

• May interfere with objective preservation, generation or public dissemination of knowledge  

Full-time (30 or more hours per week) faculty and exempt staff who receive paid compensation outside of the university must also complete a Prior Approval and Management of Outside Employment form in Workday for each instance of employment. Supervisors are required to approve these requests. 

As a reminder, employees should also complete the disclosure process any time a new potential conflict of interest emerges throughout the year, before beginning the employment opportunity. New employees should complete a disclosure within two weeks of their start date.  

"The conflict of interest process is an essential component of ensuring ethical standards and transparency within our organization," said Margaret Sova McCabe, senior adviser for strategic projects and vice chancellor for research and innovation. "It helps identify and manage situations where individuals may have personal, financial or professional interests that could potentially influence their decision-making or compromise the integrity of their work." 

Information Sessions 

User Solutions will host several information sessions for those wanting to learn more about the reporting process. Multiple sessions will be offered geared toward two primary audiences: 

• For employees submitting their own COI, COC or OE disclosure, the "general" sessions will explain how to navigate the Workday process seamlessly, input information and access helpful resources for any questions. 

• The other sessions are for managers, department chairs and supervisors who will be reviewing and approving COI, COC and OE submissions from their employees. The focus for these sessions is providing a comprehensive understanding of supervisory roles in the COI/COC/OE process. Discover how to efficiently review and manage disclosures while ensuring compliance and ethical practices. 

Registration is required. Employees can click here to RSVP for one of the sessions at the bottom of the page and add them to their Outlook calendar. User Solutions is offering sessions on a variety of dates to maximize the opportunity for employees to attend and get questions answered at their convenience.

For more information regarding Workday enhancements and tasks, visit the User Solutions website at workday.uark.edu and watch Arkansas News for additional updates in the coming weeks.