Reporter Volume 26, No.21 March 23, 1995

By STEVE COX
Reporter Staff
Members of the Faculty Senate Executive Committee recently balked at a
subcommittee's preliminary proposal that could institute extensive
financial disclosure requirements for faculty and staff.
	Biochemistry Professor Philip Yeagle, chair of the Committee
on Research and Creative Activity, explained at the FSEC's March 8
meeting that federal regulations promulgated last summer require that
the university develop a policy on conflicts of interest and financial
disclosure by June 30.
	Although the full scope of these federal regulations is
unclear, and may require only incidental disclosure of potential
conflicts of interest by faculty seeking grants for research for now,
Yeagle said that a broader policy should be developed.
	"We are interpreting the intent of the federal regulators as
requiring sweeping disclosure," said Yeagle, "and we are preparing for
that."
	Several FSEC members expressed concern for privacy issues that
could be compromised by such financial disclosure. Others were
concerned with the impact conflict of interest regulations could have
on outside consulting by faculty members. The FSEC will consider the
full text of the Yeagle committee's proposed policy at their next
meeting.
	The FSEC also delayed action until their next meeting on a
codification of requirements for students to be in academic "good
standing." Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education Nicolas Goodman
called the proposal, "not a change in policy, but an interpretation
and codification of current policy."
	Most financial aid, as well as the ability to participate in
many university-sponsored extracurricular activities, is predicated
upon maintaining good academic standing, said Goodman. 
	As proposed, the policy would require that (1) the student
cumulative grade point average be 2.0 or above, (2) the student's
grade point average for the most recent semester be 2.0 or above, (3)
at least 75 percent of all credit hours for which the student
registered in previous semesters at UB must have been completed, and
(4) at least 75 percent of all credit hours for which the student
registered in the most recent semester must have been completed.
Junior and senior students, in addition, must have been accepted by a
department or program offering a major.
	Goodman, however, stressed the need for flexibility, rather
than rigid rules in this area. Issues such as student withdrawals due
to illness and difficulty getting into desired major programs also
need to be considered in designing a final policy, he added. However,
Goodman noted, for more than 80 percent of students who are not in
good standing, the problem is their grades.