The governing board has a policy addressing conflict of interest for its members. (Board conflict of interest)
Compliance Status
Louisiana State University and A&M College is in compliance with this principle.
Narrative
The governing board of Louisiana State University and A&M College (LSU) has policies in place that address issues of conflict of interest of its members. The LSU Board of Supervisors complies with the laws of the state as they pertain to definitions and expectations of appointed officials. The numerous safeguards against conflicts of interest are based on the state’s Code of Governmental Ethics [1]. The Board of Supervisors’ Bylaws & Regulations that specifically bar nepotism [2] parallel the state’s statutory definition of this term [3] [4]. Other methods of influence are prohibited in a myriad of statutes. Board members and university employees and their immediate family members are barred from accepting gifts of economic value [5]. Members of the board may not enter into contracts or other business arrangements with any part of the LSU System [6]. The president is required annually to submit a financial disclosure statement to the Board of Ethics [7], as are board members, [8] who also must disclose any political contributions given to the appointing authority, in this case, the governor [9]. The Term Limits Provision limits members to three terms [10]. Under the Open Meetings law, the board must advertise upcoming meetings and hold those meetings in a public forum [11] [12]. No votes can be taken in executive session [13]. The Code of Governmental Ethics protects the integrity of the university by prohibiting business and political arrangements that would benefit board members and by forcing public documentation of relationships and of LSU System business. State mandated annual ethics training maintains board members’ and employees’ familiarity with the Code of Governmental Ethics [14].
Article 10, Section 24 of the Louisiana Constitution permits the impeachment of a board member in the event of misconduct associated with non-compliance with state-mandated ethics [15].
Additional details related to board conflict of interest and similar issues also will be found in the narratives for Core Requirement 2.2, Comprehensive Standard 3.2.4, and Comprehensive Standard 3.2.5.