| Title: | Use of Students in Outside Employment |
|---|---|
| Policy Owner: | Office of University Compliance |
| Applies to: | All Employees |
| Campus Applicability: | All UConn Campuses |
| Approval Date: | March 19, 2026 |
| Effective Date: | April 1, 2026 |
| For More Information, Contact | Office of University Compliance |
| Contact Information: | (860) 486-2530 or universitycompliance@uconn.edu |
| Official Website: | https://compliance.uconn.edu/ |
BACKGROUND
Involvement of students in the outside professional activities of employees may, under certain conditions, offer the potential for substantial benefits to the education of our students. While these relationships may have educational value for the student, they also have the potential for conflicts of interest. The Code of Ethics for Public Officials precludes public employees from accepting other employment which may impair the employee’s independence of judgment or otherwise create a conflict of interest.
PURPOSE
To define requirements for University employees who seek to hire or engage in a business relationship with students for activities external to the University, including both for profit and not for profit activities.
APPLIES TO
All employees
DEFINITIONS
Business Relationship: A formal association between two or more parties based on mutual economic or organizational interests that include, but are not limited to, equity ownership, voting rights or membership in an LLC. This also includes interests in any company that participates in the University’s Technology Incubation Program (TIP).
POLICY STATEMENT
Potential conflicts of interest may occur when a University employee hires or enters into a business relationship with a student in any non-University activity. Therefore, employees who wish to employ or enter into a business relationship with students in any non-University activity must obtain written approval from their Department Head/Dean/Director prior to entering into the arrangement. Employees who wish to employ or enter into a business relationship with a student who they advise or supervise in their University role must receive additional approval from the next level of management above their Department Head/Dean/Director to manage the inherent power difference present in such an arrangement.
Faculty members who wish to hire a student and who teach a course in which the student is enrolled, serve as a member of the student’s thesis or dissertation committee, or serve as the student’s advisor or director of the student’s thesis or dissertation research, must also receive written approval from the Dean of the Graduate School (for graduate students) or the Vice Provost for Academic Affairs (for undergraduate students). Faculty members in these cases are not permitted to enter into a business relationship with a student until after the student has graduated or has otherwise left the University.
Until such time as the employment or business relationship ceases, for the protection of students who may participate in research involving a faculty member’s business or whose work on a thesis or dissertation draws from the faculty member’s business data or research, the student shall have a second (joint or primary) advisor who is not affiliated in any way with the outside employment.
The University requires that the university employee who hires a student for a non-University activity execute a written Employment Agreement with the student and which includes a specific scope of work or job description, the rate of compensation, and the expected hours of work. The scope of work in the business or startup should be different from and have no overlap with the student’s thesis or course-based project work.
The student’s external engagement as an employee should not interfere with the student’s class time and participation in university course work or delay his/her completion of degree. Students must be provided with information about their rights under this policy at the beginning of their employment or business relationship. In addition, the employed student must receive a fair market value rate of pay.
Students have the option to discontinue their employment or business relationship at any point with no repercussion, with a recommended best practice of providing appropriate advanced notice. The university employee may not retaliate against a student for the student’s decision to depart from employment or business relationship. Students who feel they have been aggrieved or otherwise have concerns that arise during their term of employment or beyond employment after they may decide to leave may go to the Provost to address their issue. The issues should be documented and substantiated with evidence. When addressing potential issues regarding the non-University employment of students, or student-employee business relationships, the Provost will consult with the Dean of the Graduate School (for graduate students) or the Vice Provost for Academic Affairs (for undergraduate students).
ENFORCEMENT
Violations of this policy and any related procedures may result in appropriate disciplinary measures in accordance with University By-Laws, General Rules of Conduct for All University Employees, applicable collective bargaining agreements, and the University of Connecticut Student Code.
PROCEDURES/FORMS
Approval Form for Employee and Student Business Relationships
Use of Students in Outside Employment Letter Template
REFERENCES
Intellectual Property and Commercialization Policy
POLICY HISTORY
Policy created: 03/01/2004
Revisions:
06/23/2008
12/16/2014
07/13/2015
03/19/2026 (Approved by the University Senior Policy Council, President, and State of Connecticut Citizens Ethics Advisory Board)