2008 Annual Report on Outside Professional Activities

Instructions for Unit Heads

It is the responsibility of Unit Heads to:

Communicate University and State Reporting Requirements to Faculty and Exempt Staff:

1. A Faculty Activity Report (FAR).

All tenured, all tenure-track and all full-time non-tenure track faculty are required to complete this report annually. The report may be accessed and completed online at http://apra.umd.edu. For these faculty, a component of the FAR is the Outside Professional Activities Report.

2. Outside Professional Activities Report ("OPA").

All full-time exempt staff, including full-time administrators with faculty status, are required annually to complete the OPA report. Part-time staff are not required to complete the report.

The OPA website is accessible on the ARES homepage: http://ares.umd.edu. First select "Payroll and Human Resources;" then select "Outside Professional Activities Report."

3. A Request to Conduct Paid Professional Service for Maryland State Agency. ("Request for State Service")

University faculty and staff intending to work for another State of Maryland agency other than the University of Maryland are required by University policy to complete a request form and obtain prior written permission from both the President and the head of the outside agency. A copy of the previously approved request form shall be maintained in the employee's unit.

Submit the Outside Professional Activities Certification Form

Ensure that each individual in the unit who is required to complete a FAR or an OPA report has done so. Unit heads may assign one or more reviewers to assist. The names of unit personnel required to complete an OPA report is available to unit heads and unit reviewers in a completions report which is available on the OPA website.

After carefully reviewing each individual's report, prepare, sign, and forward the Annual Report on Outside Professional Activities [pdf] form to the Vice President of the unit's division.

Additional information can be found in Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) [pdf] and in the University Policy on Conflict of Interest and Conflict of Commitment.