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Regulations and Policies

Regulations & Policies

Organization/General


I. OBJECTIVE & PURPOSE

All University of North Florida employees must comply with the letter and spirit of the Code of Ethics for Public Officers and Employees, Chapter 112, part III, Florida Statutes. These legal and ethical requirements include, but are not limited to, restrictions on employees soliciting and accepting gifts, honoraria, and other things of value.

II. DEFINITIONS

Gifts and Other Things of Value: Anything an employee receives for which they do not give equal or greater consideration within ninety (90) days. A gift or thing of value includes, but is not limited to food or beverage, membership dues, plants, flowers, floral arrangements, transportation and lodging, a preferential rate, the use of property, forgiveness of a debt, entrance fees, admission or registration fees or tickets to events, performance or facilities, services for which a fee is normally charged by the person providing the service, or any other similar service or thing having an attributable value not already provided for in this definition.

Honoraria: Payment of money or anything of value, directly or indirectly, to an employee or to any other person on his/her behalf as consideration for a speech or something written, other than a book, that has been or is intended to be published. The term does not include payments for services related to outside employment or ordinary payments for services related to the employee’s public duties, nor does the term include payment of reasonable transportation, lodging, registration fee, or food and beverage expenses for the employee and spouse related to the honorarium event.

III. STATEMENT OF POLICY


A University employee may not accept anything of value based on an understanding that the actions of the recipient will be influenced as a result. This embodies the idea of bribery and applies regardless of the value or source of the thing of value. [Authority: Section 112.313(2), Florida Statutes]

A University employee (or such employee’s spouse or minor child) may not accept anything of value when they know, or with the exercise of reasonable care should know, that the thing of value was given with the intention to influence the actions of the University employee. [Authority: Section 112.313(4), Florida Statues]

A University employee may accept something of value that is given without any understanding or intention to influence the actions of the University employee if it has a value of $100 or less. In rare instances, things of value over $100 may be accepted by University employees, but the nature and circumstances of the matter should be discussed with the University Ethics Office prior to the acceptance of the thing of value. [Authority: Section 112.3148(4), Florida Statutes]

Most University employees may accept an honorarium for a speech, presentation or writing if the amount is modest and consistent with the fair market value of the time spent in preparation for the event. However, some University employees may not accept an honorarium if it is paid by a vendor, political committee or a lobbyist. As a result, the nature and circumstances of the matter should be discussed with the University Ethics Office prior to the acceptance of any honorarium. [Authority: Section 112.3149(3), Florida Statutes]

A University employee may not solicit anything of value or an honorarium for themselves or their family. [Authority: Sections 112.3148((3) and 112.3149(4), Florida Statutes]

Gifts exchanged between relatives are acceptable and are not subject to the restrictions noted herein.

UNF Policy 6.0200P also provides information regarding fringe benefits, including whether the benefit is taxable.

Additional information regarding Gifts and Benefits is available through this link: https://www.unf.edu/foundation/annual-giving/

Authority: Section 112, Florida Statutes

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