Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Committee on Outside Professional Activities records

In March 1953, Massachusetts Institute of Technology President James R. Killian appointed a Committee on Consulting Policies to review Institute policies and procedures concerning employment outside the Institute by MIT faculty and staff. The committee was chaired by C. Richard Soderberg. Among its recommendations was that the Institute should strive for salaries sufficiently high so that pressure for additional income is not the dominant reason for undertaking extracurricular activities, and that the position of tenure must be open to review as soon as outside activities reach a point where the staff member can give only part-time attention to his duties at the Institute.

In December 1961 MIT President Julius A. Stratton appointed an Ad Hoc Committee on Faculty Responsibility, chaired by Nathaniel H. Frank, again to review outside activities. On October 17, 1962, the Faculty passed a motion creating the Committee on Outside Professional Activities, a standing committee.

The current charge of the committee (as of 2009): The Committee on Outside Professional Activities will inform itself of potential conflicts of interest, counsel the interested parties, and report periodically to the Faculty. It will recommend appropriate modifications of policies and procedures to the Faculty.

MIT Policies and Procedures, section 4.5 outlines Institute policy on Outside Professional Activities. http://web.mit.edu/policies/4/4.5.html