USE OF STATE RESOURCES

The Law: State officers or employees commit a criminal offense if they intentionally or knowingly misapply any "thing of value" belonging to the government that is in their custody or possession as a result of their state employment in order to obtain a benefit or to harm another person.

Telephones and Electronic Mail: Telephones and e-mail are to be used for institutional purposes. Incidental use for local personal calls or messages not interfering with work responsibility, however, is not a misapplication of state resources. Personal long distance telephone calls should not be charged to the institution and must be reimbursed by the employee if charged inadvertently. UTB/TSC telephone logs and e-mail are public property and may be subject to open information requests.

Equipment and Supplies: State-issued machines, office supplies, and other equipment are to be used for institutional purposes, not for personal or private purposes. 

Vehicles: No employee shall use any UTB/TSC vehicle for any purpose other than official business of the institution. 

Employee Time: Employee work time is a “thing of value” belonging to the state. Employees may not use work time for personal business. 

Political Campaigns and Elections: An employee shall not use institutional time, funds, equipment, or other resources to work on a political campaign or to influence the passage or defeat of legislation. 

Political Campaigns and Elections: An employee shall not use institutional time, funds, equipment, or other resource to work on a political campaign or to influence the passage or defeat of legislation.

Expense Claims: Vouchers for travel expenses must be accurate and requested only for expenses related to official business.

Liability for Property Loss: When institutional property disappears, whether through theft or other cause, as a result of an employee failing to exercise reasonable care for its safekeeping, such person shall be liable for the loss sustained by the institution.

Institutional Credit Cards: Employees shall not use credit cards issued by the institution for personal expenses unrelated to institutional business.

Internet: The use of the internet via institutional computer is limited to activities related to education, research, instructional, or administrative purposes in accordance with state law and applicable System or component policies. 

Software: Software licensed to the state is to be used for institutional purposes. All software loaded into institutional computers must be properly licensed.

Consulting Contracts with Previous Employees: No funds shall be used to enter into a consultant contract with any individual who has been previously employed by the institution within the past 12 months.

Purchases From/By Employees: Purchases are not permitted from an employee unless approved by the President, V.P. for Business Affairs, or the Purchasing Director. Similarly, no employee may purchase equipment or property from the institution without appropriate approvals.

All topics in this brief guide are discussed in greater detail in the U.T. System Ethics Policies and Guidelines.