We have drafted a comprehensive ethics statement for our board and staff,
and everyone is 95% happy with it. I am seeking help on language and
phrasing for the other 5% and would appreciate any help available. I
need this by Friday the 17th.

1. With regard to members of the board owning collections of the same
sort owned by the museum: a tough one, as we are in just that situation
and expect that it will come up again. How do you deal with (a) the level
at which being a collector precludes Board membership, (b) the timing and
degree of disclosure of private collections, (c) defining what does and
dies not constitute competition with the museum in terms of acquisition
and purchasing, (d) the steps to be taken to demonstrate that a conflict
of interest has occurred?

2. With regard to the chain of commend in grievances: though the
procedures for this belong in the personnel manual, everyone feels that
there should be some mention in the ethics policy that a staff member who
has a grievance with the director may file it directly with the board.
The problem is that not everyone is happy with the phrasing or the
procedure, and it does not provide for protection from recrimination as
it is now stated. How have you worked around this one?

Please reply to me off-list to spare everyone not interested in
policy-ese. Thanks, Sally Shelton


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|                                                                       |
|                 San Diego Natural History Museum                      |
|                          P. O. Box 1390                               |
|                San Diego, California   92112  USA                     |
|             phone (619) 232-3821; FAX (619) 232-0248                  |
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