Original Date: 2/10/1994 * Last Revision Effective: 11/05/2025
Policy Contact: Vice President, Human Resources
Policy
Bellevue College is a state agency operated in accordance with Washington State Ethics in Public Service Law (RCW 42.52). To protect the public interest, college employees are obligated to treat their positions as a public trust, using their official powers and duties and the resources of the college only to advance the public interest by exercising fair, independent, and impartial judgement; place the public’s interest before private interest or outside obligation; and protect public resources and funds against misuse and abuse.
This policy applies to all Bellevue College employees, including faculty, exempt and classified employees, volunteers, student employees, and temporary employees.
All employees and volunteers are obligated to:
- protect the integrity of the college by being independent and impartial in the exercise of their duties, avoiding the use of their positions for personal gain or private benefit;
- ensure an environment free from fraud, abuse of authority, and misuse of public property;
- create a work environment that is free from all forms of unlawful discrimination and harassment;
- treat members of the campus community and of the community at large with respect, concern, courtesy, and responsiveness;
- protect confidential information to which employees have access in the course of their duties;
- ensure that outside employment or volunteer activity does not create a conflict of interest with their position with the college or the execution of their official duties.
Employees and volunteers are prohibited from:
- Having a financial or other interest or engaging in any business or professional activity that conflicts with the proper discharge of their official duties.
- Using their official position to secure special privileges for themselves, family members, or any other person.
- Receiving any compensation from a source, except the state, for performing or deferring the performance of their official duties.
- Accepting or soliciting any gifts favors, or things of economic value, directly or indirectly, if it could reasonably be expected that the gift, favor, or thing of value would influence the vote, action, or judgment of a public employee, or be considered as part of a reward for action or inaction. Exceptions to this prohibition are set forth in RCW 42.52.150.
- Disclosing confidential information to an unauthorized person or use confidential information for personal benefit or to benefit another.
- Using state resources for personal benefit or to benefit another, except as required during the execution of their official duties.
- Using state resources for political campaigns or lobbying.
- Assisting another person in a transaction involving the state if they participated in that transaction or the transaction was part of their job responsibilities within the past two (2) years, except as required during the execution of their official duties.
- Volunteers to the college who have an interest, financial or otherwise, direct or indirect may not engage in any activity or incur an obligation of any nature while contributing time, services, expertise and/or personal connections that will benefit those organizations, foundations, and societies to which the volunteer has an interest. Volunteers to the college are expected to abide by all Bellevue College policies and procedures.
Conflict of Interest
College employees shall not have an interest, financial or otherwise, direct or indirect, or engage in a business or transaction or professional activity, or incur an obligation of any nature, that is in conflict with the proper discharge of the employee’s official duties. A conflict of interest may arise in any situation that may compromise the impartiality of an employee’s judgment or decision-making because of the possibility of a conflict between the person’s self-interest and professional interest or public interest.
Outside Employment and Activities
An employee may hold employment outside of Bellevue College provided: (1) such employment does not interfere with or prevent the employee from fulfilling the responsibilities of their position or perform their job duties for the College; or (2) does not present a direct or indirect conflict of interest or a violation of state ethics laws.
- Full-time employees must disclose all outside employment to Human Resources in advance of starting the employment. Full-time employees engaged in outside employment prior to the effective date of this policy have 30 days to disclose to Human Resources. This provision does not apply to part-time employees (including adjunct faculty), employees making less than twice the minimum wage in accordance with RCW 49.62, or full-time faculty who are off contract (during breaks including summer quarter).
- Outside employment may not be conducted during the employee’s scheduled hours, or hours of work conducting college business unless the employee is on approved leave or personal holiday.
- Leave without pay will not be authorized for an employee to conduct or work in an outside business or company.
- An employee may not engage in outside employment if the demands of such employment prevent the satisfactory performance of their state duties. Outside employment must be consistent with RCW 42.52 which establishes a code of ethics for public officers and employees.
- Employees shall not use state resources (e.g., college phone, email, computers, copiers, fax machines, office supplies, vehicles, etc.) in the performance of outside employment or volunteer activities.
- Employees shall not use any confidential information gained through their position with Bellevue College to support or further their outside employment or volunteer activities.
Employees Contracting with State Agencies
Pursuant to WAC 292-110-060(4) state officers and employees seeking the approval of the Executive Ethics Board for a contract or grant with a state agency if the process for awarding the contract or grant was not open and competitive or only one bid or application was received shall provide the following information to the Executive Ethics Board Executive Director no later than thirty (30) days prior to the commencement of the contract:
- A description of current official duties and responsibilities
- A statement of the work to be performed and a copy of the contract;
- The duration and dollar value of the contract, if applicable;
- A statement that no state resources will be used to perform the outside employment or to fulfill the contract or grant;
- A description of how the work will be performed without the use of state resources; and
- A statement that the employing agency has reviewed or approved the outside contract under applicable rules or policies, except when requesting a conditional approval as provided in WAC 292-110-060(5)(b).
Employees seeking approval of the Executive Ethics Board Executive Director for a contract or grant under these provisions, shall submit request for approval for the outside contract from their appointing authority. All requests that are approved or denied shall be forwarded to HR and retained in the employee’s personnel file.
Off-Duty Activities
Employees shall report any convictions, court-imposed sanctions or conditions that impact the ability to perform official duties to their appointing authority within twenty-four (24) hours of occurrence or prior to their next-scheduled work shift, whichever occurs first.
Off-duty activities that violate RCW 42.52, Ethics in Public Service, and/or this policy or are detrimental to the employee’s work performance or College programs, or otherwise violate College policy, may be cause for disciplinary action, up to and including termination.
The board of trustees directs the president to disseminate this policy and to publish the basic principles of RCW 42.52 (Ethics in Public Service) to ensure that college employees are aware of their obligations under the law.
Relevant Laws and Other Resources
- RCW 42.52
- Bellevue College Policy 4400 Acceptable Use of State Resources
Revision History
Original 2/10/1994
Revisions 1/16/1996; 5/10/2005; 5/21/2009; 4/7/2015; 1/17/2024; 11/5/2025
Approved By
Board of Trustees
Last Updated January 9, 2026