Department chairs' newest headache? In Virginia they have to bare their financial souls

In December 2014, AHA president, Jan Goldstein, and vice-president (Professional Division) Philippa Levine sent a letter to Terry McAuliffe, governor of Virginia, requesting he reconsider the scope of a new executive order designed to extend the reach of the Commonwealth’s conflict-of-interest law. The new rules require department chairs and program directors of public universities in the Commonwealth to file a semi-annual Statement of Economic Interests listing assets, sources of income generated by all family members (including, for example, fees for speaking engagements, royalties, and reimbursements for travel), and retirement accounts. This 18-page form becomes immediately part of the public record.

This letter recognizes the need for reasonable financial disclosure but points out that the breadth of financial information required is not commensurate with the limited control that department chairs and program directors have over their budgets, especially with respect to procurement.