Faculty & Staff

NY-Hired Personnel

All Columbia University policies apply to University NY-hired personnel working on international projects, whether the employee is based in the United States or is based in another country as an “expatriate.” Exceptions may occur when a University policy is specifically intended to apply to employees working in New York or when a University policy is in conflict with the laws of the country in which the international project is operating. Columbia University policies may be found in the online Administrative Policy Library.

Local Hire Staff

The following standard codes of conduct should be modified as required to be in compliance with the laws in the operating context of the international project and then applied to all staff hired locally in field sites. The codes of conduct must be readily available to all staff and should be translated into local languages as necessary to meet this requirement. New employees should always be provided with an orientation to the codes of conduct. (See requirements on having a Local Hire Manual.)

Large Field Operations

International projects with a large operational presence in foreign countries will need additional codes of conduct on topics such as nepotism, dress code, and workplace violence. These may be drawn from the ICAP SOPs and adapted to the particular context.

In the Case of Contradiction

Those operating in a foreign country may find distinctions or contradictions between the codes of conduct specified by Columbia University and those specified by local law. The guiding principle in all University operations is that the higher standard of conduct is the one that rules. If interpretation is needed in such cases, the principal investigator should consult the Mailman School Dean’s Office, the University’s Office of the General Counsel, or other departments as relevant and then render a decision.