NJ Colleges Focus on Conflict of Interest Questions

Conflict of Interest: "At public colleges and universities across the state, there's a renewed focus on the role of trustee boards, the unpaid panels that oversee the schools' administrations. 'In the private sector as well as the public, there is much more attention paid to transparency,' said Christopher Paladino, a trustee at UMDNJ.

Trustees at the state's public colleges and universities are appointed by the governor, often for the very connections that may pose the appearance of conflict later on. They are business leaders, lobbyists and political types. But at what point do connections become conflicts? Increasingly, trustee boards are grappling with the issue."