Public colleges in New Jersey have until the end of the day to turn over lists of thousands of vendors with which they do business, under an executive order issued on Friday by Gov. Jon S. Corzine.

The order is part of an effort by Governor Corzine, a Democrat, to update conflict-of-interest rules for trustees of state colleges, first announced in November by Richard J. Codey, who was then the acting governor (The Chronicle, December 2, 2005). Under the order, colleges will be required to submit quarterly lists of all vendors to the state’s Executive Commission on Ethical Standards, and the first such list is due today. Trustees will have to certify that they have no dealings with any businesses on the list.

College officials told the Asbury Park Press that they were surprised by the sudden deadline but would comply.

The ethics rules are the latest action by Governor Corzine in the wake of multiple investigations into possible financial wrongdoing at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, including the awarding of millions of dollars in no-bid contracts, often to politically connected individuals and firms (The Chronicle, June 17, 2005, and May 5). Since taking office, in January, the governor has forced out the president of the health-sciences university (The Chronicle, February 3) and replaced the chairman of its Board of Trustees.