Original Date of Issue: 6/20/79
Revised: 3/18/15

Purpose

To provide guidance on the College’s expectations regarding all employment decisions and the conduct of business involving relatives.

Policy

The employment of relatives of current employees is permitted if there are no conflicts of interest. The College prohibits relatives of prospective employees from sitting on any College Search Committee in which they may have influence on the outcome of future hires among the faculty or staff. An employee who appoints, re-appoints, or confirms appointments/reappointments, approves changes in status, evaluates performance for salary increments, promotes or dismisses, may not hire, supervise, manage, or be a part of the hiring process of relatives. Under no circumstances should one employee be directly supervised by another employee who is a relative. Under no circumstances should any member of the College’s officers, administrators, faculty, or staff exert pressure on any Hiring Committee, Promotion Committee, Sabbatical Committee, or individual directly involved in the hiring process with regard to an application or candidate who is a relative. Hiring of relatives and/or working with relatives in the same department is prohibited.

Disciplinary matters involving employees, faculty, or staff should not be conducted by or similarly involve a fellow employee who is related to the employee who is being subject to disciplinary action.

The adjudication of students and all decisions affecting a student’s academic record should not involve an employee, either faculty or staff, who is related to the student.

All employees must disclose the following whenever it occurs:

A. The planned direct participation in a College decision that would involve a direct benefit or detriment to a relative or former relative.

B. A change in the status of a relative’s relationship.

The definition of relative for the purposes of this Policy, includes a spouse, civil union partner, domestic partner, or the parent, child, brother, sister, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, cousin, grandparent, grandchild, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, step-parent, step-child, step-brother, step- sister, half-brother or half-sister of the individual or of the individual’s spouse, civil union partner or domestic partner, whether the relative is related to the individual or the individual spouse, civil union or domestic partner by blood, marriage, or adoption.

This Policy is effective March 18, 2015 - anyone found in violation of this Policy will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination from employment.