Anne Arundel Community College (“college”) is committed to providing and maintaining a working and learning environment in which every employee and student is evaluated on the merits of the employee’s or student’s performance without nepotism, conflicts of interest, exploitation and/or favoritism.

I. Purpose

This policy is established to permit relatives or individuals in a personal relationship to be employed by the college and enroll in courses offered by the college while promoting fairness and preventing conflicts of interest that may be caused by nepotism, exploitation and/or favoritism.

II. Scope and Applicability

This policy applies to all students, faculty and staff, including temporary employees, contractual employees, student employees and adjunct faculty.

III. Definitions

A. Nepotism is favoritism or the appearance of favoritism in the workplace or educational environment based on kinship, which ordinarily consists of making employment, educational or other decisions based on a family or personal relationship.

B. Relative is one connected to another by blood, adoption, or marriage, including a spouse; child or step-child; parent, stepparent, or spouse’s parent; sibling, stepbrother, stepsister, or spouse’s sibling; grandparent, step-grandparent, or spouse’s grandparent; grandchild, step-grandchild, or spouse’s grandchild; aunt or uncle or spouse’s aunt or uncle; or niece or nephew or spouse’s niece or nephew.

C. Personal relationship means living in the same household, having an intimate relationship, or any other relationship that would give rise to a substantial appearance of impropriety or lack of reasonable objectiveness. For purposes of this definition, intimate relationship means an interpersonal relationship that involves emotional or physical intimacy, including but not limited to, romantic or passionate attachment or sexual activity.

D.  Supervisor-Subordinate Relationship is a relationship in which an employee reports to another employee or otherwise participates directly in making personnel decisions regarding another employee.

E.  Faculty-student relationship is a relationship in which a student receives academic instruction from a faculty member or in which the faculty member participates in decisions affecting a student’s academic record.

IV. Supervisor-subordinate Relationships

A.  The college may employ individuals who are relatives or have a personal relationship as long as the individuals do not have a supervisor-subordinate relationship.

B.  The college prohibits an employee from having a supervisor-subordinate relationship with a relative or individual with whom the employee has a personal relationship.

C.  An employee may not make, participate in, or attempt to influence employment or other business decisions involving an employee who is a Relative or is an individual with whom the employee has a personal relationship, including but not limited to decisions regarding hiring, promoting, supervising, disciplining, evaluating, compensating, directing work, setting work hours, or setting other conditions of employment, such as approval of expenditure of college funds or use of college resources.

V. Faculty-student Relationships

A.  A student may enroll in courses at the college as long as the student does not have a faculty-student relationship with a relative or an individual with whom the student has a personal relationship.

B.  The college prohibits a faculty member from having an intimate relationship with a student who is under the age of eighteen (18), regardless of whether there is a faculty-student relationship.

C.  The college discourages a faculty member from having an intimate relationship with an adult student, even if there is not a faculty-student relationship.

D.  The college prohibits a faculty member from having a faculty-student relationship with a relative or individual with whom the faculty member has or develops a personal relationship.

E.  A faculty member may not evaluate student academic work, make changes to a student’s academic record or participate in or attempt to influence decisions involving a student who is a relative or is an individual with whom the faculty member has a personal relationship, including but not limited to grading, evaluating student work, awarding credits or a credential, graduating or participating in other activities in which a student is engaged at the college.

VI. Reporting

A.  Any employee who has or is hired or transferred to a position in which a supervisor-subordinate relationship exists with a relative or an individual with whom the employee has a personal relationship must report the relationship to the executive director of Human Resources as soon as practical, but in no event later than ten (10) business days of the supervisor-subordinate relationship coming into existence.

B.  If a Personal Relationship develops between employees who are in a supervisor-subordinate relationship, the employees must report the relationship to the executive director of Human Resources as soon as practical, but in no event later than ten (10) business days of the personal relationship coming into existence.

C.  Any faculty or student who becomes aware that a student is enrolled in a course in which the student has a faculty-student relationship with a faculty member who is a relative or with whom the student has a personal relationship must report the relationship to the dean of the school in which the faculty member is assigned as soon as practical, but in no event later than ten (10) business days from the class start date.

D.  If a personal relationship develops between a faculty member and an adult student during the course, the faculty member must report the relationship to the dean of the school in which the faculty member is assigned as soon as practical.

E.  Failure to report may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination or dismissal from the college, in accordance with the procedures.

F.  Upon receipt of a report, the executive director of Human Resources or the dean of the school in which the faculty member is assigned will resolve the situation in accordance with the procedures.

The board of trustees hereby authorizes the president (or designee) to develop, maintain and keep current appropriate procedures to implement and enforce this policy.

 

Policy Title: Nepotism and Personal Relationships Policy  

Policy Category: Human Resources

Policy Owner: Vice President for Learning Resources Management

Policy Administrator: Executive Director, Human Resources

Contact Information: Suzanne Boyer; slboyer1@aacc.edu; 410-777-2045

Approval Date: May 11, 2021

Effective Date: May 11, 2021

History: May 12, 2009 (effective 60 days from the date of revision), revised October 12, 1999; May 11, 2021                                        

Applies to: All faculty, staff, and students

Related Policies: N/A

Related Procedures: Nepotism & Personal Relationships Procedures