3.5.1 Nepotism

Present and prospective employees shall be evaluated on the basis of individual merit. The following restrictions are adopted to avoid the possibility of favoritism based on family relationships, for all employees of Blue Ridge Community College.

For the purposes of this procedure, “closely related” shall mean the following relationships: mother, father, brother, sister, son, daughter, father/mother-in-law, son/daughter-in-law, brother/sister-in-law, grandmother, grandfather, grandson, granddaughter, uncle, aunt, nephew, niece, husband, wife, first cousin, step-parent, step-child, step-brother/sister, guardian / ward or some person engaged in an amorous, physical or romantic relationship without the benefit of marriage that live in the same house.

1. The College shall not employ two or more persons concurrently who are closely related in positions which would result in one person of such relationship supervising another closely related person or having substantial influence over employment, salary or wages, or other management or personnel actions pertaining to the close relative.
2. With respect to the concurrent service of closely related persons within the same academic division or other comparable institutional subdivision of employment, neither employee shall be permitted, either individually or as a member of a committee, to participate in the evaluation of the other relative.
3. Employees with the authority to recommend the hiring of another employee shall not recommend the hiring of another person with whom they are “closely related.”
4. Trustees and College employees shall not take part in any official action regarding the employment of a closely related family member that results in financial gain to the Trustee or employee. For any official action regarding the employment status of a family member that would result in the financial gain to the Trustee or the employee, the Trustee will disclose the conflict to the full Board and will not take part in the official action, unless otherwise allowed by law.

The provisions of this section shall be prospective only with reference to appointments made after the adoption of this Policy.