approved by the Faculty Senate April 4, 2007
Favoritism
or the appearance of it can undermine the trust that members of the university
community place in personnel decisions as well as the public interest which the
university serves. Thus, a personnel decision involving a family member
or partner of another faculty member or administrator requires unique
scrutiny and special safeguards. In no case should a faculty member or
administrator who might have a “personal interest” participate in the hiring,
supervision, evaluation, or other personnel actions that involve a family
member or partner.
If a faculty member or administrator might exercise or appear to exercise control over the employment or other personnel actions of a family member or partner, the supervisor of the faculty member or administrator must, at a minimum, designate a disinterested person to substitute for the individual who might have a personal interest. Additional steps may also be required if colleagues or subordinates of the individual with a personal interest are involved in the employment activities. “Appearance of exercising control” includes but is not limited to assigning responsibility for personnel actions or supervision to a colleague or subordinate. If the personnel action involves a faculty member or administrator in a local academic unit, the faculty in that unit and all other interested parties must be fully apprised of both the family/partner relationship and the steps that have been taken to ensure that the individual with a personal interest is not involved in the personnel decision.
At least ten days prior to consideration of a personnel action involving a family member or partner of a faculty member or administrator by the Board of Visitors, the Board will be fully apprised of the relationship and the steps taken to ensure that the individual with a personal interest was not involved in the action. Only after the Board is satisfied that the present policy was implemented and that safeguards were adequate should the personnel action be approved.