SUBJECT: Nepotism
PURPOSE: To provide a standard policy to regulate hiring two or more individuals from the same immediate family.
POLICY: It is the policy of Sam Houston State University to refuse to employ, appoint, promote or transfer any person who is related to an officer of the University or his/her spouse within the first or second degree by marriage (affinity) or within the first, second or third degree by blood (consanguinity) to any employee whose duty would involve acting in an official capacity in employment, promotion, and/or transfer decisions; nor shall any person be employed if either person would come under the administrative supervision of the other; or if either would have any official voice in recommending salary increases or promotion in rank for the other.
CONTENTS: 1. Degrees of Relationship
2. Consanguinity and Affinity
3. Supervision of Relatives
4. Exceptions
1. Degrees of Relationship
1st
2nd
3rd
OFFICER &
Child
Grandchild
Great-Grandchild
SPOUSE
Parent
Sister/Brother
Niece/Nephew
Spouse Grandparent Aunt/Uncle
Great-Grandparent
2. Consanguinity and Affinity
a. Two persons are related to each other by consanguinity if one is a descendant of the other or if they share a common ancestor. Adoptive children are treated as natural children of the adoptive parents in this regard.
b. Two persons are related to each other by affinity if they are
married to each other or the spouse of one of the persons is related by
consanguinity to the other person. Termination of a marriage by divorce
or the death of a spouse terminates relationships by affinity created by
that marriage unless a child of that marriage is living, in which case
the marriage is treated as continuing to exist.
3. Supervision of Relatives
a. Departments or comparable administrative units may employ individuals who are related to another within the prohibited degrees provided such employment does not cause one such relative to (a) have responsibility for the direct or indirect supervision of the other relative, or (b) have authority over the salary received or other terms and conditions of employment of the other relative. Employment under either of these conditions may be authorized only by the President. These conditions apply to the continuation of employment as well as the initial appointment.
(1) This policy does not prohibit the re-appointment or continued employment of any person related to another within either of the prohibited degrees who shall have been employed at the University before the adoption of this policy. However, no University employee may approve, recommend, or otherwise act with regard to the appointment, reappointment, promotion, or salary of any person related within either of the prohibited degrees.
(2) If the reappointment or continued employment of a person places such person under an administrative supervisor related within the above specified degrees, all subsequent actions with regard to evaluation, reappointment, promotion, or salary shall be the responsibility of the next highest administrative supervisor.
4. Exceptions
a. Relationships shall not affect honorary positions or nonremunerative positions.
b. An exception to the nepotism policy is made
if the relative of the officer (who is related within the second degree
by marriage or within the third degree by blood) has been continuously
employed for:
Approved:_____________________________
Bobby K. Marks, President
Sam Houston State University