Section 1: Background

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1. WNC seeks to employ on a competitive basis the most qualified candidate for every position.
2. It is the policy of the Nevada System of Higher Education and Western Nevada College that no employees or officers shall engage in any activities that place them in a conflict of interest between their official activities and any other interest or obligation. Conflict of interest requires all employees and officers to disqualify themselves from participating in a decision when a financial or personal interest is present.
3. The Nevada Revised Statutes 281.210, Nevada Administrative Code 284.375, and 284.377 and Title 4, Chapter 3, Section 7 in the Board of Regents Handbook, prohibit the employment of relatives under certain circumstances. Except for relationships allowed therein, no employing authority of WNC may appoint a person to an employment position if, upon the appointment, the person will be the immediate supervisor or will be in the direct line of authority of any relative of a WNC employee within the third degree of consanguinity or affinity.
4. Exceptions to this policy must have the prior written approval of the employing authority, along with a written agreement detailing the manner in which conflicts of interest will be ameliorated.

Section 2: Definitions

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1. Consanguinity is a blood relationship within a family.
2. Affinity is a marriage or other legal relationship (such as adoption) formally recognized by the State of Nevada.
3. Relationships within the third degree of consanguinity include the employee's spouse, child, parent, sibling, half-sibling, or step-relatives of the person; the spouse of the employee's child, parent, sibling, half-sibling, or step-relative; or the employee's in-laws, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, grandparent, grandchild, or first cousin.

Section 3: Procedures

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1. The following procedures apply to all WNC employees including academic and administrative faculty, members of the state classified system, and all student employees, regardless of the funding source or budget account.
   1. The appointing authority for WNC is the President or Chancellor, as the case may be.
   2. A person serving in a supervisory position may not participate in decisions regarding the hiring, reappointment, placement, evaluation, rate of pay, salary increases, promotion, tenure, monetary awards, or other personal interest for a relative employed by the NSHE, even when the supervisor is not in the direct line of authority.
   3. Department heads and supervisors at any level who recommend the hiring of a relative of any employee must provide written notification of the proposed hire to the appointing authority which addresses whether the proposed hire will create a conflict of interest within the unit and, if so, how the conflict of interest will be ameliorated. Recommended hires which would create a conflict of interest require an exception to the general rule recited above and the approval of the appointing authority. All hires must be approved in writing by the appointing authority.
   4. If a supervisor becomes related to an employee in the direct line of supervision, the supervisor will notify the appointing authority in writing within 10 working days. The appointing authority shall make the final determination of what action shall be taken.
   5. Any deviation from the above policy could result in disciplinary action as well as sanctions stipulated in the NRS and NAC.

Section 4: Exceptions

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1. Exceptions to this policy require written approval from the appointing authority.

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