Purpose of this Policy

The University is committed to the principle that its personnel shall carry out their duties in an objective and ethical fashion and in an atmosphere in which conflicts of interest are identified and managed. A situation in which an employee retains a direct supervisory or evaluative role over a person in which they have a familial or consensual relationship creates conflicts of interest and perceptions of undue advantage or disadvantage.

 POLICY APPLIES TO: (Persons affected by): All staff, faculty, administration, and student employees.

 DEFINITIONS:

1. Familial relationships: Familial relationships include relationships by blood , adoption, marriage, or domestic partnership; such relationships are with a partner, parent, grandparent, child , sibling , first cousin, uncle, aunt, nephew, niece, spouse, brother- or sister-in-law, father- or mother-in-law, son- or daughter-in-law, step-parent or step-child .

2. Consensual Relationships: Consensual relationships include committed relationships, consensual sexual or romantic relationships.

3. Student: A person applying to the University or currently enrolled, either fulltime or part-time, in any course or academic program associated with Colorado State University-Pueblo.

4. Employee: A person currently employed by Colorado State University-Pueblo, either full-time or part-time, in any location and in any capacity. Employee shall include, but is not limited to, administrators, faculty, administrative professionals, state classified staff, graduate assistants, student hourly employees, non-student hourly employees, authorized volunteers, and student work-study employees.

5. Exercise(s) Authority shall mean and refer to evaluating, providing oversight, supervising, academic advising, mentoring, coaching, counseling, providing extracurricular oversight, and/or otherwise participating in or influencing votes or decisions that may reward or penalize a student employee or subordinate employee.

6. Supervisor: The individual who performs the employee's annual evaluation or has oversight of the employee's work.

POLICY STATEMENT:

An employee shall notify his or her supervisor immediately in writing of a situation in which the employee is in a position to exercise authority over a familial member who is a student or a subordinate employee. Within fifteen (15) working days of receiving this notification, the supervisor shall consult with his or her supervisor to develop a plan to manage or eliminate conflicts of interest and mitigate adverse effects on the involved parties and other third parties. This plan shall document in writing the actions that shall be taken, including one or more of the following actions:

1. Transferring supervisory, decision-making, evaluative, academic, and/or advisory responsibilities;

2. Providing an additional layer of oversight to the supervisory role;

3. Transferring one of the individuals to another position; and/or

4. Taking any other action reasonably necessary to manage or eliminate the actual or potential conflict of interest and/or mitigate adverse effects.

In addition, an employee shall refrain from participating in or influencing votes or decisions that may reward or penalize a person with whom they have a familial or consensual relationship who is an employee (such as votes or decisions regarding tenure and/or promotion). If during the course of employment a familial or consensual relationship develops or occurs that was not present at the time of hire, the person in the supervisory position must notify their direct supervisor within the 10 working days. The parties must then develop a plan to mitigate the conflict as provided above.

A violation of this policy may lead to disciplinary action, as permitted by University policy and law, up to and including termination of employment. Retaliation against persons who report concerns about familial or consensual relationship is prohibited and constitutes a violation of this Policy.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Supervisors within their respective units have the responsibility to manage conflicts of interest that occur due to familial and consensual relationships.

RELATED LAWS, POLICIES & PROCEDURES:

1. Conflict of Interest policy

2. C.R.S. 24-34-402 (h) (I)& (II)

FORMS:

Conflict of Interest

APPROVED:

COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY-PUEBLO

By: Lesley Di Mare

Date: 12/18/2015