4.12 Smoke-Free/Tobacco-Free Environment
The Maricopa County Community College District is dedicated to providing a healthy, comfortable, and
educationally productive environment for students, employees, and visitors. In order to promote a healthy
learning and work environment, the Chancellor has directed that the Maricopa County Community College
District serve as a total smoke free and tobacco free environment, effective July 1, 2012. Smoking (including the
use of “e-cigs”) and all uses of tobacco shall be prohibited from all District owned and leased property and
facilities, including but not limited to parking lots, rooftops, courtyards, plazas, entrance and exit ways, vehicles,
sidewalks, common areas, grounds, athletic facilities, and libraries. Support signage prohibiting the use of smoking
instruments and tobacco shall be placed throughout all college and District locations.
Continued violations by and employee or student shall be handled through the respective conduct procedures
established for employees and students.
4.18 Consensual Relationships
1. General
The existing Governing Board Policy on Hiring of Relatives prohibits employees from being involved in any
employment or key decision that involves a relative. This would include work performance, job assignments, or
pay related matters. In that such relationships can create a conflict with the interests of the Maricopa Community
Colleges, and the increased potential for nepotism and favoritism, the same principles also apply in the case of
consensual amorous, romantic and/or sexual relationships that occur between employees or between employees
and students.
In the work and academic environment, such a relationship that might be appropriate in other circumstances is
inappropriate if one of the individuals in the relationship has a professional responsibility toward, or is in a position
of authority with respect to, the other, such as in the context of supervision, instruction, coaching, counseling or
advisement. An element of power is present in such a context and it is incumbent upon those with authority not to
abuse that power. In addition, consensual relationships may yield to third parties the appearance that unfair bias or
favoritism towards the student or supervisee is taking place.
A.
Definitions
i.
Consensual relationships
are defined as romantic, amorous and/or sexual relationships
between consenting employees or between employees and adult (18 years or older) college
students currently enrolled at one of the community colleges.
ii.
An
employee
is any individual who is employed by the Maricopa County Community College
District (MCCCD). An employee includes an individual who is subject to an established
employee job group policy manual, whether regular, full-time board approved, at-will, part-time,
and/or temporary. An employee also includes a contract worker (special services employment,
request for personnel services) working or serving as an agent or designee on behalf of the
MCCCD.
iii.
A
student
is considered to be any person currently enrolled in a credit or non-credit class at
one of the colleges or centers within the Maricopa County Community College District.
iv.
A
vendor
is someone who sells or can sell products or services to the Maricopa County
Community College District.
v.
A
recent
consensual relationship is considered to be one that has taken place within the past 24
months.
B.
Prohibited Conduct
i.
An employee shall not maintain, engage in or be involved in a consensual relationship with
another employee who is subject to that individual’s supervision or with a student that is
currently enrolled in the individual’s class, or a student whom the individual otherwise instructs,
coaches, counsels or advises, or with a vendor if the employee manages that contract or
otherwise exerts influence over the contract.
ii.
The Governing Board recognizes that the personal life of its employees is not a concern of the
institution, and therefore, this regulation does not seek to prohibit romantic relationships that
exist between parties where the context of power-authority between employees or between
employees and students is not present; and provided that the relationship does not affect the
employee’s effectiveness in fulfilling his or her professional obligation. For these instances,
appropriate measures should still be taken in order to avoid conflicts of interest from occurring.
For relationships that may exist prior to the time that either a student or employee is placed in a
situation of instruction or supervision that is considered to be a conflict of interest, the
employee(s) involved shall disclose and take immediate measures to avoid the conflict or
appearance of conflict.
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