Page 163 - Mesa Community College 2020-2021 Student Handbook

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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 an 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 County 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
B.
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.
i.
Prohibited Conduct
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.
2. Procedures for Disclosure
Employees should first avoid allowing an inappropriate consensual, amorous or sexual relationship to develop with a supervisee or student.
A. Where the employee is already in or has had a recent consensual relationship with a supervisee, the
following procedures shall be followed:
i. Immediate disclosure by the employee of the relationship to their supervisor and to the
appropriate Vice President or Vice Chancellor in order to ensure that any conflicts of interest
have been adequately addressed.
ii. The respective administrator responsible for the department or division shall place the
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