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Revised: June 2026

In certain limited circumstances the University may be able to offer employment opportunities, through the search exception process, to a qualified spouse/partner for purposes of recruiting new faculty and senior level administrators (e.g., deans/vice presidents) or retaining outstanding existing academic faculty Spousal/partner employment opportunities under this policy may include tenured, tenure track, or non-tenure track positions, temporary or short-term positions, or non-academic professional positions.

The employment of a spouse/partner through this process is not an entitlement and is necessarily the exception rather than the rule. Because resources and opportunities for spousal/partner hires are limited, the following considerations and general guidelines have been developed for purposes of considering spousal/partner hiring situations.

Definitions

As used in this policy only, the following definitions apply:

“Hiring Unit” means the major academic unit of the University considering the employment of the recruited/retained faculty member.

“Partner” means a person’s domestic partner if the domestic partnership is registered with the office of the Nevada Secretary of State.

“Receiving Unit” means the major unit of the University, academic or administrative, proposed to employ the spousal/partner hire.

“Spouse” means a person’s partner in legal marriage.

Limitations

Priority for spousal/partner hire requests will be given to recruiting new academic faculty and senior level administrators (e.g., deans/vice presidents), and retaining outstanding academic faculty in fields which align with the University’s strategic growth plans. 

In all situations, the appropriateness of offering employment, regardless of its nature, to a spouse/partner will depend on the individual’s qualifications, merit, professional suitability, and ability to fill a role that is consistent with institutional needs and priorities.

The potential receiving unit of a spousal/partner hire has the authority to decide whether to recommend acceptance of a spousal/partner hire. While receiving units are asked to be flexible with regard to their plans and priorities, a spousal/partner hire will not disrupt a unit’s approved plans and strategic directions. Moreover, a spousal/partner hire will not be imposed on an unwilling unit.

With the exception of competitive or open search policies, compliance with all other policies and laws, including university affirmative action, equal employment opportunity, and nepotism policies must be maintained.