By Stephanie Woodrow

The University passed a policy forbidding sexual relationships between supervisory faculty members and students.

The policy on consensual relations between faculty and students, which was approved by University President Stuart Rabinowitz, faculty and the University Senate, states,

“Within the instructional context, no faculty member shall engage in sexual relationships or conduct that may reasonably be perceived as inviting or encouraging a sexual relationship, with a student over whom the faculty member has supervisory or evaluative responsibility.”

The policy includes faculty, administration, staff members, as well as teacher and research assistants whose responsibilities include the supervision and evaluation of students’ academic work.

If faculty members and students have no professional relationship that would create a conflict of interest, a relationship is “discouraged although not expressly prohibited by University policy.”

“I feel that as a college student and an 18-year-old adult,I should have the choice of whether or not to engage in a sexual relationship with another consenting adult,” freshman John McElory, a drama major, said. “It is outrageous that I can’t make my own decision.”

The rationale for banning professor/student sexual relationships, is the concern over fair treatment and an exploitation of professors’ position and integrity.

According to the policy, “such relationships can raise serious concerns about the validity of consent, conflict of interest and unfair treatment of others. They may undermine the real or perceived integrity of the evaluation and supervision provided and the trust inherent in such relationships.”

First introduced as a policy in 2003, the University Senate, which at the time was comprised of elected faculty members, an academic dean, Provost Herman Berliner, and students, approved the original policy in December. The faculty then voted for the policy in February 2004 at the quarterly faculty meeting.

While there are 1,324 faculty members, according to the Provost, only 52 faculty members attended the February meeting where the faculty voted in favor of the policy.

Adapted from similar policies at the University of Iowa, the University of Michigan and the College of William and Mary, the policy states repercussions for faculty members who violate the policy, but not for students. Students will not suffer any repercussions for violations of the policy.

“Violations of this policy will be considered misconduct on the part of the faculty,” the policy states. Faculty repercussions will vary depending on the severity of the infraction.

“[The policy was] not motivated by an incident on campus,” Speaker of the Faculty Daniel Seabold said.

Seabold, a mathematics professor, also said Joanna Grossman, a professor at the University’s School of Law, was helpful in the process of writing the policy because of her background in sexual harassment law. The faculty affairs committee, a subcommittee of the University Senate, originally wrote the policy.

The policy states, “Members of the University who discern that violations of this Policy have occurred may initiate a complaint to the Equal Rights and Opportunity Officer.”