Sexual Intimacy between University Faculty and Students: Educational Issues and Interventions

Abstract

Sexual relationships between faculty members and students,a form of sexual harassment, can be damaging to the student, the facul~member, and the academic community.Considerations of issues ofpower, entitlement, and responsibility are essential to understanding and cknge. This article examines the issues and dynamics involved and describes a comprehensive educational intervention model that bs been developed for each of the constituent groups.Sexual harassment, one of the most widespread of all forms of sexual victitiation (National Council for Research on Women, 1991), is a serious concern in colleges and universities. Many colleges and universities have adopted policies that define sexual harassment as unwelcome sexual advances or creation of a hostile work environment, while others have broadened the definition of sexual harassment to include consensual relationships among partners who differ in power (e.g. me University of Iowa and me University of Minnesota). Such expanded policies reflect a broader conceptuatiation of sexual harassment, stiar

Perceptions of Consensual Amorous Relationship Polices (CARPs)

“…Today on the college campus, the prevalence of consensual amorous relationships between faculty and students has resurfaced (The Chronicle of Higher Education, July 11, 1997;Stites, 1996-a;Stamler, Pace and Stone, 1997). Although in the early years of the century, amorous relationships between professors and pupils were tolerated (Dziech and Weiner, 1984), today, such relationships are exposed in the very public forum of media coverage.…”

“…Throughout the history of higher education however, there has existed a certain level of privacy regarding the consensual amorous relationships between faculty members and students, beyond the realm of control of colleges and universities (Howard, 1991). However, this issue has largely been seen by higher education administrators as one not inclusive of unique ethical issues (Stamler, et. al., 1997).…”