The University prohibits all individuals it employs, whether faculty, staff, or students, from directly or indirectly supervising other individuals at the University with whom they have a sexual relationship, whether or not such relationships are consensual. Any romantic or amorous relationships between individuals where one party possesses direct academic, administrative, supervisory, evaluative, counseling, or extracurricular authority over the other party presents ethical and administrative problems. Inherent in these types of consensual relationships exist the potential for conflicts of interest, exploitation, favoritism, harassment, and bias. Furthermore, such relationships may undermine the real or perceived integrity and trust necessary for a beneficial academic or employment environment.
Faculty or staff members shall not have sexual relationships with individuals who they currently have the responsibility for evaluating, directly supervising, or teaching. The purpose of this policy is to protect students, employees, the University, and the integrity of the system. In regard to coaches and student athletes, the University subscribes to the NCAA’s guidance regarding amorous relationships with students. Therefore, the University prohibits athletic coaches from engaging in any sexual relationship with any current student athlete, whether or not such coach directly coaches the particular student athlete.
Violations of this prohibition will lead to disciplinary action, up to and possibly including termination from the University. Disciplinary action taken as a result of this policy shall be consistently applied.
The term “directly or indirectly supervising” includes, but is not limited to:
- Making or influencing hiring, promotion, salary, tenure, or similar advancement and compensation or benefit decisions;
- Evaluating work performance, contributing to, or conducting, performance reviews;
- Making or participating in decisions about work assignments or schedules; and
- Participating in the resolution of employee relations matters.
Specifically, a supervisor (faculty, staff, or student) involved in a sexual relationship with an employee under his or her supervision shall not write a job performance review, recommend a salary increase, or become involved in any disciplinary or other employee relations matter involving the individual, or participate in reappointment, assignment, tenure, promotion, compensation, or merit increase decisions. If a person is part of a committee and has or has had an amorous relationship with a person being evaluated by such committee, the person should recuse himself/herself from such role due to a conflict of interest.
The University strongly discourages faculty or staff from engaging in any consensual sexual or amorous relationships with any student, even where a supervisory relationship is not present. When a supervisory relationship exists between a student and a faculty or staff member, intimate relations are unequivocally not allowed. Non-consensual sexual relationships are unlawful and strictly prohibited by the University (Refer to the University’s Sexual Harassment Policy, 6.3).