In trying to shore up its policy on professor-student romantic relationships, did Virginia Commonwealth University create and then advertise a loophole? That’s what some faculty members think. But the university says it meant to strongly discourage student-faculty dating while at the same time leaving room for some relationships that don’t put either the student or faculty member at risk. Earlier this week, Virginia Commonwealth shared via email its new interim policy on consensual student-employee relationships. The university’s near-decade-old policy was that employees “shall not engage in consensual relations with students whenever the employee has a ‘position of authority’ with respect to the student in such matters as teaching or in otherwise evaluating, supervising or advising a student as part of a school program or employment situation.” Such relations were to be immediately disclosed to a supervisor.

September 4, 2015 ・ From Inside Higher Ed