Policy may put restrictions on student dating

By Molly Leaverton

A proposed new policy, focused on restricting relationships between university employees and people they supervise, have some worried about the effect it could have on students.

The original draft of the Consensual Dating Policy was focused on restricting relationships between faculty and students, but after passing through a staff affairs committee, the policy was expanded to apply to all university employees, including students.

The new policy would not only affect relationships between student employees and their superiors, but it could also prohibit relationships between community facilitators and residents, orientation leaders and incoming freshmen, and club advisors and members.

Possible consequences for supervisors being involved in such relationships have not yet been discussed by the committees.

Changes in university policy are made based on recommendations from three separate committees: faculty affairs, staff affairs and student affairs.

After passing through the faculty affairs committee, staff affairs recommended that the policy apply to staff members as well, including student employees.

"It started with considering the relationship between faculty and students, and that, for some, is a very different type of relationship created than the type of relationship created between student leaders and other students," said Jeanne Rosenberger, student affairs committee member and vice provost for student life.

The first paragraph of the proposed policy reads as follows:

"In addition to prohibiting sexual harassment under the policy on unlawful harassment and unlawful discrimination, the university prohibits any consensual dating, romantic or sexual relationship between an employee and a student over whom that employee has any instructional, supervisory, advisory or evaluative responsibility."

The student affairs committee, made up of five undergraduates, one graduate student and two staff members, is currently evaluating how this policy will affect students.

With many different types of student involvement and employment on-campus, it is not clear yet whom the policy will cover.

Before they vote on the policy, the student affairs committee will try to clarify who should be considered an employee. A distinction must also be made between extracurricular activities and employment, said Rosenberger.

"The point that we are at right now is to think more about what are the implications for students and what would be beneficial in terms of a new policy to protect students who are in those types of relationships and then clarify what is intended," said Rosenberger.

Timothy Haskell, director of first-year programs and a member of the staff affairs committee, said his understanding "is that the purpose of the policy is to prevent personal relationships from complicating the professional environment and to protect students from abuses of real or perceived power."

Nora Jamison-Danko, assistant to the dean and another committee member, said it is "of a great concern that someone could be in a position of power or influence and could coerce someone into doing something against their will."

Still, some wonder if this policy is necessary for student employees and their student supervisors.

"For students, we need to think more diligently about what the outcomes of such a policy might be and if they are appropriate and right," said Haskell.

"I am not sure that I agree that this policy should apply to student employees. There are shades of gray when it comes to students. We should not create policies that we cannot enforce," said Haskell. "At the end of the day, it is hard to tell two consenting adults that they cannot fall in love with one another."

However, some students feel that the policy is important to protect students' rights.

"I feel that it is a good policy because it keeps any relationship with an employee as that of a professional relationship. It ensures that all students get the same amount of fair treatment as the rest of the students on campus," freshman Debra Mortensen said.

The university policy committees hope to be able to resolve remaining questions in March so that the Faculty Senate can vote on a policy for the Board of Trustees to consider at its meeting on May 19.

Contact Molly Leaverton at (408) 554-4546 or mleaverton@scu.edu.