General Definition
Decisions concerning grades, degrees, promotions, evaluations, merit
increases, and awards must be made free from any trace of bias or favor.
Such decisions become suspect when made by those who have a consenting
(romantic or sexual) relationship which is beyond the purely
professional or academic one with those who are the object of those
decisions. Even the mere appearance of bias may seriously disrupt the
academic or work environment affecting others who are a part of it.
Faculty and Students
Commonly accepted standards of professional behavior and ethics require
that faculty members not hold evaluative power over any student with whom
they have a consenting (romantic or sexual) relationship.Faculty
members should not initiate or accept such a relationship with a student
over whom they have an evaluative role. Should such a relationship exist
between a faculty member and a student, the faculty member must remove
him/herself from the evaluation of the student's work.
Supervisors and Employees
Commonly accepted standards of professional behavior and ethics require
that administrators, supervisors, coaches, and other unclassified
personnel not hold evaluative power over any student or employee with
whom they have a consenting (romantic or sexual) relationship.A
supervisor who is in a consenting (romantic or sexual) relationship with
another individual over whom he or she has evaluative responsibility must
remove him/herself from personnel decisions concerning that individual,
such as appointment, retention, promotion, discipline, tenure, or salary.
Penalties
When complaints arise from situations where such relationships are not
handled as described above, the faculty member, administrator, or
supervisor shall be considered to be in possible violation of the
University policy on Affirmative Action and the complaint processed as
provided in said policy.
