Consensual Relationships Policy
Purpose: Decisions concerning grades, degrees, promotions, evaluations, salary, 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. The mere appearance of bias may seriously disrupt the academic or work environment affecting others who are a part of it. Even in a consenting relationship there are substantial risks of charges of sexual harassment or favoritism when supervision or academic evaluation is involved.
Applies to: All employees and students at Pittsburg State University.
Definitions:
Consensual Relationship - A romantic relationship and/or sexual interaction agreed to by the involved parties. A Consensual Relationship may exist electronically or in person.
Employee - Employee includes both full- and part-time faculty, unclassified staff, university support staff, administrative staff, graduate assistants, graduate teaching assistants, student employees, and temporary appointees.
Evaluative Power - Directly evaluate, grade, or otherwise assess academic performance, extracurricular performance, or otherwise make decisions that materially affect advancement in an academic program or participation in a university-sponsored program or activity.
Mitigation Plan - A written plan developed as provided in this policy that mitigates the conflict of interest and the potential for exploitation or the appearance of exploitation or favoritism created by the consensual relationship and which plan is acknowledged and signed by the parties involved.
Supervisor - An employee who is authorized to supervise, manage, evaluate, or make other personnel decisions such as those concerning appointment, retention, promotion, discipline, transfer, tenure, or salary.
Student - An individual enrolled in courses at Pittsburg State University.
Employee - Employee includes both full- and part-time faculty, unclassified staff, university support staff, administrative staff, graduate assistants, graduate teaching assistants, student employees, and temporary appointees.
Evaluative Power - Directly evaluate, grade, or otherwise assess academic performance, extracurricular performance, or otherwise make decisions that materially affect advancement in an academic program or participation in a university-sponsored program or activity.
Mitigation Plan - A written plan developed as provided in this policy that mitigates the conflict of interest and the potential for exploitation or the appearance of exploitation or favoritism created by the consensual relationship and which plan is acknowledged and signed by the parties involved.
Supervisor - An employee who is authorized to supervise, manage, evaluate, or make other personnel decisions such as those concerning appointment, retention, promotion, discipline, transfer, tenure, or salary.
Student - An individual enrolled in courses at Pittsburg State University.
Policy:
- Commonly accepted standards of professional behavior and ethics require that PSU employees not hold evaluative power over any student with whom they have a consenting (romantic or sexual) relationship. PSU employees are prohibited from engaging in such a relationship with a student over whom they have an evaluative role. Should such a relationship exist between a PSU employee and a student, the PSU employee must remove him/herself from the evaluation of the student's work. PSU employees have an affirmative responsibility to immediately report the relationship to their supervisor and develop a mitigation plan (see below).
- Commonly accepted standards of professional behavior and ethics require that supervisors not hold evaluative power over any 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. A supervisor in such a consenting relationship has an affirmative responsibility to immediately report the relationship to their supervisor and develop a mitigation plan (see below).
- Any employee of the university who violates one or more provisions of this policy shall be subject to discipline in accordance with applicable university codes of conduct (i.e., the PSU Unclassified Handbook, the PSU/KNEA Agreement, and the University Support Staff Handbook).
- Complaints regarding potential violations of this policy may be directed to the Office of Institutional Equity, 212 Russ Hall, 1701 S. Broadway, Pittsburg, KS 66762-7500, equity@pittstate.edu.
Mitigation Plan
- If the conflict of interest and the potential for exploitation or the appearance of exploitation or favoritism can be successfully mitigated and managed, a written mitigation plan will be produced within ten (10) business days of the report (unless there are reasonable grounds for additional time) by the appropriate chair, dean, and Provost/Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs (when the relationship involves a faculty member) or the appropriate director and division head (when the relationship involves a staff member) in collaboration with both parties to the consensual relationship.
- If the mitigation plan is not agreed to by all parties to the plan, resolution of the disagreement will be handled through consultation with the appropriate division head of the individual(s) opposing the plan. If the conflict of interest and potential for exploitation or the appearance of exploitation or favoritism created by the consensual relationship cannot be successfully mitigated and managed, then the consensual relationship is prohibited.
- The mitigation plan will:
- provide an alternative means for managing, supervising, teaching, evaluating, and/or advising of the supervisee/student or otherwise mitigate the conflict;
- give priority to the interest of the supervisee/student;
- be in writing and signed by both parties to the consensual relationship; and
- be reassessed on an annual basis (or sooner if circumstances warrant) by the parties, and the applicable department/unit head for necessary modification.
Related Policies
- Kansas Board of Regents Policy Prohibiting Nepotism, Chapter II, Section C.1.b.v.
- Pittsburg State University Sexual Harassment Policy
- Pittsburg State University Policy on Sexual Misconduct and Relationship Violence
Contact:
Institutional Equity
212 Russ Hall
1701 South Broadway, Pittsburg, KS 66762
Phone: (620) 235-4189
E-mail: equity@pittstate.edu
Institutional Equity website