op-ed Professor-student relationship policy needed at Middlebury

Author: Tracy Himmel-Isham and Jon Isham

In a recent article in The Campus, ("Council Weighs Relationship Ban"), Faculty Council member Amy Morsman reports, "Faculty Council has been crafting a policy which would prohibit professors from having amorous relationships with students."

We say 'Bravo!' to Faculty Council for taking on this controversial issue, and we encourage them to take a strong stance. Hundreds of campuses across the United States have already adopted such a policy. Here's an example from University of Pennsylvania: "Consensual sexual relations between teacher and student can adversely affect the academic enterprise, distorting judgments or appearing to do so in the minds of others, and provide incentives or disincentives for student-faculty contact that are equally inappropriate. For these reasons, the University's policy prohibits sexual relations between a teacher and a student during the period of the teacher/student relationship." Furthermore, thousands of law firms, Fortune 500 companies and other organizations prohibit sexual relations between supervisor and supervisee. Like many members of our community, we believe Middlebury should adopt a comparable policy.

Consider the negative effects when a professor and a student whom s/he supervises are engaged in a romantic and/or sexual relationship. Multiple conflicts are bound to arise because of the power differential. Fellow students are justified in questioning, "What has happened to the mutual trust in this classroom?" Departmental colleagues of the professor should ask: "How will this relationship affect our professional reputation?" And if the College turns a blind eye, parents of Middlebury students have the right to demand "What kind of a community is this?!"

A good model for Middlebury is the "Statement on Consensual Relations" from Carleton College (adopted in 2002):

The well-being of the learning and teaching community at Carleton College depends upon the existence of a relationship of trust, respect, and fairness between the faculty and the students. Romantic and/or sexual relations, even if consensual, between faculty members and their students (those whom they currently teach, advise, supervise, coach, or evaluate in any way) violate the integrity of the student/teacher relationship as described above. Such relations are therefore prohibited by the College and constitute grounds for disciplinary action up to and including dismissal.

Because any romantic and/or sexual relationship between a faculty member and a student has the potential to jeopardize the quality of the academic or living environment of the community, the College strongly discourages such relations even if the faculty member does not currently hold a position of authority over the student. The College will therefore take appropriate disciplinary action (up to and including dismissal) should such a relationship be found to undermine the trust, respect, and fairness that are central to the success of Carleton's educational mission.

This language gets it exactly right. Trusting, respectful and fair relationships between faculty and students are central to a college's academic mission. Indeed, the teacher-student relationship, as celebrated in the recent launch of the Middlebury Initiative, defines our community.

Note that the Carleton policy does not - repeat, does not - forbid all sexual relationships between faculty member and student. Specifically, it acknowledges that some romantic and/or sexual relationships do not "undermine the trust, respect, and fairness that are central to the success of Carleton's educational mission." This is an essential part of such a policy. A respected colleague of ours recently told us: "I have been at Middlebury for a long time, and I have seen loving relationships develop between professors and students, relationships that have become strong, long-lasting marriages." At the same time, this colleague pulled no punches: "Of course, sexual relations between a faculty member and a student whom he or she currently supervises are indefensible."

We wonder about those who might object to Middlebury adopting a version of Carleton's "Statement on Consensual Relations." Perhaps some might think that it violates a tenured faculty member's freedom of expression. But consider the following: if you are reading this article and somehow object to the Carleton Policy, then would you be willing to speak up for its converse?

The well-being of the learning and teaching community at Middlebury College does not depend upon the existence of a relationship of trust, respect, and fairness between the faculty and the students.

We encourage all members of our community ≠- students, faculty, staff, parents, alums, and trustees - to ask: "What kind of a community does Middlebury want to be?" Should our community dismiss sexual relationships between faculty and students as just one more privileged expression of academic freedom? Or, just as Carleton College did five years ago, should we declare support for "trust, respect and fairness" and therefore prohibit sexual relations between a professor and a student whom s/he supervises? Faculty council not only needs to take this issue seriously: they should recommend a policy that reflects the aspirations and moral integrity of our community.

Tracy Himmel-Isham is the Assistant Director of Career Services. Jon Isham is the Luce Professor of International Environmental Economics.