Our school has finally decided to come up with a policy defining what is "acceptable" behavior between an instructor and his/her student as well as employees and their supervisors on our college campus. The college has been in existence well over 60 years and I have no idea why it is only now that they have this policy. Perhaps previously these sorts of moral boundaries were assumed to be mutual. Certainly our college has had its share of drama so I presume that as with most rules that it is a reactive rather than proactive act.
I took a look at the policy when it came out in its first draft and it said what I would have presumed it to: student-instructor relationships are prohibited as well as employee-supervisor relationships. If two people decide to be in a relationship together, then they must wait until the unequal power dynamic is removed to proceed. Seems perfectly reasonable to me. But a few weeks later, based on what is no doubt a committee of the ineffectual's feedback, the rules had changed. My dean informed me that it was now fine to be in a relationship with a student "as long as you tell the dean when it has reached relationship status." Serious?!? There are so many levels upon which this seems wrong. So I asked for clarification. Our conversation went something like this:
Me: So if it's just a hook up or booty call, not a relationship, then we don't have to tell you?
Dean: (long pause) No, you still have to tell me.
At least my dean has a good sense of humor.
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