A new University policy took effect on Monday prohibiting sexual, romantic, amorous and dating relationships between faculty and undergraduate students in for all three University of Michigan campuses.
The policy is part of significant revisions to University procedure on faculty-student relationships that came after a working group, consisting of faculty from all three campuses, made recommendations to University President Mark Schlissel.
The policy, which prohibits relationships between “teachers” and “learners,” bans relationships between faculty, graduate student instructors and undergraduates responsible for the delivery of course content with students they have academic or supervisory authority over, including in class, labs, online, field or other settings.
Faculty members are also banned from having relationships with graduate and professional students inside their discipline or academic program, in which the faculty member has or might reasonably be expected to have academic or supervisory authority.
Additionally, faculty members may not engage in relationships with supervised and non-supervised postdoctoral research fellows in cases where they have had or might be expected to have academic or supervisory authority as well.
University Provost Martin Philbert told the University Record that helping students advance as learners should be the primary mission of all educators at the University.
“Maintenance of an environment of trust, openness, civility and respect that enables each person to reach their full potential is at the core of our mission as educators at the University of Michigan,” University Provost Martin Philbert said. “It is incumbent on our faculty to nurture the advancement and pursuit of knowledge, which result in lifelong professional mentorships and service to our society.”
According to an email sent to the Ford School of Public Policy, the Public Policy school will consider rare exceptions. Requests for exceptions must be made in writing by the faculty member, GSI or other teachers.
This policy applies to the University’s Ann Arbor, Dearborn and Flint campuses.
Correction: This article has been updated for further clarification