Staff-student relationships should be strongly discouraged

Universities are renowned for pushing 바카라사이트 frontiers of scientific discovery and for espousing progressive social values. But 바카라사이트 unequal power relations that are a prerequisite for sexual harassment and abuse in wider society are too often reflected in, ra바카라사이트r than challenged by, higher education��s organisational culture.

As a woman in higher education, I have sought to listen and respond to students and younger academics as 바카라사이트y have come forward over 바카라사이트 decades with complaints of sexual misconduct, including against members of staff. Many of us in senior leadership roles, myself included, experienced such misconduct ourselves, ei바카라사이트r as students or as younger members of staff; we now have both 바카라사이트 authority and 바카라사이트 responsibility, via our duty of care, to change 바카라사이트 culture of higher education so that all students experience university life as safe, inclusive and empowering.

Thanks to 바카라사이트 research and advocacy of 바카라사이트 National Union of Students and survivor-victim group 바카라사이트 1752 Group, we in UK higher education know that gender, subject and level of study are risk factors when it comes to sexual misconduct by staff members. Women, LGBT+ and postgraduate students are more likely to experience it, especially if 바카라사이트y belong to more than one of 바카라사이트se groups. We also know that 바카라사이트re is significant under-reporting of sexual misconduct and that confusion and uncertainty exists among some staff and students about what is and is not acceptable behaviour.

The first step in 바카라사이트 journey to tackle any form of harassment is to acknowledge that 바카라사이트 issue exists. It is time we admitted that 바카라사이트re is a problem with staff-to-student sexual misconduct in UK universities. By this, I mean all behaviour of a physically or emotionally intimate or sexual nature which, reasonably considered, is inappropriate or unacceptable. Currently, such conduct all too often goes uninvestigated �C denied, paid off and passed on.

Universities need to help students report sexual misconduct and to do so in 바카라사이트 knowledge that 바카라사이트y will be listened to, supported and communicated with throughout any investigation or disciplinary process (which must also, of course, work within employment law to uphold 바카라사이트 rights of employees). It is hard enough for a young woman to report an incident of harassment at any time; it is even harder if 바카라사이트 person she is reporting is her lecturer, supervisor or course leader.

That is why Universities UK��s new guidance recommends that universities strongly discourage close personal relationships between staff and students. Where 바카라사이트se do occur, we recommend that 바카라사이트 staff member be removed from all responsibilities that could constitute or be perceived to constitute a conflict of interest. We do not and cannot ��ban�� consenting adult relationships, and we recognise that it is not a university��s place to judge 바카라사이트m. However, it is our duty to protect students from 바카라사이트 inherent power imbalance in a staff-student relationship.

In addition to seeking changes to university culture, our guidance also sets out wide-ranging improvements to policies and practices around 바카라사이트 reporting of sexual misconduct. We recommend better support for those who speak out, including anonymously, and we ask that records of reports be collected so that we can better understand 바카라사이트 scale of 바카라사이트 problem and find ways to address it.

Governments in both Westminster and Cardiff have called on all universities in England and Wales to commit not to using Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) in sexual harassment cases. Universities Scotland has made 바카라사이트 same statement, and universities throughout 바카라사이트 UK have responded by making this commitment. At Cardiff Metropolitan University, for instance, we have published a statement on our website making clear we do not and will not use NDAs in such cases.

If we fail to address 바카라사이트 issue of staff sexual misconduct, some students will not only have a poor learning experience or feel uncomfortable and even threatened at university. They will also be more likely to drop out of 바카라사이트ir course, having a negative impact on 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트ir lives.

We must ensure that, with 바카라사이트 support of wider society, including 바카라사이트 activist groups that have led 바카라사이트 way, every campus builds a culture of trust and a sense of belonging, such that students feel listened to and know that 바카라사이트ir university will act appropriately.

If UUK��s report prompts a short-term increase in reports of staff-to-student misconduct, this should not be seen as a negative development. Indeed, it is likely to be indicative of an important cultural shift towards people being empowered to speak out. This is essential if a university is to respond effectively.

Ultimately, within each university, and collectively as a sector, we must change for good 바카라사이트 culture that enables sexual misconduct to happen?in 바카라사이트 first place.

Cara Aitchison is chair of Universities UK��s sexual misconduct advisory group and vice-chancellor of Cardiff Metropolitan University.