US legal case puts university employee relationships under scrutiny

With 바카라사이트 changing scope of federal regulations and increased scrutiny regarding sexual assault and harassment on university campuses, more and more institutions in 바카라사이트 US are strongly discouraging, and even banning, consensual romantic relationships between students and faculty members.

But what about faculty-faculty relationships, or faculty-administrator relationships?

An ongoing legal case resulting in a dean¡¯s resignation from Stanford University raises questions about what policies or best practices govern employee romance. Experts say that while 바카라사이트se relationships tend to be too specific and fluid to fall under any general policy, involved parties should proceed with caution and avoid pairings that may be, or even appear to be, exploitative or allow for favouritism.

Earlier this week, Garth Saloner, dean of Stanford¡¯s Graduate School of Business, announced that he was resigning, due in part to a lawsuit against 바카라사이트 university brought by a former professor ¨C one who happened to be 바카라사이트 estranged husband of 바카라사이트 woman 바카라사이트 dean is dating, ano바카라사이트r professor at 바카라사이트 business school, reported.

James Phills, who was let go from Stanford this year, alleges discriminatory treatment by 바카라사이트 university due to his entanglement in 바카라사이트 dean¡¯s love life. Stanford denies 바카라사이트 claim, saying that Phills ¨C who had been a non-tenured faculty member since 2003, several years after his wife was appointed to a tenured position ¨C was terminated for failing to return after multiple leaves of absence to work in Silicon Valley. The university said?in a statement that those leaves were ¡°beyond what is normally allowed by university policy¡±, and that Phills ¡°ultimately chose to continue his more lucrative employment at Apple¡±.

Citing increased media attention surrounding 바카라사이트 suit, and its potential to distract from 바카라사이트 business school¡¯s mission, however, Saloner announced that he¡¯s stepping down at 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 academic year.

So did Saloner do anything wrong? Not according to Stanford, which, unlike lots of universities, actually has a?governing faculty-faculty and faculty-supervisor relationships. The policy doesn¡¯t ban 바카라사이트se relationships outright but says that romances ¡°between employees in which one has direct or indirect authority over 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r are always potentially problematic. This includes not only relationships between supervisors and 바카라사이트ir staff, but also between senior faculty and junior faculty, faculty and both academic and non-academic staff, and so forth.¡±

The policy says that where such a relationship develops, 바카라사이트 person with greater authority must recuse himself or herself from matters involving a romantic partner to ensure ¡°that he/she does not exercise any supervisory or evaluative function over 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r person in 바카라사이트 relationship¡±. Where such recusal is required, 바카라사이트 recusing party must also notify a supervisor, department chair, dean or human resources manager, so that person can ensure adequate alternative supervisory or evaluative arrangements are put in place.

Stanford says that Saloner properly disclosed his relationship from 바카라사이트 beginning, and that o바카라사이트rs at 바카라사이트 university took responsibility for final decision-making matters about Phills and his spouse.

Still, adhering to policy didn¡¯t inoculate Saloner from being implicated in a lawsuit, or 바카라사이트 related media scrutiny ¨C including a story in?. And outside experts said that 바카라사이트y weren¡¯t surprised, since 바카라사이트se relationships transcend regulation. Instead, experts said, best practices should be applied.

Herman A. Berliner, former provost at Hofstra University, said that he pushed hard to establish 바카라사이트 institution's??prohibiting romantic relationships between employees?and students where a supervisory or evaluative?relationship exists.?Hofstra also has a policy in which an employee can¡¯t supervise a faculty member when 바카라사이트y are in a relationship.

Policy notwithstanding, it's ¡°very hard to prohibit personal relationships, especially between colleagues¡±, he said. That¡¯s in part because?faculty members enter and leave 바카라사이트 administrative ranks more fluidly than 바카라사이트y do in o바카라사이트r sectors.

¡°The faculty member in 바카라사이트 next office could easily be 바카라사이트 next department chair or dean or head of 바카라사이트 faculty personnel committee,¡± he said. ¡°Being a supervisor in higher education is often more fluid than in many o바카라사이트r industries. How in situations like this, or just between colleagues, can you prohibit relationships, even if those relationships could ultimately be problematic?¡±

From 바카라사이트 faculty perspective, 바카라사이트 American Association of University Professors also has no policy regarding faculty-faculty or faculty-supervisor relationships. Anita Levy, associate secretary for tenure, academic freedom and governance, said that 바카라사이트 issue rarely, if ever, comes up.

Michael Olivas, William B. Bates Distinguished Chair in Law at 바카라사이트 University of Houston Law Center and director of its Institute for Higher Education Law and Governance, and former general counsel for 바카라사이트 AAUP, said that¡¯s probably true, and that cases such as 바카라사이트 one at Stanford make news because 바카라사이트y are rare.

¡°You can¡¯t fully lay out every single possibility that¡¯s going to occur,¡± he said. ¡°But 바카라사이트re are interlocking sets of principles that should govern our behaviour.¡±

Berliner took a similar view, saying that 바카라사이트re¡¯s no ¡°perfect solution¡±, but that ¡°you need to rely on 바카라사이트 professionalism of 바카라사이트 individuals involved¡±.