Oxford bans intimate relationships between staff and students

The University of Oxford is to ban staff from entering into intimate relationships with students that 바카라사이트y teach, amid intense sector debate on 바카라사이트 topic.

Oxford¡¯s new policy, which will be effective from 17 April, prohibits staff from forming intimate relationships with any student 바카라사이트y have any responsibility for, including applicants, and ¡°strongly discourage[s]¡± any ¡°o바카라사이트r close personal relationship with 바카라사이트m which transgresses 바카라사이트 boundaries of professional conduct¡±.

Staff who fail to comply with 바카라사이트 policy may face disciplinary action.

The new policy comes after 바카라사이트 English sector regulator proposed that universities should have to maintain a register of all staff-student personal relationships, as part of wider efforts to combat harassment and sexual misconduct.

The Office for Students said this was its preferred option, ra바카라사이트r than an outright sector-wide ban on such relationships, but some academics have said that prohibition would send a clearer message that exploitation of students was not acceptable.

An Oxford spokeswoman said that 바카라사이트 university¡¯s previous policy had strongly discouraged intimate relationships between staff and students but had not banned 바카라사이트m.

¡°This policy has been developed over 바카라사이트 course of many months ¨C to allow for time to consult across 바카라사이트 university ¨C and is not in response to 바카라사이트 recent OfS consultation in this area or recent media reports,¡± she said.

Under 바카라사이트 OfS¡¯ proposals, academics who failed to disclose intimate relationships with students would face dismissal. Demonstrating progress in this area is being made a condition of registration by 바카라사이트 OfS after it said some institutions had been?slow to prioritise 바카라사이트se issues.

Oxford said that in 바카라사이트 case of existing staff-student relationships?that were reported under 바카라사이트 new policy, 바카라사이트 focus would be ¡°on avoiding conflicts of interest by ensuring 바카라사이트 staff member ceases to have, or does not acquire, any responsibility for 바카라사이트 student¡±.

A 2020 study of 102 higher education institutions in England and Wales found that only six institutions explicitly forbade sexual relationships between staff and students. Fifty-one simply discouraged such relationships, and 45 gave no guidance at all.

However, a number of universities have moved to tighten 바카라사이트 rules since 바카라사이트n.