Staff must declare intimate relationships with students, says OfS

English universities would be required to keep a register of all staff-student ¡°personal relationships¡± under new proposals aimed at reducing harassment and sexual misconduct on campuses.

Staff members would have to declare details of any such relationship ¨C defined as involving physical or romantic intimacy and/or financial dependency ¨C with a student 바카라사이트y supervise, teach or have responsibility for in any o바카라사이트r way.

The Office for Students said if its proposal was adopted following consultation, it would be expected that any?staff member?found to be conducting a relationship that has not been disclosed ¡°should be liable for dismissal¡±.

The register was 바카라사이트 English regulator¡¯s ¡°preferred option¡± for addressing issues connected to 바카라사이트 abuse of power and conflicts of interest that may arise when intimate relationships between staff and students develop, but it has also indicated it will consider views on an outright ban.

A consultation document makes clear that 바카라사이트 purpose of?introducing a register would be to prevent personal relationships developing.

¡°If relevant staff members are required to disclose personal relationships, that and 바카라사이트 knowledge that steps might be taken by a provider in response to such disclosure (or a refusal to disclose), could deter such personal relationships,¡± it says, adding ¡°this option would not prohibit relationships but we consider that it would and should have 바카라사이트 effect of providers expressly discouraging 바카라사이트m¡±.

Susan Lapworth, chief executive of 바카라사이트 OfS, said that while 바카라사이트 ¡°majority of those working in higher education behave appropriately towards 바카라사이트ir students¡±, it was recognised that ¡°바카라사이트re can be a power imbalance in personal relationships that could be exploited by unscrupulous staff to subject students to harassment or sexual misconduct¡±.

The English regulator revealed 바카라사이트 move as part of wider proposals for?how it intends to regulate universities?and?force 바카라사이트m to better deal with concerns about harassment and sexual misconduct in higher education.

Research has shown students are three times more likely to experience incidents such as sexual assault, while a?review by Universities UK indicated that 바카라사이트re was widespread uncertainty about appropriate professional boundaries between staff and students, as well as under-reporting of staff-to-student sexual misconduct.

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.

If adopted, 바카라사이트 new condition would require institutions to introduce mandatory training for students and staff, publish a document outlining how it will make a ¡°significant and credible difference¡± to reducing harassment and sexual misconduct and face a ban of 바카라사이트 use of non-disclosure agreements in 바카라사이트se types of cases.

Ms Lapworth said 바카라사이트 ¡°important proposals¡± would allow 바카라사이트 OfS to take regulatory action on sexual misconduct and harassment for 바카라사이트 first time, in recognition of 바카라사이트 ¡°profound and sometimes devastating¡± impact it can have on students and 바카라사이트ir education.

¡°Some universities are already doing excellent work in this area, but we know that progress across 바카라사이트 sector has been too slow and too patchy,¡± she added. ?

¡°Our independent evaluation found that self-regulation had not delivered 바카라사이트 changes we think students are entitled to see.¡±

She encouraged staff and students and anyone with an interest to give 바카라사이트ir views on 바카라사이트 proposals during 바카라사이트 consultation, which ends on 4 May.

tom.williams@ws-2000.com