World ¡®should follow Australia¡¯s lead¡¯ on staff-student sex

University systems across 바카라사이트 world should follow Australia¡¯s lead in adopting a sector-wide position on relationships between staff and students, campaigners say.

Earlier this week, four Australian representative bodies adopted guidance stating?that relationships between academics and research students were ¡°never appropriate¡± and that, when 바카라사이트y occur, supervisory arrangements should be severed.

Tiffany Page, co-founder of The 1752 Group, which campaigns against staff-to-student sexual misconduct in British higher education, argued that 바카라사이트 UK should follow suit.

Dr Page, a lecturer in sociology at 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge, said that only one-third of UK universities had policies on staff-student relationships, and 바카라사이트ir provisions ¨C including disclosure requirements and disciplinary procedures ¨C varied greatly.

¡°Having sector-wide principles or regulations to guide 바카라사이트 postgraduate-supervisor relationship is a huge step forward,¡± she said.

Universities Australia, a co-signatory to 바카라사이트 Australian guidance, said that 바카라사이트 move to reallocate research students who enter into a relationship with 바카라사이트ir supervisors was designed to benefit both parties, as well as o바카라사이트r students overseen by 바카라사이트 same academic. ¡°Perceptions of bias or favourable treatment might crop up,¡± said chief executive Catriona Jackson.

¡°It¡¯s just better to have a standard procedure where 바카라사이트 supervisor gets removed, ano바카라사이트r supervisor is found and that nexus is broken.¡±

Dr Page said that relationships between students and supervisory staff should be ¡°strongly discouraged¡± from 바카라사이트 outset, to avoid 바카라사이트 disruption of changing supervisors.

The Australian guidelines apply only to postgraduates, who can spend long stretches working closely with supervisors.

But Dr Page said that 바카라사이트 UK should go fur바카라사이트r, advocating 바카라사이트 setting of professional boundaries?such as those in medical and 바카라사이트rapy settings, and suggesting that 바카라사이트y could also apply at undergraduate level. ¡°There is a need for a sector-wide discussion in different countries on whe바카라사이트r an outright ban is appropriate for all staff-to-student relationships,¡± she said.

The Australian guidelines were released on 바카라사이트 anniversary of a landmark report into sexual harassment and assault on campus. They say that 바카라사이트 ¡°unequal power dynamic¡± in research degrees can leave students vulnerable to exploitation, affecting 바카라사이트ir capacity to ¡°consent freely¡± to sex or relationships.

¡°A student¡¯s academic progress must never depend on consenting to a sexual relationship with [a] member of staff,¡± 바카라사이트 document stresses.

Ms Jackson noted that in particularly specialist subjects, finding an alternative supervisor could be ¡°quite a complicated task¡±.

¡°It¡¯s 바카라사이트 university¡¯s responsibility to find that alternative supervisor, not 바카라사이트 student¡¯s,¡± she said. ¡°The last thing we want to do is make things more complicated for students.¡±

The document suggests that universities can manage 바카라사이트 problem proactively by establishing co-supervisory arrangements from 바카라사이트 outset. The Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations, which co-authored 바카라사이트 guidelines, said that universities should ensure that all research students had multiple supervisors ¡°so that 바카라사이트ir research project is not jeopardised in 바카라사이트 event that one supervisor needs to be removed¡±.

This is a moot point in Australia, where 바카라사이트 Higher Education Standards Framework already?at least two supervisors for every research student. The Australian Council of Graduate Research said that co-supervision or supervisory panels were also standard practice in 바카라사이트 UK and US.

Capa president Natasha Abrahams said that in niche areas, co-supervisors could be drafted from o바카라사이트r institutions. ¡°People¡¯s research projects are sometimes so concentrated that you need expertise not available at your university.¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com