Undergraduate students and professors of arts and sciences at Harvard — sorry, you can't shack up, and school officials want to make sure you know it by implementing a new policy on the issue.
Well, it's actually more like a revision, as the old policy only prohibited sexual relationships between professors and their students. The new change applies to all professors and all undergraduate students within the arts and sciences division. (Video via MSNBC)
"It's part of the school's review of the Title IX policy, which is the federal civil rights law prohibiting sexual discrimination in education," WGGB reports.
According to the new policy, "No FAS Faculty member shall request or accept sexual favors from, or initiate or engage in a romantic or sexual relationship with, any undergraduate student at Harvard College."
Alison Johnson, a Harvard history professor who helped write the new policy, explained, "Undergraduates come to college to learn from us." She added, "We're not here to have sexual or romantic relationships with them."
It's different with grad students. Relationships between graduate students and faculty are still only prohibited if the grad student is under the supervision of that faculty member.
But there are critics. Anita Levy, the associate director of the American Association of University Professors, tells The Boston Globe there might be some "forbidden fruit" appeal here.
"I'm concerned that placing a blanket prohibition on consensual relationships ... might lead to, ironically, encouraging them in some way, and making them appear more attractive."
It seems the critics are being drowned out by supporters, though. There are already a number of schools around the country that have banned or plan to ban student-teacher relationships.
Among those schools are Yale, the University of Connecticut and Arizona State.
This video includes images from Getty Images.
