Of Record: Policy on Consensual Sexual Relations Between Faculty and Students	Print Issue
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The University of Pennsylvania is committed to maintaining a diverse, respectful and safe campus environment for all members of our community.  The Principles of Responsible Conduct is an important reference that outlines the expectations articulated in a variety of University policies. This document is available at www.upenn.edu/audit/oacp_principles.htmor by contacting the Office of Audit, Compliance and Privacy at (215) 898-7260.

Penn community members’ responsibilities under these expectations are further outlined in the University’s Sexual Harassment Policy, which is reprinted below or can be accessed at www.upenn.edu/almanac/volumes/v60/n06/policy.html. In addition, the University’s policies on Sexual Violence (www.upenn.edu/almanac/volumes/v60/n06/violence.html) and on Consensual Sexual Relationships Between Faculty and Students (http://provost.upenn.edu/policies/faculty-handbook/other-policies/vi-f) are also reprinted below. These policies remind us of our rights and responsibilities and describe the resources available to find information, receive support and address  concerns and complaints. The Offices of Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Programs, the Ombudsman, Human Resources Staff and Labor Relations, Student Conduct and the Vice Provost for Faculty are among those available to respond to questions or provide additional information.

Policy on Consensual Sexual Relations Between Faculty and Students

The relationship between teacher and student is central to the academic mission of the University. No non-academic or personal ties should be allowed to interfere with the integrity of the teacher-student relationship. Consensual sexual relations between teacher and student can adversely affect the academic enterprise, distorting judgments or appearing to do so in the minds of others, and providing incentives or disincentives for student-faculty contact that are equally inappropriate.

For these reasons, any sexual relations between a teacher and a student during the period of the teacher-student relationship are prohibited. The prohibition extends to sexual relations between a graduate or professional student and an undergraduate when the graduate or professional student has some supervisory academic responsibility for the undergraduate, to sexual relations between department chairs and students in that department, and to sexual relations between graduate group chairs and students in that graduate group. In addition, it includes sexual relations between academic advisors, program directors and all others who have supervisory academic responsibility for a student, and that student. Teachers and academic supervisors who are sexually involved with students must decline to participate in any evaluative or supervisory academic activity with respect to those students.

The Provost, Deans, Department Chairs and other administrators should respond to reports of prohibited sexual relations that are brought to them by inquiring further and, if such reports appear to be accurate, initiating appropriate disciplinary action or remedial measures against the teacher or supervisor involved.

This policy supplements the University’s policy on Sexual Harassment. In addition, although this policy prohibits consensual sexual relations only between a teacher-supervisor and that individual’s student, the University strongly discourages any sexual relations between members of the faculty (or administration) and undergraduates.

Related: Sexual Violence Policy

Related: Sexual Harassment Policy