Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, April 5, 1993 TAG: 9304050050
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DENEEN L. BROWN THE WASHINGTON POST
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
UVA MAY FORBID SEX
Officials at the University of Virginia are considering a proposal that would ban all sexual relationships between faculty members and undergraduates.While some students and faculty members say the measure would protect students from sexual harassment by professors, others say such a ban would violate the privacy rights of both faculty members and students, most of whom are at least 18 years old and therefore considered adults.
The proposal, which was submitted to the faculty senate by the university's Committee on Women's Concerns, also would prohibit sexual relationships between students and their teaching assistants, who can be as young as 22. It also would ban faculty members from engaging in sexual relationships with graduate students in their departments. The policy does not spell out any penalties.
The proposal, which is to be voted on by the faculty senate April 22 and would ultimately need approval by the university's trustees, in addition prohibits sexual relationships between faculty members who allocate scholarships and fellowships and students applying for those funds.
"This is about the abuse of power, not romance," said Cindy Aron, an associate professor of history and member of the Committee on Women's Concerns. "Embedded in the position of a faculty member is an inordinate amount of power and trust that we feel renders consent dubious."
Martin Battestin, a professor of English and a member of the faculty senate, said that he agreed with parts of the proposal that deal with potential conflict of interest, but he took issue with the ban against all romantic overtures or sexual relationships between faculty members and undergraduates.
"[The ban] just seems to me far too sweeping and not to fully take into account the realities of how human beings relate to each other," Battestin said.
Aron said romance could ruin the impartiality of faculty members and might also limit education of students, who might decide to change a major or avoid a certain course because of a relationship gone sour or because of harassment.
Aron said the proposal, which has been under study by the committee about a year, was not prompted by any incident, but by a concern for the potential of abuse caused by relationships.
Ann Lane, a professor of history and director of the university's women's studies program, said the women's center had reported 38 cases last year in which students talked about unwanted sexual overtures from faculty members.
Some university students have said they disagree with the proposal because most students are of legal age and should be free to decide with whom they have affairs.
"To try to get rid of even the opportunity for harassment by prohibiting all professors from dating all students is severe," said Matthew Cooper, 21, student council president. "It denies the autonomy of both the students and professors, who should be old enough to ask each other out."
University officials say that a growing awareness of conflicts of interest and abusive relationships has prompted many schools to bar such relationships.
"There is an inordinate imbalance of power between faculty members and their students," said Sheldon Steinbach, general counsel of the American Council on Education, "which mandates that relationships be ruled out of order in any circumstance. The paltry claims of academic freedom are merely laughable."