Consensual Relationships Policy
Consensual Relationships Policy regarding Faculty or Staff and a Student
I. INTRODUCTION:
As a center of academic excellence and professional integrity, it is the goal of MGH Institute of Health Professions to ensure the opportunity for students to learn and inquire freely. For productive learning and the work that supports it to occur, members of the Institute community – faculty, staff and students – should pursue their responsibilities guided by a strong commitment to principles of mutual trust, respect and confidence, as well as professional codes of conduct.
Students should be free to develop relationships that supplement formal classroom instruction, and employees should be free to develop friendships and engage in social contact with supervisors and fellow employees. In most cases, social interaction among supervisors and employees, between fellow employees, and among faculty and students will benefit the entire academic community by promoting interchange of ideas, building mutual trust and respect, facilitating communication, and reducing misunderstandings.
However, dating, romantic, and/or intimate relationships between Institute students and faculty or staff employees, even if consensual, can negatively impact the educational environment for students. Power differentials---whether real or perceived---can diminish a student’s ability to give meaningful consent to such a relationship. An employee’s ability to provide services without partiality is suspect when the employee and the student have a dating, romantic or intimate relationship. Furthermore, the dissolution of these relationships can create discord and significantly impair the normal operations of the Institute.
Dating, romantic, and/or intimate relationships between employees, even if consensual, in which one employee exerts authority or influence over the other employee in the working relationship, can negatively impact the work environment for other employees. Furthermore, friendships and romantic relationships conducted outside of the workplace between two employees when there is a power differential in their employee-employee relationship can create problems including conflicts of interest, favoritism, and low morale.
II. POLICY
A. Definitions
1. Consensual Relationship --- Dating, romantic, and/or intimate relationships willingly undertaken by both parties. The Consensual Relationships Policy does not alter, but is in addition to all federal and state laws regulating interpersonal conduct.
2. Faculty --- An employee of the Institute who has instructional, advisory, evaluative, supervisory and/or other professional responsibilities. The category of Faculty includes but is not necessarily limited to: Instructor, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Professor, Faculty Emeritus, Part-Time, Term Lecturer, Teaching Assistant or Administrative Faculty.
3. Staff --- An employee of the Institute other than Faculty.
4. Student --- An individual enrolled, or eligible to continue, in any full-time or part-time coursework or program of the Institute.
B. Prohibition of consensual relationships between faculty or staff and a student
The Institute prohibits consensual relationships of a dating, romantic and/or intimate nature between faculty or staff and any student. This policy is rooted in the recognition that faculty-or staff-student relationships are inherently unequal and contain an element of superiority or power. Consensual relationships between faculty or staff and students may give rise to the perception that there is favoritism or bias in educational decisions affecting students. These perceptions undermine the spirit of mutual trust, respect, and confidence, as well as professional codes of conduct that are an important part of the Institute community. This policy further ensures the provision of a learning environment free from sexual harassment.
On occasion, an employee will have a dating, romantic, or intimate relationship---or marriage or domestic partnership---with an individual who then becomes a student, or an individual with a pre-existing relationship with a student becomes an employee. It is the obligation of the employee to disclose this relationship with a current IHP student to Office of Human Resources and the Office of Student Affairs. It is the obligation of Human Resources, in consultation with appropriate academic or administrative personnel and the Office of Student Affairs, to take the steps that he or she deems necessary to ensure that the educational experience of the respective student---as well as other students in the Institute---is not materially affected by the dating, romantic, and/or intimate relationship. Since individual cases may vary, Human Resources, in conjunction with the respective academic or administrative personnel, has discretion to consider specific circumstances---the nature of the relationship, the specifics of the student’s academic program, the employee’s duties, and constraints on the Institute---in fashioning these steps. The steps can range from no action, to the recusal of the employee from matters involving the student, to changes in the duties of the employee.
D. Violation of the Policy:
Failure to disclose that a consensual relationship developed or exists will be deemed a violation of an ethical obligation to students, employees, colleagues, and the Institute.
Employees who violate this policy are subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment. Complaints of violation of this policy should be reported to the Office of Human Resources.