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April 11, 1996

Revised draft of faculty-student relationship policy under review

A proposed policy that would restrict romantic relationships between Pitt faculty and students is not a done deal, senior administrators said this week.

Interim Chancellor Mark Nordenberg told Senate Council April 8 that the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette was premature in reporting recently that he was about to sign the policy and that "classroom romance between faculty and students is about to become a punishable offense at the University of Pittsburgh." Nordenberg said he will not approve the controversial policy until University Senate groups and Pitt deans have had a chance to comment on the latest draft of it.

In an interview, Provost James Maher agreed with Nordenberg. "It [the policy] is not a done deal in any sense," the provost said.

Maher, who favors the policy, has asked Senate leaders and the Deans Council to forward comments to him by May 15.

Should the deans or Senate groups raise serious objections or questions, Pitt senior administrators will hold off on approving the policy, Maher said. "We're trying to solve problems with this policy, not create them. If the deans or the Senate have some reasons why they think the policy needs to be reconsidered, it will be reconsidered.

"It's more important to get this [policy] right than to meet a deadline, although I don't know any reason why it couldn't be discussed in the next month," the provost said.

Senate President Keith McDuffie said he will put the issue on the agendas for the next meetings of Faculty Assembly and Senate Council on May 7 and May 13, respectively.

Under the current draft of the policy, Pitt would prohibit sexual and/or romantic relationships between a faculty member and a student who is enrolled in his or her course or whose academic work, teaching or research is being supervised by the faculty member.

Faculty involved in such relationships would be required to discontinue overseeing the students or face "disciplinary action." Specific penalties are not spelled out. But should a student file a lawsuit or other claim against a faculty member who violates the policy, the faculty member may forfeit the legal and monetary protections of Pitt's indemnification policy, according to the proposal.

The policy defines a faculty member as anyone appointed by the University as a teacher, researcher or academic administrator, including graduate and undergraduate students.

The policy was written by the provost's Task Force on Sexual Harassment, chaired by Vice Provost Elizabeth Baranger. The latest draft is expected to be less controversial than the original version, circulated last fall, which would have discouraged Pitt faculty from having sexual and/or romantic relationships with any students here, even those not under their supervision.

That version came under attack at the Dec. 5 Faculty Assembly meeting. Several members called the policy intrusive, wordy and unnecessary.

Provost Maher, in a March 25 memo to deans, directors, department chairs and regional campus administrators, wrote that the latest version of the policy "protects the interests of students, faculty and the University, and it has my full endorsement."

— Bruce Steele


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