Policy: |
Policy 1-5-1: Consensual Relationships |
Date Adopted: |
Jan 01, 1996 |
Department: |
President's Office |
Contact: |
President's Office |
Statement: |
It shall be the policy of ºÚÁÏÍø to prohibit romantic or sexual relationships between
members of the college community only when one of the individuals involved has direct
professional power or direct authority over the other. |
Section 1: Background Information
- When employees of the college have romantic relationships with subordinates they supervise
or when academic faculty have romantic relationships with students enrolled in their
classes, the college and the person in the position of superior power are vulnerable
to charges of harassment from the person in the position of lesser power or from third
parties.
- Faculty, staff, and administrators, particularly in relationships with students and
persons under their supervision, need to be aware of potential conflicts of interest
and the possible compromise of their evaluative capacity.
- Faculty, staff, and administrators need to be aware that a sexual relationship may
give rise to a perception on the part of others that the evaluative capacity of the
faculty member or the supervisor has been compromised.
- The power differential inherent in faculty-student and supervisor-supervisee relationships
may compromise the student's or the supervisee's ability to make decisions and thus
may call into question the bona fide consensual nature of a relationship
- Romantic relationships between supervisors and subordinates they supervise and romantic
relationships between academic faculty and students enrolled in their classes constitute
conflicts of interest and are prohibited.
- Consensual relationships existing between individuals neither of whom has direct professional
power or authority over the other are not prohibited by this policy.
Section 2: Definitions
- Direct professional power or authority over another individual occurs when a person
is in the position to do any of the following:
- Supervise the academic work of a student in any capacity, including assigning grades,
academic advising, or serving on scholarship committees;
- Influence a student's employment or any other college activity;
- Supervise and/or evaluate the work performance of a member of the faculty or professional
or classified staff;
- Recommend or award merit or promotions to a member of the faculty or professional
or classified staff;
- Serve on promotion or tenure committees.
Section 3: Sanction
- When a romantic or sexual relationship exists, both parties involved may be subject
to sanction possibilities. However, the person in the position of power or authority
over the other will bear a greater degree of accountability.
- To avoid possible sanction, the person in the position of power or authority over
the other must, at the beginning of such a relationship, report its existence to his
or her supervisor.
Section 4: Administrative Recourse
- Once the college administration learns of a romantic or sexual relationship, whether
through self-reporting or otherwise, it will take immediate steps to eliminate the
power or authority of the one individual over the other.
- This may be accomplished by reassigning duties or responsibilities or requiring withdrawal
from a committee or similar action.
- Should the action fail to remedy the situation, and the relationship continues, or
if the relationship is not self-reported, the administration may impose one or more
of the sanctions available through the colleges disciplinary procedures, as outlined
in the NSHE Code, the Nevada Administrative Code, or ºÚÁÏÍø policy(ies).
Section 5: Groundless or Malicious Charges
- Persons bringing groundless or malicious charges under this policy are subject to
disciplinary action for personal misconduct under the appropriate personnel or student
policies.
Date(s) Revised |
October 6, 2023; October 12, 2012; September 2, 2008; May 11, 2004; |
Date(s) Reviewed |
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