Shift to relationship bans ‘signals new approach in universities’

New restrictions on staff-student relationships being recommended by the English regulator are indicative of a wider “shift in approach” in how universities are addressing sexual misconduct issues, academics said.

The Office for Students (OfS) has released guidance steering universities towards banning all staff-student relationships, surprising many in the sector who had instead expected the regulator to introduce a requirement that all such connections be registered.

“Not only have the OfS recommended a ban, but they have changed the wording around these relationships from being about ‘conflict of interest’ to ‘abuse of power’…a shift away from the usual culture of allowing these relationships to happen to highlighting the dangers for the victims,” said Alix Dietzel, senior lecturer in politics at the University of Bristol.

Although the OfS stopped short of mandating a relationship ban across all universities, Dr Dietzel said pushback against such measures was becoming “increasingly quiet”.

“I am sure there will be some who think it is an overreaction or that they should be ‘free’ to date students – but they’re increasingly being challenged, so I don’t see resistance on the whole from the sector.”

However a survey of students, universities and stakeholders released alongside the guidance showed that the idea of a register was a more popular option; 62 per cent of respondents backed this idea, while only 22 per cent supported an outright ban.

“I appreciate that people are often reluctant to instigate bans,” said Luke Brunning, lecturer in applied ethics at the University of Leeds. “They can usually think of ‘harmless cases’ or cases where students are older than staff. But some form of a ban would be simpler and easier to implement and would send a clear structural message that the complications arising from staff-student relationships are recognised, serious and not acceptable for any student to have to experience.”

In particular, Dr Brunning said, a register that would require students to disclose their sexuality or other intimate details to their institution would “make it likely that some students will fail to access the mitigations they might need”.

Regardless of the regulation, universities have increasingly moved towards introducing bans on staff-student relationships in recent years. Some institutions, however, such as the University of Manchester, still allow such relationships.

Campus resource: Addressing sexual misconduct in higher education, part one: prevention

While Dr Brunning welcomed the guidance, he highlighted that recommendations around giving staff more training could be limited.

“As it stands, I worry that some institutions will publish well-meaning generic advice which still requires students to be proactive in seeking support at a time when they might be especially vulnerable. For students with other life or health difficulties, especially mental health problems, this can be especially challenging.”

Cara Aitchison, who previously chaired Universities UK’s student sexual misconduct advisory group, welcomed the steps taken by the OfS. She said the guidance would help to “raise standards [and] protect students’ rights”.

“We have become used to criticism of the OfS as an overbearing regulator, and we need to accept that there are some areas where a regulator has a duty to protect rights and ensure responsibilities are taken seriously; sexual harassment and misconduct is surely one area where we should welcome national standards of conduct by providers and the staff employed by them,” said the former vice-chancellor of Cardiff Metropolitan University.

juliette.rowsell@timeshighereducation.com