University of Missouri considers policy to limit faculty romances with students

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Romantic liaisons between professors and students at the University of Missouri's four campuses would be severely curtailed under a proposal considered Thursday by university curators.

The "amorous relationship" policy would prohibit consensual romantic or sexual contact when one participant has "direct evaluative or supervisory authority" over the other.

The policy, if approved, would also apply to supervisory employees and their subordinates.

"Sometimes we just have to take a look at what's happening in society," said University of Missouri president Elson Floyd.

The proposal was not triggered by any specific incident at the system's campuses in Kansas City, St. Louis, Rolla and Columbia, said Floyd. Nor is it related to the growing scandal involving former Rep. Mark Foley, R-Fla., and sexually explicit computer messages sent to a congressional page, Floyd said.

Curators discussed the proposal during a meeting at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. A formal vote is expected in December.

Curator Angela Bennett, the board's president, said such relationships -- particularly those between professors and their students -- are fraught with the potential to damage the weaker partner, even if the contact starts out as a harmless connection between two consenting adults.

"Those relationships sometimes go south," she said.

The University of Missouri system campuses already have established sexual harassment policies, noted Floyd. But the new rules would broaden those protections to consensual, amorous relationships.

"It's not breaking new ground," said Floyd, who added that many other universities already have similar policies.

The proposal doesn't explicitly ban professor-student or supervisor-subordinate romances but calls for the professor or supervisor to step down from that role relative to his or her romantic partner.

Violations would be investigated by university officials under existing grievance procedures, with possible disciplinary sanctions including termination.

Complaints could also be generated by outside parties deemed to "have been adversely affected personally."