Proposed New Policy and Procedure Manual (PPM) 230-017, Policy on Romantic, Dating, or Sexual Relationships between Academic Appointees and Undergraduate Students

The University invites comments on proposed new Policy and Procedure Manual 230-017 Policy on Romantic, Dating, or Sexual Relationships between Academic Appointees and Undergraduate Students.

One of the central functions of the University under the APM 015 Faculty Code of Conduct is “to provide and sustain an environment conducive to sharing, extending, and critically examining knowledge and values, and to furthering the search for wisdom.” Romantic, dating, or sexual relationships between undergraduate students and academic appointees may limit students’ access to educational opportunities and, therefore, undermine the campus’ educational environment. It is in the spirit of preserving an inclusive, safe, and productive university environment that a local policy has been created to extend protections for undergraduate students on this campus and forbid romantic, dating, or sexual relationships between undergraduate students and academic appointees, for academic appointees as so defined by Academic Personnel Manual – Section 110-4 (2), except for those currently enrolled as graduate or undergraduate students, for whom the appointee has, or may reasonably expect to have, academic responsibility.

In alignment with the Faculty Code of Conduct’s restriction that faculty members may not enter into such relationships with “students known to the faculty member to have an interest in an academic area within the faculty member’s academic expertise,” the new policy also restricts faculty appointees from engaging in such relationships with undergraduate students in an appointee’s own department or program. The guidelines and restrictions of the proposed new policy have been reviewed by the Senate and it is now available for formal campus review.

If you have comments or questions, please submit them to Assistant Vice Chancellor Cynthia Palmer at c5palmer@ucsd.edu no later than February 26, 2021.

Robert E. Continetti
Senior Associate Vice Chancellor, Academic Affairs