photo by Katie Archer
STAFF AND STUDENT
RELATIONSHIP POLICIES
VARY AT OTHER OREGON
COLLEGES
Portland State University
Starting this year, signs can be seen around campus to inform the
CCC community about sexual harassment.
Portland State University’ s policy states
that it encourages individuals to avoid
such relationships. They recognize that
a relationship between a student and
staff member could potentially result
in favoritism or bias if the staff member
is in a position o f power over the
student. The policy says that the adults
engaging in a consensual relationship
are' responsible for disclosing their
relationship im mediately to their
supervisors or to Hum an Resources
or the Office of Academic Affairs.
They also must work to make sure
there are no conflicts o f interest
or adverse effects on third parties.
Mt. Hood Community College
anym ore,” said Martineau. “ As an A.D. [athletic
director] you hope to make good decisions on the
people we h ire.”
W asm u nd and R u fen er did not respond to
repeated requests for interviews.
Both W asm und and Rufener are no longer at
CC C , but the issue o f romance between staff and
students remains in question.
With the Obama administration investigating the
handling o f sexual assault allegations at several
colleges and the overall grow ing awareness o f
sexual assau lt, som e colleges have chosen to
tighten their policy on faculty and student romantic
relationships. Title IX has also played a factor in
these decisions.
In federally funded education program s, like
Clackam as, Title IX prohibits discrim ination on
the basis o f sex.
Starting this year, sexual harassm ent posters
can be seen around cam pus to inform the CCC
com m unity their rights, what sexual harassm ent
is and how people can report it.
Last year, Harvard U niversity banned faculty
from having romantic or sexual relationships with
their undergraduate students.
In 2003, U n iv ersity o f C a lifo rn ia, Berkeley,
decided to prohibit staff and student relationships
after a scandal involving its law school dean the
year before.
The women’s center at Northwestern University
gives advice to stu d en ts about d atin g th eir
professors.
“ The best time to date your professor, if at all,
is after you have graduated from school,” their
website states.
U n lik e o ther colleges around O rego n, (see
sidebar) CCC has a vague policy when it comes to
faculty and student romantic relationships.
Patricia Anderson W ieck, the dean o f hum an
resources at Clackam as, said in an email that the
college’ s employment policy can be found in the
employee handbook and on the college’ s sexual
respect website.
W ieck wrote that according to the em ployee
han db o o k, “ A ll em ployees are expected and
required to treat each other, our students and our
com m unity in a courteous and respectful manner
at all tim es.”
Wieck said there are guidelines and requirements
in staff handbooks.
“ If there were a report, or inappropriate conduct,
it would be investigated and resolved/sanctioned
accordingly,” said Wieck.
Since The Clackamas Print has raised questions
about the college’ s p olicy, board o f education
member Greg Chaim ov said the board is looking
into w hether or not it would be good to have a
policy guiding the relationships between students
and staff.
“ We have discussed generally how we hope the
staff will interact with students and vice versa,”
said Chaim ov. “ Our hope and expectation is that
any relationship between staff and students will
be respectful, cordial and productive in terms o f
h elp in g the students becom e a better student
and upon graduating, a b etter m em ber o f the
com m unity.”
Consensual relationships involving
a faculty member and a student are
prohibited at M t. Hood Com m unity
College where the faculty member
has direct authority, influence or
responsibility with regard to that
student. The policy says that the
person with authority could create
an environment that diminishes
the freedom of the other to alter
or end the relationship. It also said
that a consensual relationship could
result in harm to a third party who is
denied privileges that accrue to those
who participate in the relationship.
Chemeketa Community College
The policy at Chem eketa Com m unity
College states that staff involved in a
consensual relationship, or even what
appears to be a consensual relationship,
with a student are prohibited from
supervising or m aking grading decisions
related to that student. The college wants
to have an environment o f learning
and growth and they view consensual
relationships between staff and students
as a disruption from that environment.
The policy also states that any person
who engages in behavior against
the policy is subject to disciplinary
actions
including
termination.
- Megan McCoy
Oadanas M MARCH 9,20B thedadiamasintiorn 7