UCI Faculty Code of Conduct

CODE OF CONDUCT

The undersigned are petitioning the Faculty Senate at UC Irvine to include discussion of the University Faculty Code of Conduct on the Senate agenda with an eye toward change of the recently implemented passages regarding faculty relationships with students, as indicated below (APM015).

As it stands the policy is too broad, too vague, and too punitive. It has considerable potential for unfair and arbitrary application, and criminalizes relationships that ought not to be criminalized. We share the concern prompting the policy that there is a potential for abuse of power in faculty-student relationships and that this needs regulation. However, the policy as stated goes too far.

There are currently two articles dealing with the issue of sexual and romantic relationships between faculty and students.

CURRENT POLICY

II. A. Teaching and Students; Ethical Principles:

Types of Unacceptable Conduct:
6. Entering into a romantic or sexual relationship with any student for whom a faculty member has, or should reasonably expect to have in the future,* academic responsibility (instructional, evaluative, or supervisory)."

7. Exercising academic responsibility (instructional, evaluative, or supervisory) for any student with whom a faculty member has a romantic or sexual relationship.

* A faculty member should reasonably expect to have in the future academic responsibility (instructional, evaluative, or supervisory) for (1) students whose academic program will require them to enroll in a course taught by the faculty member, (2) students known to the faculty member to have an interest in an academic area within the faculty member's academic expertise, or (3) any student for whom a faculty member must have academic responsibility (instructional, evaluative, or supervisory) in the pursuit of a degree.


We suggest that the policy be amended to read:


SUGGESTED POLICY

II.A. Teaching and Students; Ethical Principles

Types of Unacceptable Conduct:
6. Establishing or maintaining a relationship with a student in which sexual relationship and supervisory responsibility are combined:
a. commencing supervision of a student with whom one has an ongoing sexual relationship;
b. entering into a sexual relationship with a student for whom one has supervisory responsibilities, without divesting oneself of those responsibilities.

[ Note that there would not be a Paragraph 7, nor any footnote to #6]


Thank you for your consideration.



Signed

Ad Hoc Committee for the Revision of the Code of Conduct

Ellen Burt, Chair and Professor, French
David Theo Goldberg, Director, UCHRI and Professor, African American Studies and Criminology, Law and Society
Akira Lippit, Chair and Professor, Film and Media Studies
Steven Mailloux, Director, Critical Theory Emphasis and Chancellor's Professor, English
Gabrielle Schwab, Chancellor's Professor, Comparative Literature
Rei Terada, Chair and Professor, Comparative Literature, Professor of English