The University of California has just instituted a new policy that bans “romantic or sexual” relationships between professors and their students.
Apparently, this prohibtion is too complex for many on the faculty to understand.
Like a lot of people on campus, Catherine Gallagher, a professor of English … , is confused.
What precisely does the word romantic mean, she wonders. “Does it mean a personal relationship? Does it mean you can’t go out for coffee?”
Since her specialty is British literature, what I wonder is how she teaches Romeo and Juliet or, if she’s really confused about the difference between a romantic relationship and going out for coffee, anything else.
Living in and around academia, I’ve known quite a few couples who met through class. There’s no reason I can imagine for a teacher to be dating a student in his or her class and little reason to be dating a student in his or her school, or who would be taking classes in his or her school..
As for dating someone in, say, the school of Arts and Sciences when one teaches in Engineering? That’s probably okay, even though there’s still a possible power inequity.
I just know far too many mid-thirties professors whose “soul mate” just happened to be in the 18-23 year range.