College and University Blog
Teacher/Student Relationships: the Fine Line
Within the past few years, there have been many cases of teacher/student relations in the high schools. This, of course, is illegal, and for a plethora of good reasons, not the least of which is an abuse of authority. It is one thing to have a staff member and a student become romantically involved, but it is quite another when one is an adult and the other an adolescent.
But what about in college, f an instructor becomes romantically involved with a student? Both are legally adults. Is this instance still considered an abuse of authority, despite the fear of favoritism eventually coming into play? Although the age gap between the teacher and student still might cause an imbalance in the relationship, both are capable of making their own decisions and giving consent.
Then again, what if there is no age gap, such as in the case with a young professor and an older untraditional student? Would this still be considered an imbalance? Would this still be considered exploitative?
Of course, one indisputable reason that would make instructor/student relationships inappropriate would be if both participants share the same class. Favoritism just might take place regardless of the respective ages, and even if it didn