Prohibited Relationships with Students

GW is committed to maintaining a safe, positive, and respectful environment.  Relationships involving individuals with asymmetrical power and authority create a risk of exploitative and/or coercive relationships that compromise the integrity of the educational process, create a potential for conflicts of interest or bias, undermine respectful and productive educational and supervisory affiliations, and may lead to actual or perceived sexual harassment, discrimination, or other behavior that is harmful to members of our community.  As such, since 2018, GW has established a Prohibited Relationships with Students Policy.

What relationships are prohibited under university policy?

Prohibited Relationships with Undergraduate Students

• No teacher (except for graders and graduate assistants, as provided below) or staff member may have a sexual or amorous relationship with any undergraduate student at the university. No grader or graduate assistant may have a sexual or amorous relationship with any undergraduate student at the university who is enrolled in a course in the department in which the grader or graduate assistant is performing his or her duties.
• No teacher or staff member may teach, evaluate, coach, mentor, counsel, advise, employ, recommend (or serve as a reference for), supervise, or manage an undergraduate student with whom they have previously had a sexual or amorous relationship.

Prohibited Relationships with Graduate Students

• No teacher or staff member may have a sexual or amorous relationship with a graduate student in their department, program, or school as a whole in the case of a non-departmentalized school.  Further, no teacher or staff member may have a sexual or amorous relationship with a graduate student 1) over whom they have or likely will have a future instructional, evaluative, supervisory or managerial relationship while the graduate student is enrolled at the university, or 2) for whom they are likely to be called upon to formally or informally provide a recommendation (or serve as a reference) for future employment or fellowship, research or other educational positions.
• No teacher or staff member may teach, evaluate, coach, mentor, counsel, advise, employ, recommend (or serve as a reference for), supervise or manage a graduate student with whom they have or previously had a sexual or amorous relationship.

Are independent contractors permitted to engage in relationships with students?

All independent contractors are expected to comply with university policies, including the Prohibited Relationships with Students policy and the Title IX Sexual Harassment and Related Conduct Policy.  Therefore, OEO will review and respond to any relationship between a student and an independent contractor the same way as the office would with any other staff member.