New rules for teacher-student romance
Concordia University has issued explicit guidelines on consensual romantic or sexual professor-student relationships, a move that was fast-tracked in response to recent allegations of sexual misconduct against professors in the university’s Creative Writing program.
The guidelines state that the university “strongly discourages all instructors from commencing or continuing any consensual romantic or sexual relationship with a student.”
The document defines such a relationship as a conflict of interest that must be disclosed to the administration.
“Because of the power imbalance that exists in the academy, the university discourages, in the strongest possible terms, any consensual romantic or sexual relationships between instructors and their students,” writes provost and vice-president academic affairs Graham Carr in a memo about the new guidelines published on the university’s website Friday.
“At the very least, such relationships constitute a real or perceived conflict of interest and should be avoided.”
He goes on to say that for legal reasons, the university cannot prohibit such relationships altogether.
Once such a relationship has been disclosed to the dean of the faculty, an alternative instructor may be appointed for the student, the student may be transferred to another course or another academic adviser may be assigned to the student, according to the guidelines. Failure to disclose a conflict of interest is a violation of the university’s Code of Ethics and could result in disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal.
All of Quebec’s post-secondary institutions are required — according to Bill 151, which was passed in the Quebec legislature last month — to adopt a “policy to prevent and fight sexual violence” by Sept. 1, 2019. Each policy must include a code of conduct specifying rules that professors must comply with if they have “an intimate relationship, such as an amorous or sexual relationship” with a student.
Concordia is among the first post-secondary institutions in Quebec to issue such guidelines.
The administration had been planning to issue them in February, but fast-tracked them in response to recent allegations.
At least four professors have been identified on social media in allegations of misconduct by current or former students and at least three of these have been recently removed from their teaching positions. None of those professors were tenured. (A fourth professor who has been named in online allegations is deceased.)
Students in the English department were told at a meeting with the administration on Jan. 12 that Concordia has commissioned an independent third party to investigate the allegations and that teachers under investigation are not currently teaching in the department.
Concordia University spokesperson Mary-Jo Barr said the administration hopes to release a report on the investigation and actions taken by the university on the file before the end of this school term.
The university has not released the names of the professors who are under investigation, nor would Barr say who the independent investigator is, except to say the person or entity “has the appropriate background and expertise.”
Among those who have brought the issue to the forefront recently are writers Heather O’Neill and Ibi Kaslik, both of whom were enrolled in Concordia’s Creative Writing program in the 1990s.
A number of former students took to social media to describe the unprofessional and discriminatory climate created by some professors in the Creative Writing department, a climate that led some to abandon creative writing endeavours for years, or permanently.
“This has been emotionally exhausting and extremely triggering,” wrote one former Creative Writing student on her Facebook page, referring to media coverage of the allegations. “I only realized why I stopped writing creatively last week. #metoo.”
The outpouring of allegations of lecherous behaviour by some professors in the program followed an online essay by Mike Spry posted on Jan. 8. That piece spoke of abusive relationships not only in Concordia’s Creative Writing program, but across the CanLit landscape. Spry, who was enrolled in the Creative Writing program from 2004, describes how he observed and ignored abusive behaviours by some professors, eventually becoming part of the problem himself.
A group of students wrote to the chair of Concordia’s English department in February 2015 outlining their concerns about the issue. They referred to an article published in 2014 by Emma Healey, detailing her relationship with a professor in Concordia’s Creative Writing program, a relationship she described as consensual but also abusive.
At a university senate meeting last week, the dean of the Faculty of Arts and Science André Roy defended the handling of that letter, saying a meeting was arranged with the students a few days after the letter was received, where they were informed of their rights and the process to file an official complaint. He said the letter was not shared with the provost or the president of the university, Alan Shepard. Shepard has said he knew nothing of the allegations before the Spry essay appeared.
The university is working quickly to set up a new Task Force on Sexual Misconduct and Sexual Violence, which will include student, staff, faculty and administration representatives. The university issued a call for potential members on Jan. 25, with a tight deadline for applications: Jan. 31 at 6 p.m.
Members of the Creative Writing department have been mute on the scandal. But in a recent message posted on the university’s website, Kate Sterns, director of the Creative Writing program, said the program “welcomes the investigation by both the university and an independent investigator into allegations of sexual misconduct.
Such behaviour is unacceptable, in direct violation of our values and policies, and may result in disciplinary measures up to and including possible dismissal.”
The message goes on to urge any student, past or present who “wishes to share any instances of misconduct” to contact the university’s Office of Rights and Responsibilities by phone (514-8482424, ext. 8659) or email (rights@ concordia.ca), or the university’s Sexual Assault Resource Centre (514-848-2424. ext. 3353) or sarc@ concordia.ca. She also invites students to email her directly at kate. sterns@concordia.ca.