Wits tightens student, staff rules
DUE TO ongoing inappropriate relationships between lecturers and students, Wits University has tightened up its policy, prohibiting staff members from having any sort of relationship with students.
The policy, originally implemented in 2013, has now been modified to close loopholes within the existing policy, prohibiting staff members from having abusive, romantic or sexual relationships with students.
In 2013, the general sense among staff at the university was that they were upset with the known sexual harassment taking place between lecturers and students, as well as between colleagues.
After its release on Friday, the approved policy by the university’s council will be implemented immediately in a bid to combat sexual harassment, rape and assault on campus.
Professor Jackie Dugard, director of Wits’s gender equity office, said gender-based harm was common in society and across campuses.
She said that to stop the abuse of power by lecturers in particular, the university had developed the policy as one of many that aim to bring an end to all forms of harassment and rape.
“The policy recognises that power dynamics exist between academics and students, and seeks to protect students from sexually predatory lecturers who enter into sexual and/or romantic relationships with students,” said Dugard.
The policy regulation would help those most susceptible to being abused by staff members. “This is why the policy contains important exemptions for serious relationships.”
A relationship that could be technically consensual as opposed to non-consensual sexual harassment is also recognised in the new policy.
“In many situations, the student feels completely unable to navigate and especially to decisively reject the sexual overtures by lecturers for a range of reasons, including being afraid to reject someone with so much institutional power.”
Wits also raised concerns about cases where staff exploit students in so-called sugar daddy or blesser/blessee relationships. “In such relationships, the issue of consent frequently becomes questionable, given the extreme power differentials,” the policy states.
Consent becomes questionable given the extreme power differentials