University of Bristol set to review its student/staff relationship policy

Bristol University students have been asked to complete a survey to guide whether the uni will change its policy on intimate personal relationships between staff and students.

The university is seeking to outright ban intimate relationships between students and staff.

On Friday 14th March, an email from Tansy Jessop, pro-vice-chancellor for education and students, read: “Our goal in reviewing this policy is to reduce potential conflicts of interest and prevent possible abuses of power. We want to make this update to ensure clarity, fairness, and better protection for everyone at the University of Bristol.”

Currently, there is no prohibition on sexual and romantic relationships between staff and students. In the university’s Sexual Misconduct and Personal Relationship Guidance, such relationships are “strongly discouraged.”

The document notes how romantic relationships between students and staff have the potential to “compromise the trust and confidence that underpins the learning experience and may negatively impact on the student’s educational development.”

The Bristol Tab conducted a survey on Instagram to find out what student’s thought of the proposed change. We asked students if were aware of the current policy, with only 21 per cent saying yes – leaving a high 79 per cent having no awareness on current rules.

The university requires staff to disclose consensual relationships with students to their Head of School – however, there is no outright ban.

When questioned whether students think the policy should change to outrgiht ban, 59 per cent voted yes, and 41 chose no.

The university intends to alter the policy from “strongly discourage” to a categoric ban on intimate personal relationships “where staff have an academic or pastoral responsibility for a student.”

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The proposed policy defines intimate personal relationships as “a relationship that involved one or more of the following elements: Physical intimacy included isolated or repeated sexual activity; or romantic or emotional intimacy.”

Open until Friday 4th April, the survey seeks to understand how much students and staff know about the current policy and “the current behavioural expectations for student-staff relationships.” The university wishes to understand how much support there would be for the proposed ban.

The imbalance of agreement for or against change is mainly dependent on some students worried about abuse and imbalnce of power, whereas others state these relationships are contextual, and are the decisions of two adults.

The survey sets out which staff members and situations the new policy would be of relevance to. The list is as follows:

• Staff involved in teaching and/or assessment, such as lecturers or graduate teaching assistants. Note: The ban would be limited to the students they are teaching and/or assessing.
• Staff involved in supervising or acting as academic mentors, such as dissertation or project supervisors for taught postgraduate or research students. Note: The ban would be limited to the students they are supervising and/or mentoring.
• Personal tutors. Note: The ban would be limited to the students who are their tutees.
• Pastoral support staff (school/faculty and central services) e.g. wellbeing services, counselling, residential life.
• Senior members of staff with responsibility or oversight of wider institutional strategy, processes and delivery.
• Security staff.
• Roles relating to sports, exercise and health, such as instructors or physiotherapists. Note: The ban would be limited to the students they are working with, coaching, treating or have responsibility for.
• Students who are also staff members and have direct pastoral or supervisory responsibility for a student. (e.g. research student tutoring, teaching or acting in a supervisory capacity; a student working as a mentor or a senior resident in a residence who is employed by the university) Note: The ban would be limited to the students they are teaching/assessing/supervising/mentoring/living with etc.

Intimate relationships between students and staff will be allowed to continued when there is no direct academic or pastoral relationship/responsibility but such relationships must continue to be disclosed to head of schools/relevant members of staff.

The proposed change, many will argue, has come too late, especially in a post #MeToo world where sexually motivated abuses of power are all too familiar. If the proposed ban goes ahead, Bristol would be following in the footsteps of University College London, the University of Exeter and the University of Oxford, amongst others.

Others will say that banning a relationship between two consenting adults is draconian and interventionist; restricting the freedoms and undermining the independence of both students and staff. Universities yet to categorically ban intimate relationships between students and staff include the University of Cambridge, Cardiff University and the University of Edinburgh.

The university is looking to hear from all students and staff in relation to the matter but they are particularly interested in hearing from students who also hold staff status, e.g. postgraduate researchers who teach.

To complete the survey with your opinion on the matter, the email was sent to all Bristol Uni student inboxes.

The email states that there is not expected to be any change to the current policy until after summer 2025.

When questioned about the proposal to change the policy, a University of Bristol spokesperson said: “Providing our staff and students with a safe environment in which to work and study is extremely important.

“We’re reviewing our position on intimate personal relationships between staff and students to ensure we have appropriate support and protection in place.

“The views of staff and students are being sought on proposed changes to our current policy and guidance, which include a ban on intimate personal relationships where staff have academic or pastoral responsibility for a student. The ban would apply to situations where there is potential for a conflict of interest or abuse of power.

“The survey is open until 4th April and responses will help inform decisions on any changes to our approach. Any changes will be clearly communicated with staff and students in due course.”