A 2025 update on rules about student-staff relationships at Russell Group universities

Every Russell Group university has a policy regarding student-staff relationships; however, some accept them, some don’t, and some discourage them. So, let’s look into the official regulations about student-staff relationships from each Russell Group university.

University of Birmingham

At Birmingham, staff-student relationships are not officially banned, but according to its policy, they must be declared to the university.

University of Bristol

The university discourages staff-student relationships as stipulated in the Sexual Misconduct and Personal Relationships Guidance due to the inherent power imbalance these relationships pose. If a student enters a relationship with a staff member, they are encouraged to report to their head of school or academic advisor. Failure to do so, if discovered, would result in disciplinary proceedings being commenced.

University of Cambridge

According to the official University of Cambridge policy, staff members are prohibited from entering intimate relationships with students with direct or indirect academic responsibilities. If the policy is ignored, it is considered a disciplinary matter.

Cardiff University

Cardiff Students’ Union have adopted a policy whereby intimate student-staff relationships are banned where the staff member holds a position of authority or responsibility over that student. If a relationship of such a nature exists, the parties are encouraged to report it so adjustments can be made to ensure the power imbalance no longer exists.

Student-staff relationships at Durham are prohibited in most cases and are considered sexual misconduct.

University of Edinburgh

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The university strongly discourages student-staff relationships. If one were to occur, the staff member in question would be required to disclose the relationship so that appropriate action could be taken and the integrity of the student’s learning would not be compromised.

University of Exeter

The university strictly prohibits intimate relationships between staff members and students.

University of Glasgow

Glasgow strongly discourages relationships between students and staff members who have a professional connection and prohibits relationships between staff members and students who are under 18.

Imperial College London

The university prohibits student-staff relationships where the staff member has direct responsibility for that student.

Credit: Google Maps

King’s College London

The King’s College London policy for relationships between staff and students strongly discourages personal relationships between staff and students where the staff member is responsible for the student academically.

This also includes pastoral care or technical support provided by the staff member.

University of Leeds

Leeds is another university that strongly discourages but doesn’t ban staff-student relationships. Its Code of Conduct states that the university strongly discourages any staff member from having or pursuing a personal or intimate relationship with a student. Where a pre-existing relationship develops, the Head of School or Head of Service should be informed immediately.

Failure to declare a relationship could lead to disciplinary action.

University of Liverpool

According to the University of Liverpool’s personal relationships policy, where a student and a staff member enter a personal relationship, the staff member must inform their head of school of the relationship. Failure to do so will result in disciplinary proceedings.

London School of Economics and Political Science

LSE prohibits student-staff relationships involving the staff in the student’s academic journey. Any relationship of this nature must be reported immediately so that appropriate safeguards can be implemented to maintain academic integrity.

When there is no professional relationship between the student and staff member, the relationship must still be reported to ensure that conflicts of interest do not arise.

University of Manchester

Manchester is one of the few universities to have set out a new Personal Relationships policy from Thursday, 19th June 2025. The new policy bans personal relationships between staff or students when the student is under 18 or considered a vulnerable adult, and if the staff member has responsibility over that student.

It also strongly discourages personal relationships between staff and students where there is no professional relationship. It is the staff member’s responsibility to declare any new or pre-existing relationships under the new policy, and a staff member must declare any pre-existing relationship with a student by Tuesday, 30th September 2025.

Credit: Google Maps

Newcastle University

Newcastle has banned relationships between staff and students where the student is under 18 or considered a vulnerable adult. The university also does not accept relationships between students and staff where there is direct supervision. In cases without direct supervision, the relationships are strongly discouraged. In cases where there is a pre-existing relationship before the student joins the university, the staff member must inform their line manager as soon as possible.

Credit: Google Maps

University of Nottingham

Relationships between staff and students where the staff has professional responsibility over the student are prohibited.

University of Oxford

The university prohibits staff from entering into relationships with students for whom they have responsibility and strongly discourages any personal relationships between students and staff where the professional boundary has been crossed. Where there is an existing relationship between the student and staff member before they have started their studies, this must be reported by the staff member as soon as possible.

Queen Mary University of London

According to the policy on Relationships between Staff and Students, Queen Mary strongly discourages relationships between staff and students who are professionally involved.

Queen’s University Belfast

Staff and student relationships are not banned; instead, they remove the student from contact with the staff member. The university suggests these relationships are a professional issue, and that where such a relationship exists, action should be taken, if possible, to avoid professional contact. When this is not possible, additional safeguards should be incorporated into the process, including double marking and using external examiners.

University of Sheffield

The university requires disclosure of student-staff relationships even if the relationship is not intimate.

University of Southampton

Student-staff relationships are not mentioned in Southampton’s policy.

University College London

UCL’s personal relationship policy stipulates that relationships between students and staff where the student is under 18, considered a vulnerable adult or is a direct responsibility of the staff member are banned. Relationships to which this does not apply must be reported to the university so appropriate safeguarding can be put in place to avoid conflicts of interest possibly arising in the future.

University of Warwick

The university‘s official policy states: ‘The policy prohibits intimate relationships between staff and students where the member of staff has some direct or indirect responsibility for the student and any form of intimate relationships between staff and students who are either under the age of 18 or who are 18 and over and classified as an adult at risk.”

Credit: Google Maps

University of York

York does not ban student and staff relationships, but staff must inform their head of department if they are in a relationship with a student.

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