7.1. Intimate or Close personal relationships between students and staff who have responsibility for them can cause significant problems because of the imbalance of power and authority in the relationship. These relationships can also disrupt the teaching and learning environment for other students and colleagues and lead to accusations of favouritism, exclusivity, bias, or exploitation and may undermine trust in the academic process. Staff members may find themselves the subject of concerns and scrutiny of their professional, academic and personal integrity.
7.2. A ‘Relevant staff member’ is intended to capture any member of staff, employed, or contracted by the University, who has direct or indirect academic responsibilities, or other direct professional responsibilities, for a student.
7.3. The reference to ‘academic responsibilities’ includes, but is not limited to, teaching classes or seminars, lecturing, supervising, assessing students work, setting and/or marking of examinations or other assessments of any type.
7.4. The reference to ‘professional responsibilities’ is intended to capture all staff with a direct professional, pastoral or administrative responsibility or authority over a student, whether temporary or permanent, whether formally conferred on or voluntarily assumed by the staff member and whether the responsibility arises in a University or a college context. This also includes acting as a mentor or college advisor.
7.5. Situations where a Relevant staff member will have direct or indirect academic responsibilities, or other direct professional responsibilities, in relation to a student include but are not limited to:
a. any direct supervisory or teaching relationship (for example between tutors and their tutees, postgraduate students and their supervisor);
b. a member of staff having direct or indirect responsibility for a student’s academic studies (for example, Head of Department, Director of Studies, assessor of a student’s work);
c. a member of staff has direct or indirect responsibility for that student’s personal welfare (for example providing student welfare services or acting as a mentor or College advisor);
d. a member of staff has a mentoring role or ongoing administrative responsibility for a student; or
e. a member of staff is involved in the admission or selection of applicants or offer-holders.