College and University Blog
Dating your Professor
In some ways, sex between students and their professors is part of the mythology of academia. It turns up regularly in film and literature. The scenario typically involves a young female student seduced by her older and more knowledgeable teacher.
Historically, male professors have considered a campus full of available young women a perk of academia. They used to call it the candy store, according to the Women’s Research & Education Institute. Attitudes began to change in the 1960s and 1970s, with the rise of feminism and an increasing number of female scholars in academia. Real policy changes did not occur until the late 1980s and 1990s, when courts said schools could be held liable in sexual harassment cases. Since then, many universities have begun to address student-professor dating.
University fraternization rules are sometimes vague. It is a commonly held belief that everyone is considered an adult at the college level and should know where to draw the line. At many schools, there are no formal rules about professors dating students. It is discouraged, but not prohibited. For most educators, there is an unwritten rule that getting involved with students is a bad idea. Even though the vast majority of educators already live by an ethical norm, you still need to show the institution