The official Ohio State University policy on student professor consensual sexual relationships

After a 1 1/2 years of consideration, evaluation and debate the OSU issued its formal policy on consensual sexual relationships between students and professors on July 1, 2006; the policy can be viewed here. And a myriad of OSU documents relating to the process leading to adoption can be viewed here.

What ended up in the final policy was essentially proposed in the Work Group Report. And it appears that the Work Group report was not criticized by anyone or any entity associated with OSU. The dankprofessor believes that it has been only on the dankprofessor blog that the work of the Work Group has ever been directly criticized. The reality was that the work of the Work Group was accepted as the final word. A lot of huffing and puffing occurred when the Task Force released its report to the OSU community, and the changes that did occur were not ultimately of a substantive nature. And last but not least the consensual policy became a subpart of the sexual harassment policy of Ohio State University.

So now in 2008, faculty and students entering OSU can internalize the OSU sexual norms in a bureaucratized and dehumanized framework. No romance; no passion; no love. If there be passion, love and romance between a student and a professor, it must be a secret love. And as I am sure we all know, love will survive and is surviving at OSU. Such came to be at OSU and so many other universities by the usage of fear tactics, fear tactics that included farcical beliefs that the permitting of student professor sexual relationships has in some way undermined the quality of academic life. The quality of academic life was never undermined by allowing for student professor sexual relationships at OSU or any other university. What has been diminished is the quality of life since freedom and consent and choice have been diminished and authoritarian thinking has formally replaced independent thinking, and an authoritarian institutional bureaucratic “ethic” has replaced a personal ethical engagement.

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If you wish, you can write to me directly at dankprofessor@msn.com
Guest commentaries should also be submitted for consideration to the same email address.

Barry M. Dank aka the dankprofessor^TM
© Copyright 2008

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January 9, 2008 - Posted by dankprofessor | consensual relationships, ethics, fraternization, higher education, Ohio State University, secrecy, sexual policing, sexual politics, sexual rights, student professor dating

2 Comments »

Dear dankprofessor and other readers,

How long should I wait to date with my former professor? I graduated from his community college in December 2004 and I still have contacts with him. I met some men but I don’t like them as much as I like my professor. He likes me since the day we met in his class but I did care him so much when I was in his college. When I transfered to the university, I had a hard time (major issue – university changed my major without my knowledge after exit interview) then hard to find a job. I didn’t pay that much attention and time he deserved when he dealt with my stress/depression. Then, got a job then laid off and now got a new job again. My current job is only part-time and I am almost over late for marriage (I’m mid 30′s and he’s 10 years elder). Now, I am financially and emotionally OK so should I worried about the lawsuit or other negative issues about his professor career? I knew some professors from his department and I occasionally visited his office as we couldn’t go out.

Please note that we discussed about marriage since beginning and he seems a committed person (e.g. he quit drinking beer after 2weeks I met him and he tried to show serious interest in my religion, cut his hair the way I like, etc.). You can see job loss/cuts in the news these days and he couldn’t leave this successful job (though he considered once). I don’t know what to do now so any suggestions would be helpful to be with him.

Thank you.

Comment by mya | March 8, 2008 | Reply
Mya,

You left the college 4 years ago; you have waited long enough. If you continue to have an interest in this professor, there is no reason not to act on that interest.

Of course, it does take two to tango.

Good luck,

the dankprofessor

Comment by dankprofessor | March 9, 2008 | Reply

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The dankprofessor blog is devoted to the love of knowledge and to the knowledge of love.

And the dankprofessor blog was just ranked the second best higher ed blog in the U.S.

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FEATURED POSTS

Blog reports on and examines sexual politics in higher education with a focus on issues regarding sexual consent, particularly the attempted repression of student-professor consensual sexual relationships. Thie blog reflects a commitment to the values of liberty, freedom of association, freedom of speech and privacy; such are values that are under increasing attack, both intellectually and policy wise in all too many universities which have embraced a culture of comfort in the framework of a velvet totalitarianism.

In addition, the blog at times will go beyond the university and sexual politics to issues that merit our attention. Whatever the issue the dankprofessor blog will not be constrained by any ideological orthodoxy, sexual or political correctness. Hopefully, this blog will bring together persons who value liberty and freedom even in university life.

The dankprofessor is Barry M. Dank, an emeritus professor of sociology at California State University, Long Beach, where he taught students and engaged in various forms of professorial dissidence for some 35 years.. In his earlier years, he wrote and pontificated on issues related to homosexuality and specifically on coming out and the development of a gay identity. In 1977 he became famous/infamous for his LA Times article on the anti-homosexual campaign of Anita Bryant. Later he focused on interracial relationships and on student-professor relationships. He is the Founding Editor of SEXUALITY AND CULTURE, published by Springer NYC. During his 35 years as a professor and four years as an in-residence grad student at the University of Wisconsin, he openly engaged in propinquitous (as in propinquity) dating, dating students and having many wonderful friendships with many of his students and their families. During his early years in academia he married the daughter of a professor in the Sociology Department at the University of Wisconsin. Presently he is living in the artist village of Tubac in southern Arizona.

The dankprofessor welcomes input from blog readers. Confidential emails should be sent to him directly at- dankprofessor@msn.com The dankprofessor will respond to all personal emails.

Leads on relevant stories will be greatly appreciated.

Guest commentaries should be sent to the same email address for consideration for blog publication.

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