Spring Break
Professor-student relationships not always ethical
Rose Hansen
Issue date: 2/10/09 Section: Forum
With spring registration hovering over our heads, it's time to start thinking about next term's classes. I pick my courses according to necessity, but also consider insight from my friends - avoid anything before 11:00 a.m. if possible, and sometimes check out RateMyProfessors.com.
RateMyProfessors.com features student evaluations of professor performances at universities across the country. The comments are completely subjective and range from the bad - "Dude acts like he will help you, but will SCREW you," - to the good "I love him like the sun loves the mystery of the night."
Next to photographs and comments, this Web site also has the "chili pepper" option, which lets students evaluate the "hotness" of a teacher. Of the 919 Oregon State professors listed on the site, over 200 have been awarded a chili pepper award.
If we were sophomores in high school and considering the sexual appeal of our teachers (and vice versa), this would cause an uproar. But in college, things are a little different. Legally, we're adults and so are our professors, which should mean they're fair game.
Oregon State University already acknowledges that relations between professors and students are a messy affair. According to the Consensual Relationships Policy, these interactions can compromise the integrity of institutional responsibility towards the student. The Office of Affirmative Action lists likely conflicts on their Web site, including the unfair evaluation of work and the professor's vulnerability to sexual harassment charges.
Relationships between professors and students aren't banned by the University, but they must be reported to superiors who can monitor the situation.
In many cases, the crushes are generally harmless. When classes are lead by a professor you're into, you are probably more inclined to actually attend class, participate in discussions and complete assignments. At the end of the term, you might write them an anonymous "you're hot" on the evaluation sheet, but nothing beyond this type of innocent ego boost.
RateMyProfessors.com features student evaluations of professor performances at universities across the country. The comments are completely subjective and range from the bad - "Dude acts like he will help you, but will SCREW you," - to the good "I love him like the sun loves the mystery of the night."
Next to photographs and comments, this Web site also has the "chili pepper" option, which lets students evaluate the "hotness" of a teacher. Of the 919 Oregon State professors listed on the site, over 200 have been awarded a chili pepper award.
If we were sophomores in high school and considering the sexual appeal of our teachers (and vice versa), this would cause an uproar. But in college, things are a little different. Legally, we're adults and so are our professors, which should mean they're fair game.
Oregon State University already acknowledges that relations between professors and students are a messy affair. According to the Consensual Relationships Policy, these interactions can compromise the integrity of institutional responsibility towards the student. The Office of Affirmative Action lists likely conflicts on their Web site, including the unfair evaluation of work and the professor's vulnerability to sexual harassment charges.
Relationships between professors and students aren't banned by the University, but they must be reported to superiors who can monitor the situation.
In many cases, the crushes are generally harmless. When classes are lead by a professor you're into, you are probably more inclined to actually attend class, participate in discussions and complete assignments. At the end of the term, you might write them an anonymous "you're hot" on the evaluation sheet, but nothing beyond this type of innocent ego boost.
Note: writers will not reply to comments.
Viewing Comments 1 - 4 of 4
Lola
posted 2/11/09 @ 1:48 AM PST
Ethical or not, sexual daydreams do make a class pass by more pleasingly :)
A
posted 2/12/09 @ 3:56 PM PST
So Rose is looking at Keith Scribner's reviews. . . prof crush much? niiiice
Chris
posted 4/19/09 @ 4:02 PM PST
"Relationships between professors and students aren't banned by the University, but they must be reported to superiors who can monitor the situation."
Arg, reported to the supervisor? Come on, when you are adults, you should not have to "post" who you are dating. (Continued…)
Chris
posted 5/14/09 @ 9:38 PM PST
"But a sexual relationship between a professor and student simply doesn't seem ethical. I say "seem" because there are, of course, exceptions to every relationship standard (including sex) we've established. (Continued…)
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