(Image source from: })

Prestigious University of Harvard banned sexual and romantic relationships between students and professors. According to the revised policy, even the students and professors who did not share a class should also not have the sexual and romantic relationships.

The policy reads that ‘no Faculty of Arts and Science member shall request or accept sexual favors from, engage in or initiate a sexual or romantic relationship with any undergraduate student at Harvard College’.

The policy is indicating that there should not be any engagements in such relationships willingly or forcibly.

This not the first time to listen such prohibitions and bans, earlier Yale University and the University of Connecticut have adopted similar policies. In most cases, even though there is no ban instituted, most universities discourage sexual or romantic relationships between professors and students.

Alison Johnson, a history professor who led the panel that prepared the revision on the policy revealed to Bloomberg that undergrads come to school to learn from teachers and that, ‘We’re not here to have sexual or romantic relationships with them’.

The tight policy was prompted a year ago, after the Department of Education announced that Harvard University was among several educational institutions that were being investigated for their responses to claims of harassment and sexual abuse.

One case in particular of a woman student reported whose rape caused uproar among Harvard students and the media. The undergraduate, who requested to remain unnamed, was shocked at the decision of the University to continue the person who harassed her.

From 2005 to 2010, 8 cases of sexual misconduct were presented to the Ad Board and as a result only three offenders were required to withdraw from Harvard College, which only meant a leave of absence of up to six months. No students were permanently expelled.

-Kannamsai