Is it always entirely inappropriate? If both parties are single and of age, is it okay then? Just wondering....I've heard all these stories about students and professors having flings and I know in one case where it resulted in a marriage. Share your thoughts! Thanks!
I would say it would be a conflict on interest. Dating a former professor would be no problem. Or if you would like to date your current professor, switching classes might be in order.
Whoa....this is a tough one...you are going to have to stay very cool until the end of the semester at least. I could envision a few bad scenarios if you, say, had an argument right before the final exam!
Of course it is appropriate for two consenting adults to date. Just as it is appropriate for evryone else to mind their own business. Who can say who you should or should not date as a grown up people? Entirely different issue is that of a human nature, which is such a trickster, always full of savage desires & with little to no regard for anything resembling rationale. I assume , given those too human traits and the peculiar setting of "Prof-Stud" romance, many a "Student-Prof" relationships ended up in some bizarre way (possibilities are infinite, just use your imagination), which then prompted PO (aka Public Opinion) to look at it as something "wrong" or "inappropriate" to do , to eliminate the possibility of having such relationships develop in the first place.
I was wondering because I've had friends who have briefly taught college courses and mentioned how they would NEVER date a student. I wonder if universities discourage it or would punish professors if they were dating a student?
Hi MysteriousNight, I gave courses at the university a few year ago. And Tish is right if she mentions the possble conflict of interests. As an engineer I had no problem dating someone from the culture deparment. But I would never date a student from my own department nor from other related engineering departments. My former university has no explicit rules (AFAIK) regarding this topic and profs don't face legal actions if they date students. They face legal actions if they 'trade' love/sex with good grades and such shit. Anyways, people gossip and why should one jeopardise his or her reputation? Regards Gyro
tons of links here, for anyone interested http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&source=hp&q=teachers+dating+students+&aq=f&oq=&aqi=
This is the problem I see with it. Also, any relationship where one person has power over the other has the possibility of exploitation or coercion. Most times though, I think the major problem is favoritism. I don't see any major problem with it if the above issues are not occuring, but, at the same time, know that preventing the above issues can be near impossible. I would say that this is a case where the professor has worked hard to get to where they are and would be wise to wait until the student is out of the class. Also, the student should not be so naive to believe that the relationship won't affect their learning. So, in short, just wait until the semester is over.
Professors are just not on my "menu," so I've never dealt with that. The most I ever do is acknowledge: Hmm. That's one's really hot. Then I move on with my life. I have a rule, though, that once I am in any sort of personal relationship with a prof I never take his or her classes again. It's too awkward to go from friends to academics and back. I would say no, then, if you're taking that prof's courses. If you're interested in each other, wait until the end of the semester and don't plan on studying with that one again. Even with those safeguards in place, though, you'd have to have some rules about the relationship.
