Policies

Policies

College House Policy on Consensual Sexual or Exploitive Relationships

The mission of the College Houses is to provide supportive residential communities for the education of undergraduate students. Within this environment, myriad connections take place among students, faculty, and staff that often have a lifelong impact. On the foundation of these connections, the College Houses become home to powerful communities.

College House communities depend on the integrity of the relationships between faculty, staff, and students within each individual house. For this reason, any sexual or exploitive relationship between a College House’s Director, Faculty Director, Faculty Fellow, Coordinator or other CHAS residential staff and any undergraduate or graduate student resident, or Resident Advisor within that house is prohibited, regardless of whether there is any direct supervisory relationship. This prohibition extends to relationships between RA staff and the residents of their specific halls or floors.

This includes but is not limited to romantic or sexual relationships, a relationship that provides undue privileges or a relationship that strips away rights or privileges. Even if both parties have consented to the relationship, such relationships can adversely affect the wider house community, raising serious concerns about the validity of the consent, conflicts of interest, and the unfair treatment of others.

The following offices are responsible for receiving and investigating complaints regarding violations of the College House Policy:

  • The CHAS Executive Director
  • The CHAS Faculty Director
  • The Vice Provost for Education
  • The Office of Affirmative Action and equal opportunity programs

All College House faculty, professional and para-professional staff are expected to know and observe the University of Pennsylvania’s Sexual Misconduct Policy (https://titleixoffice.upenn.edu), as well as, the College House Policy on Consensual Sexual or Exploitive Relationships.

Adopted June 24, 2016. Implemented August 2016. Revised December 10, 2019 and July 12, 2021.