Thank you for sharing this story! I’m a college professor and the witch hunts/burnings currently taking place over consensual relationships between faculty, grad, and undergraduate students are ridiculous. I know that many of the ivies have banned relationships between faculty and students for decades, but my university only implemented …
Thank you for sharing this story! I’m a college professor and the witch hunts/burnings currently taking place over consensual relationships between faculty, grad, and undergraduate students are ridiculous. I know that many of the ivies have banned relationships between faculty and students for decades, but my university only implemented the policy a few years ago. My university go so far as to ban relationships between ALL undergraduate students and faculty, regardless of whether the individuals involved have an academic relationship; a math professor who starts dating an English major must report this to their department head to comply with the policy. I was involved in conversations with administrators when this policy was being debated and vehemently opposed any restrictions on relationships that did not occur within the context of direct instruction between a faculty member and a student. And I can scream about how this infantilizes women (because we always assume it’s young women dating these older male professors, which is completely sexist, and heterosexist), but a bigger concern that I had with this policy was that it would be used to punish people who are unpopular or controversial, whereas everyone else who breaks this rule but is well liked, brings the University lots of grant money, and/or is a renowned scholar will never be held to the same standard as someone who gets punished for violating a policy like a consensual relationship ban between faculty and students. I thought it would get used to punish the unpopular, but now I see it as a tool of extreme sanction for holding controversial views, and another way for students to destroy faculty they don’t like for any old reason. It’s also another way to weaken the institution of tenure. I think we are burying the lead when we ignore how many tenured faculty are being fired for trivial infractions or baseless claims.
Interesting. More evolution towards the elimination of privacy and the weaponization of personal information for the purposes of social conformity. These universities are leading the way and creating the models. Hopefully we stop following their leadership.
It’s so controlling. Next they’ll require students to register every relationship, even if it’s with another student. They’ll have a weekly check in where the women are asked about sexual consent. Just to keep everyone safe.
The relationship part was a way of getting rid of Prof. Katz. If they hadn't had that to fall back on, it would have been something else. They were determined to be rid of him and the relationship made it easy.
Also, hate needs to flow to the Black Justice League and the many ridiculous, stupid, and frankly racist movements being supported because they have the right amount of melanin.
Yup. It's always been this way. Department heads can't write "I don't like this guy" on a bureaucratic form, but they can write "Communist" or "sexual harasser" or "Republican" or "anti-vaxxer" according to the fashions of the time.
Not only does it infantilize women, but ignores the power that a charming and intelligent woman has in the equation. I worked in hospitals for 30 years, and many a doctor was the target of a young nurse/rad tech/med tech. that chose their career in order to marry a doctor, regardless of whether that doctor were already married. I'm not saying that there weren't also many instances of the doctor initiating the relationship, I'm saying it goes both ways.
When my doctor retired and a female doctor took over his practice, the drug reps switched from attractive young women to handsome young men almost overnight.
So, imagine how hard it was for a hospital administrator to control pharma costs when you had the very intelligent, homecoming queens flirting with the docs and promoting the newest most expensive drugs, or flying them on fishing trips to Alaska.
It's much different now, but not because pharma has become more ethical.
As we all know, being a young hot sexually comfortable woman is a powerless position in our society, whilst being a rich married doctor, especially if white and male, makes one the worst kind of oppressor. A sexual relationship between the two is only the result of the doctor manipulating and oppressing the woman, regardless of consent or desire.
Thank you for sharing this story! I’m a college professor and the witch hunts/burnings currently taking place over consensual relationships between faculty, grad, and undergraduate students are ridiculous. I know that many of the ivies have banned relationships between faculty and students for decades, but my university only implemented the policy a few years ago. My university go so far as to ban relationships between ALL undergraduate students and faculty, regardless of whether the individuals involved have an academic relationship; a math professor who starts dating an English major must report this to their department head to comply with the policy. I was involved in conversations with administrators when this policy was being debated and vehemently opposed any restrictions on relationships that did not occur within the context of direct instruction between a faculty member and a student. And I can scream about how this infantilizes women (because we always assume it’s young women dating these older male professors, which is completely sexist, and heterosexist), but a bigger concern that I had with this policy was that it would be used to punish people who are unpopular or controversial, whereas everyone else who breaks this rule but is well liked, brings the University lots of grant money, and/or is a renowned scholar will never be held to the same standard as someone who gets punished for violating a policy like a consensual relationship ban between faculty and students. I thought it would get used to punish the unpopular, but now I see it as a tool of extreme sanction for holding controversial views, and another way for students to destroy faculty they don’t like for any old reason. It’s also another way to weaken the institution of tenure. I think we are burying the lead when we ignore how many tenured faculty are being fired for trivial infractions or baseless claims.
You are correct! And once the student is graduated and gone, they can still call it "grooming." Insanity!
Interesting. More evolution towards the elimination of privacy and the weaponization of personal information for the purposes of social conformity. These universities are leading the way and creating the models. Hopefully we stop following their leadership.
It’s so controlling. Next they’ll require students to register every relationship, even if it’s with another student. They’ll have a weekly check in where the women are asked about sexual consent. Just to keep everyone safe.
The relationship part was a way of getting rid of Prof. Katz. If they hadn't had that to fall back on, it would have been something else. They were determined to be rid of him and the relationship made it easy.
Also, hate needs to flow to the Black Justice League and the many ridiculous, stupid, and frankly racist movements being supported because they have the right amount of melanin.
Hate? I would rather say reality. It's the Emperor's New Clothes phenomenon. Everyone can see he's naked but no one has the courage to say it.
Yup. It's always been this way. Department heads can't write "I don't like this guy" on a bureaucratic form, but they can write "Communist" or "sexual harasser" or "Republican" or "anti-vaxxer" according to the fashions of the time.
Not only does it infantilize women, but ignores the power that a charming and intelligent woman has in the equation. I worked in hospitals for 30 years, and many a doctor was the target of a young nurse/rad tech/med tech. that chose their career in order to marry a doctor, regardless of whether that doctor were already married. I'm not saying that there weren't also many instances of the doctor initiating the relationship, I'm saying it goes both ways.
Drug reps, anyone?
When my doctor retired and a female doctor took over his practice, the drug reps switched from attractive young women to handsome young men almost overnight.
You would not believe how out in the open it all is.
So, imagine how hard it was for a hospital administrator to control pharma costs when you had the very intelligent, homecoming queens flirting with the docs and promoting the newest most expensive drugs, or flying them on fishing trips to Alaska.
It's much different now, but not because pharma has become more ethical.
Ha! I have a neighbor who used to be a drug rep. I tease her about it all the time. They're pretty easy to pick out of a crowd.
As we all know, being a young hot sexually comfortable woman is a powerless position in our society, whilst being a rich married doctor, especially if white and male, makes one the worst kind of oppressor. A sexual relationship between the two is only the result of the doctor manipulating and oppressing the woman, regardless of consent or desire.
I was trying to be a bit more diplomatic. Your post is closer to my actual thinking, complete with sarc.