I9: Consensual Relationships

Responsibility for Maintenance: Human Resources

Date of most recent changes: June 18, 2019

I. Policy Statement  

The College is committed to providing an environment that is free of employment discrimination, sexual harassment, and conflicts of interest.  Accordingly, consensual sexual or romantic relationships are prohibited between employees (faculty or staff) and students except under very limited circumstances, as approved by the Vice President of Human Resources.

Further, supervisors are prohibited from engaging in any sexual or romantic relationships with subordinates.  

II. Reason for Policy  

Onondaga Community College recognizes, together with the State University of New York, that faculty and staff members may hold power and authority over students and other employees when they exercise current supervisory, instructional, or other professional responsibility affecting the other party.  This influence can make consent between these individuals within any sexual or romantic relationship problematic and may impede the real or perceived freedom of a student or employee to terminate or alter the relationship or to make workplace decisions free from real or perceived influence by the other person.

III. Applicability of the Policy  

This policy applies to all College employees and students. 

IV. Related Documents  

  • Federal and State anti-discrimination laws, including, but not limited too, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. § 2000e, et seq., Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, 20 U.S.C. §1681 et seq., and the New York Human Rights Law.

V. Contacts   

Subject Office Name Title or Position Telephone Number Email/URL
Questions regarding the policy Human Resources Vice President, Human Resources (315) 498-2516  b.k.scholl@sunyocc.edu  

 

VI. Procedures  

  • Employees are generally prohibited from engaging in a consensual sexual or romantic relationship with any students. The only acceptable exception is for an employee who is engaged in a relationship with a student who is enrolled for classes where the student is not enrolled in an academic program that requires the employee’s academic or professional supervision. This exception must be approved by the Vice President of Human Resources. 
  • At the time of application, and, as circumstances change during employment, applicants and employees are required to disclose all relatives and consensual relationships with current employees at Onondaga Community College. Under no circumstances should a college employee have supervisory authority over an employee with whom he or she has  a current consensual sexual or romantic relationship. 
  • Failure to follow this policy will result in disciplinary action up to, and including, termination of employment. 

 

Approved by OCC Board of Trustees April 3, 2006

Updated and approved by the OCC Board of Trustees June 1, 2010

Updated and approved by the OCC Board of Trustees June 18, 2019