The following is a brief list of the potential pitfalls of relationships between students and faculty, supervisees and supervisor.

• The relationship often involves one person exerting power over another.
• Seduction of a much younger person, rather than consent, may be involved.
• Conflict of interest issues often arise when the professor/supervisor has the ability to:
• determine grades
• give or refuse recommendations
• hire or fire the student/employee
• conduct performance evaluations
• award raises or merit increases
• substantively influence colleagues for or against the student/employee
• withhold credit for a project
• award financial scholarships or academic honors
• The potential for abuse and exploitation is high because the playing field is not level.
• The potential for retaliation is strong when a relationship ends.
• Other people may be affected and claim favoritism.

The Faculty Code of Conduct prohibits faculty from “engaging in a romantic or sexual relationship with any student for whom a faculty member has, or should expect to have in the future, academic instructional, evaluative, or supervisory responsibility.”

Read the Faculty Code of Conduct (APM 015) at http://www.ucop.edu/acadadv/acadpers/apm/apm-015.pdf.