London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Sep 03, 2025

Uni watchdog floats staff-student relationship ban

Uni watchdog floats staff-student relationship ban

Relationships between staff and students should be documented or banned, England's universities regulator has proposed.

Draft plans from the Office for Students (OfS) centre on relationships where the staff member has responsibilities toward the student.

The plans form part of a consultation on tackling harassment and sexual misconduct, which runs until May.

Universities UK (UUK) said it would work with the OfS on the proposals.

The National Union of Students said students may be reluctant to report misconduct by staff out of fear that it could impact their grades.

The OfS, which regulates universities in England, said harassment and sexual misconduct were "serious issues" in English higher education.

It said standards for universities and colleges to follow on a voluntary basis, set out in 2021, had resulted in "some improvements".

However, it concluded that practices varied across the sector, and reported incidents were not always followed up formally.

The regulator plans to introduce a new requirement for higher education providers focused on students and what it calls "relevant" staff members - that is, any staff member who has a professional responsibility for a student, such as teaching or assessing.

In its consultation, it is asking for views on two possible options:

*  The first, which the OfS calls its "preferred option", requires staff members to tell the university about any relationship they have with a student they are responsible for; the given information would then be logged in a register

*  The second is to ban entirely relationships between students and any staff members who interact with them professionally

The OfS said universities and colleges should take "appropriate disciplinary action" if a staff member does not comply in either case - including dismissal.

The regulator said it recognised that its proposals would "limit" the autonomy of students and staff, with OfS chief executive Susan Lapworth emphasising that most higher education staff behaved appropriately towards students.

But she added, "there can be a power imbalance in personal relationships that could be exploited by unscrupulous staff to subject students to harassment or sexual misconduct".

Some universities, such as UCL and the University of Nottingham, already ban relationships between students and the staff who work professionally with them.

Others, such as the University of Westminster, offer "bystander training", which are recommended by UUK, and aim to help students identify problematic situations.

Other plans in the OfS consultation include:

*  Requiring each university or college to publish a document outlining its approach and policies on staff-student relationships

*  Banning the use of non-disclosure agreements that prevent students from talking about their experiences

The NUS, which represents university and college students across the UK said four in 10 students have reported experiencing sexual misconduct while at university - but concluded "the problem is likely [to be] more extensive" .

It stated there was not enough support for students who reported misconduct from staff.

"Students who experience misconduct from staff members may be reluctant to report for fear of retribution that could impact their grades," it said, in statement - adding that a "cultural shift" involving more training was needed.

UUK, which represents 140 universities in the UK, said its members took harassment and sexual misconduct "extremely seriously and have been working hard to meet their obligations in this area".

"However, we recognise that there is still work to be done," their statement said.

"We look forward to working with OfS, so that these proposals will further strengthen universities' own efforts to ensure student safety."

The OfS is asking anyone with an interest in higher education, or in harassment prevention and support, to share their thoughts in its consultation.

A summary of the responses will be published later in 2023.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
Couple celebrates 80th wedding anniversary at assisted living facility in Lancaster
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
The White House on LinkedIn Has Changed Their Profile Picture to Donald Trump
"Insulted the Prophet Muhammad": Woman Burned Alive by Angry Mob in Niger State, Nigeria
Trump Responds to Death Rumors – Announces 'Missile City'
Court of Appeal Allows Asylum Seekers to Remain at Essex Hotel Amid Local Tax Boycott Threats
Germany in Turmoil: Ukrainian Teenage Girl Pushed to Death by Illegal Iraqi Migrant
United Krack down on human rights: Graham Linehan Arrested at Heathrow Over Three X Posts, Hospitalised, Released on Bail with Posting Ban
Asian and Middle Eastern Investors Avoid US Markets
Ray Dalio Warns of US Shift to Autocracy
Eurozone Inflation Rises to 2.1% in August
Russia and China Sign New Gas Pipeline Deal
China's Robotics Industry Fuels Export Surge
Suntory Chairman Resigns After Police Probe
Gold Price Hits New All-Time Record
Von der Leyen's Plane Hit by Suspected Russian GPS Interference in an Incident Believed to Be Caused by Russia or by Pro-Peace or by Anti-Corruption European Activists
UK Fintechs Explore Buying US Banks
Greece Suspends 5% of Schools as Birth Rate Drops
Apollo to Launch $5 Billion Sports Investment Vehicle
Bolsonaro Trial Nears Close Amid US-Brazil Tension
European Banks Push for Lower Cross-Border Barriers
Poland's Offshore Wind Sector Attracts Investors
Nvidia Reveals: Two Mystery Customers Account for About 40% of Revenue
Woody Allen: "I Would Be Happy to Direct Trump Again in a Film"
Pickles are the latest craze among Generation Z in the United States.
Deadline Day Delivers Record £125m Isak Move and Donnarumma to City
Nestlé Removes CEO Laurent Freixe Following Undisclosed Relationship with Subordinate
Giuliani Seriously Injured in Accident – Trump to Award Him the Presidential Medal of Freedom
EU is getting aggressive: Four AfD Candidates Die Unexpectedly Ahead of North Rhine-Westphalia Local Elections
Lula and Putin Hold Strategic BRICS Discussions Ahead of Trump–Putin Summit
WhatsApp is rolling out a feature that looks a lot like Telegram.
Investigations Reveal Rise in ‘Sex-for-Rent’ Listings Across Canada Exploiting Vulnerable Tenants
Chinese and Indian Leaders Pursue Amity Amid Global Shifts
European Union Plans for Ukraine Deployment
ECB Warns Against Inflation Complacency
Concerns Over North Cyprus Casino Development
Shipping Companies Look Beyond Chinese Finance
Rural Exodus Fueling European Wildfires
China Hosts Major Security Meeting
Chinese Police Successfully Recover Family's Savings from Livestream Purchases
Germany Marks a Decade Since Migrant Wave with Divisions, Success Stories, and Political Shifts
Liverpool Defeat Arsenal 1–0 with Szoboszlai Free-Kick to Stay Top of Premier League
Prince Harry and King Charles to Meet in First Reunion After 20 Months
Chinese Stock Market Rally Fueled by Domestic Investors
Israeli Airstrike in Yemen Kills Houthi Prime Minister
Ukrainian Nationalist Politician Andriy Parubiy Assassinated in Lviv
Corporate America Cuts Middle Management as Bosses Take On Triple the Workload
Parents Sue OpenAI After Teen’s Death, Alleging ChatGPT Encouraged Suicide
Amazon Faces Lawsuit Over 'Buy' Label on Digital Streaming Content
×