Ethical Issues in Fraternizing With Students

Author

Institution

Introduction

The importance of a conducive environment cannot be gainsaid as far as the success of students in their academic life and even their future professional lives is concerned. Indeed, a large number of schools have strived to provide students with the best facilities and conditions possible to enable them to thrive both socially, professionally and academically (Riley, 2010). These efforts, however, do not merely entail the provision of physical facilities rather they also involve the cultivation of friendly relationships between the faculty members and the students. Indeed, the presence of friendly interactions between faculty members and students has always been cited as conducive for the academic prosperity of students. This is the only way that students would feel free to consult the faculty members in instances where they face difficulties in their academics. Unfortunately, recent times have seen an increase in fraternization of students, a situation that arises in instances where relationships between students and faculty members go beyond the scope of normal interactions. Fraternization of students encompasses varied aspects including socializing with them off and on center except when performing one’s job, visiting them, offering them rides in private vehicles, buying or selling from them, providing them with housing, lending or borrowing from them or even, getting involved with them in ways other than in the performance of one’s duties (Riley, 2010). This issue becomes even more problematic especially considering that the faculty members are, in all respects, superior to the students, irrespective of whether the relationship between them is simply a strong friendship or romantic in nature. The acknowledgement of the danger in this fraternization would go a long way in enabling an individual or institution to determine the necessity of implementing official policies prohibiting such relationships (Allitt, 2005). There are varied issues that may arise from fraternizing with students.

First, fraternization is bound to bring about cases of favoritism. In instances where a student and a faculty member become too close outside the jurisdiction of school, there is a real possibility of favoritism cropping up both intentionally or unintentionally (Allitt, 2005). It is worth noting that individuals will naturally want to support and support individuals with whom they are close. Faculty members may be more lenient or give more privileges to students with whom they are close friends or whom they are dating (Riley, 2010). For instance, it may be difficult for a faculty member to punish students they catch cheating in exams when they are too close friends. Indeed, they may even award them unearned marks as they do not want to sacrifice their friendship.

In addition, fraternization with students brings abut divisions among them. This is especially considering that the students who fraternize will naturally enjoy a closer relationship with the faculty members compared to the other students, in which case the students who are not involved in that relationship may naturally feel left out (Riley, 2010). Indeed, the creation and development of cliques eliminates the idea of collaboration and teamwork in the schools, an aspect that may breed disillusionment and a reduction of morale in the school. Indeed, other students may even accuse the faculty member of showing favoritism to the students with whom they are close, even when such a thing is yet to happen.

Lastly, every other personal relationship will always undergo difficult periods irrespective of the extent of the friendship. This tension will almost always overflow to the school environment especially in instances where the two individuals share a course. Indeed, the two individuals may find it difficult to continue sharing a course or even being in the same school, even in instances where the relationship dissolves, leading to the deferment of courses by the student (Allitt, 2005).

References

Riley, P. (2010). Attachment theory and the teacher-student relationship. London: Routledge.

Allitt, P. (2005). I’m the teacher, you’re the student: A semester in the university classroom. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.