The Love Letter And Its Unintended Effects, Part II

Most likely, we can classify repeated, rebuffed advances made by someone towards us, especially in the work place and coming from someone in a position of power, to be sexual harassment. However, what standards are there for the personal relationships between a student and a professor? Obviously, it would be immoral for a professor (male or female) to ask a student to give a sexual favor for a improvement in a grade (or the total grade, whichever). However, at what point is it improper for a professor (either sex) to ask a student out on a date or express attraction to him/her? Is that okay? Probably my professor friends would disagree with me on this, but I trust in the maturity of faculty and of students, but saying that while it's inappropriate to go to a student in this manner, is it really unethical if the professor can take the answer "no" and move on? What about if the class is over, the grades are in, then is it okay for a professor to express fondness for an ex-student? Most people would probably say, that's fine. I'm not sure the official policy of the community college I attend because I've never asked, but I do know the rules for the University, and I assume it's all the same.

However, the dynamics are different if it's an ex-student approaching a professor because that student is stereotypically in a position of lower status. Maybe in real life, the situation doesn't work out that way because a student could engage in a smear campaign against the professor if the relationship didn't work out or he/she was rejected initially. How seriously Administration would be interested in all this, I don't know.

In reality, I've never been in this situation before, although I have expressed my feelings (albeit, platonic) for both the LSU Professor and the Advisor. I also understand that most people, single and otherwise, look at marriage as an absolute, and that any action taken against that absolute is a cause for shame and regret even though it's near impossible to be in love with your spouse after five, ten or fifteen years. A few people do it, and it's always those people we like reading about or watching on the TV. However, the reality for most of us is that at some point, you're going to be tested in your faith for the institution of marriage, and does that hold up under close examination and/or under the threat of temptation? A lot of people virtually throw away stability because they are driven to desire novel experiences--it's not the person who they are in love with, but rather the thrill of the unknown and of the passion that comes with new sex or a new relationship.