What is wrong with professor-student affair?

I've seen a lot of these student teacher relationships when I was in college and they all seemed happy to me but on a personal level I don't it's proper for a teacher to enter into a relationship with his or her student because students normally look up to their teachers as their mentors and admiration comes with it especially if the teacher is good. This kind of admiration is interpreted as crushes or being in love with the teacher which comes to pass once the semester is over. A teacher on the other hand knows that his or her students are young and vulnerable and they could give in easily if you know how to make the right advances, if you pursue them that to me is exploitation. So for me, the student is in highs chool that's a no, no. If the student is in college, could be but they should not be in the same class and the student must be at least 18 years old.

Traditionally, teacher has a fiduciary responsibility for the students, including the physical well being of the student. Therefore, if the teacher were were to take the students on some excursion, then he or she would be responsible for the physical safety of the students, irrespective of the fact that he or she was only a botany teacher and not a martial art teacher. The same thing has been extrapolated to the professor student relationship I guess. Since physical well being of the student is concerned, it becomes the professor's moral responsibility I guess. But it is out dated stuff I admit. However, it could lead to the professor being partial to one of the students. Perhaps that is the reason such thing is still not acceptable.

It's an ethical thing, like any other relationship between a superior and inferior. It opens the door to accusations of favoritism and a lot of other nasties. Once she's no longer his student, then it's fine.

bingskee, For a start, I am sure it is against school policy for such a relationship which has its merits which actually protects both parties. A teaching staff of any education institution has every responsibility over his charges or students and one of them is to prevent any personal relationship from developing with his students, irregardless if she is directly in his tutorial or not. Tongues wagging, gossips, slandering and even tabloids will just cause many unnecessary pressures which I do not have to mention affect her performance and most of all, grades. Also, there is definitely the conflict of interests clause to look into where there's really no assurance that the teaching staff involved will not act without prejudice or give preferential treatment to his romantic candidate. This is the other reason, why academic institutions have such a policy to keep all parties at bay. Whether both parties involved are genuine or not, I believe they need to exercise some form of control when they are in the same institution pursing their different goals. Even when the relationship is doing well, it does not give them the right to progress further and whats more when it goes south. On the hindsight, I am sure if their love is really TRUE for each other, then out of love they would not be actually condoning to any form of wrongdoing(s). There's a saying that true love will stand the test of time and I just cannot see how both parties can withhold their feelings while there are current responsibilities to fulfill and return back when both parties will not have any compromising or conflict of interest.

Well we consider teachers as secondary parents. So if a teacher gets into a relationship with a student, it would seem like a parent getting in a relationship with his child. And it's unethical for all professions to get personal (in their workplaces or with their clients).

Hi bingskee, Some people call teacher as Guru, which means he is the one after mother and father, who enlightens the students knowledge and bless the student to live happily with attained knowledge and how can motherly/fatherly person be in relation with his own student(daughter/son)? I think this may be the reason for the mother to surprise.

I do not think there is necessarily anything wrong with it - if they are truly in love. However, the institution could have a policy against professors dating students. SHe would be in a big bind if they broke up - she would fail the class ! lol!

If it is true love, I guess there's nothing wrong with it. I have a cousin who married her high school teacher. It was hard at first because she was just fresh in college and he got her pregnant, but, they've been together for more than ten years now, and have two kids. Eventually, my cousin finished her degree because he promised her dad he'd send her to school. But, complications arise when the professor is just taking advantage of his/her student, or in some cases actually blackmailing the student for a better/passing grade. In another instance, the professor may be sincere, but when the relationship gets sour, the other party could always say that the professor was taking advantage. So, I'm not really sure on my stand on this. One thing's for sure, though, of all stages of my schooling I've had teacher-crushes.

As for me, as long as they are in love with each other, I don't think that there is wrong with their relationship. Everyone has the freedom to love anybody. As long as they don't bother or have caused pain to anybody else then there is really nothing wrong with their affair.

Girl student - Professor -- lover of mom of girl student - mom -- no complication as long as the girl student is not loving the Professor. Let the relationship be that of student and professor. Mom would have been surprised to know the person who she loved is now professor of her daughter Possibly mom would have loved many people before deciding on her partner?