The Office for Students (OfS) has set out new measures to tackle harassment and sexual misconduct in universities and colleges, including a ban on the use of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), and a requirement for institutions to take “one or more steps to make a significant and credible difference in protecting students” from conflicts of interest and abuses of power in intimate staff-student relationships. The watchdog has said that simply issuing a statement discouraging such relationships would not be sufficient – but that “a ban on intimate personal relationships is a step which would be considered to meet our requirements.” An OfS survey published alongside the new measures revealed that a fifth of students experienced unwanted sexual behaviour last year.
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