Feedback requested on newly revised Consensual Amorous Relationships Policy

The University of Colorado community is invited to review a newly revised Consensual Amorous Relationships Policy (currently Conflict of Interest in Amorous Relationships Policy, APS 5015) and to provide feedback by March 13, 2026, before its final consideration by the campus chancellors and the president. The proposed effective date is July 1, 2026.

Led by Valerie Simons, vice president of compliance and equity and system Title IX coordinator, a systemwide group of staff and faculty – including representatives from the Equity Offices, Human Resources, Intercollegiate Athletics and Office of University Counsel – met this past year to review the policy as requested by CU President Todd Saliman.

The working group shared initial drafts with campus stakeholder offices  and university leadership and student representatives and is now proceeding with review through the system Office of Policy and Efficiency for stakeholder engagement with students, faculty and staff, campus governance groups and external stakeholders. Each campus will also host student focus groups to ensure their robust review and engagement prior to the finalization of the policy.

The policy was drafted with the following goals in mind:

• Expand definition of “evaluative authority” to remove any concerns about favoritism, abuses of power or perceived or real conflicts of interest, particularly involving students, when the power dynamic between two individuals is in question.
• Establish clear prohibitions for defined consensual amorous relationships and protocol for how to disclose and remove any potential conflicts of interest.
• Explain differences between relationships between consenting individuals pursuant to the Consensual Amorous Relationships Policy and those relationships that involve harassment, coercion, intimidation, force, threats or intimidation or “quid pro quo” that are addressed under the Sexual Misconduct, Intimate Partner Violence, and Stalking Policy.

Feedback is requested by March 13 so that the Office of Policy and Efficiency may share it with leadership and the systemwide working group. Once all feedback is received, the policy will be finalized through the office of the president and campus leadership.

The link to provide feedback is on the draft policy (https://www.cu.edu/ope/forms/feedback), where additional information about the policy and initial review by the systemwide working group can be found. Community input will inform revisions to the draft before its final presentation to the chancellors and the president.