The University of Colorado is requesting feedback from its community on a revised Consensual Amorous Relationships Policy. The policy, previously known as the Conflict of Interest in Amorous Relationships Policy (APS 5015), is open for comments until March 13. After this date, it will be reviewed by campus chancellors and the university president, with a proposed implementation date of July 1, 2026.
Valerie Simons, vice president of compliance and equity and system Title IX coordinator, led a systemwide group composed of staff and faculty from several departments including Equity Offices, Human Resources, Intercollegiate Athletics, and the Office of University Counsel. This group was tasked by CU President Todd Saliman to review and update the policy over the past year.
The working group shared early drafts with campus stakeholder offices, university leadership, and student representatives. The draft is now under review by the Office of Policy and Efficiency to ensure engagement with students, faculty, staff, campus governance groups, and external stakeholders. Each campus will also organize student focus groups to encourage broad participation before finalizing the policy.
According to the announcement: “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.”
The updated policy aims to clearly prohibit certain consensual relationships where there could be conflicts of interest or abuses of power. It also provides guidelines on how such relationships should be disclosed and managed. Additionally: “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 can be submitted through an online form available on the draft policy page (https://www.cu.edu/ope/forms/feedback), which also includes further information about the proposed changes.
Once all feedback has been collected by March 13 via the Office of Policy and Efficiency’s online portal https://www.cu.edu/ope/forms/feedback , it will be shared with university leadership before a final version is presented for approval.
