Due to the power differential between students and faculty/staff, Holy Apostles College and Seminary adapts a standard from the Norwich Diocese Office of Safe Environments. This HACS standard applies to how faculty and staff are to relate to students, regardless of their age. According to the Norwich Diocese standard, “Excessive familiarity or a purely social relationship between adults and minors are not appropriate. Adults must recognize that there is a difference between being ‘friendly’ and being ‘friends’ with children. Minors are not peers of an adult who works with him in a parish/school/institution.”[1] Similarly, faculty and staff are to avoid excessive familiarity with students especially in respect to social gatherings. For this reason, private on-campus residences of faculty and staff are not suitable for celebrations or social gatherings with students, whether alcohol is present or not.
[1] Diocese of Norwich, Office for Safe Environments, ECI&C Use Policy, III. 1.