Title: Lecture: The role of the institution in personal boundary setting
Course: FLO MicroCourse: The Space Between Us: Navigating Boundaries in Post-Secondary Education > Section: Friday, May 31, 2024: Boundary Backup - Who's in Your Corner

Post-secondary institutions (PSIs) should play a critical role in ensuring that educators are well-equipped to set appropriate boundaries with students. PSIs can do this through a combination of training, policy development, support systems, and fostering a culture of respect and professionalism. There are several ways institutions can support their staff in this regard:

1. Comprehensive Training Programs:
  - Mandatory Training: PSIs should implement mandatory training sessions for new and current faculty on professional boundaries, ethical behavior, and appropriate student interactions. These trainings should include scenarios and role-playing exercises to help participants understand and navigate complex situations.
  - Ongoing Education: Provide continuous professional development opportunities that address evolving issues in student-instructor relationships, including online interactions and social media use.
  - Ethical Decision-Making: Incorporate ethical decision-making frameworks into faculty training to help educators make informed choices when faced with boundary-related dilemmas.

2. Clear Policies and Guidelines:
  - Code of Conduct: Develop and disseminate a clear, comprehensive code of conduct that outlines acceptable behaviors and interactions between faculty and students. This should cover in-person, online, and off-campus interactions. Special attention should be given to particularly at-risk student groups such as new and first-generation students, international students, and graduate students to name a few.
  - Reporting Mechanisms: Establish clear reporting mechanisms for both students and faculty to address boundary violations. Ensure these mechanisms are accessible and protect confidentiality. Students need to be aware of advocate and appeal options (e.g., student unions).

3. Support Systems:
  - Mentorship Programs: Create mentorship programs where experienced faculty can guide newer educators on maintaining professional boundaries and navigating difficult situations.
  - Counselling and Support Services: Offer counselling services for faculty who may need help dealing with boundary issues or managing the stress that can arise from maintaining professional relationships with students.

4. Institutional Culture:
  - Leadership Example: Senior administration and department heads should model appropriate behavior and promote a culture of respect and professionalism. Training and educational resources should be provided for administrative staff and department heads as well as well as faculty.
  - Regular Reviews: Conduct regular reviews and assessments of faculty behavior and student feedback to ensure that boundaries are being maintained appropriately. Use this data to make improvements in training and policy.

5. Technology and Online Interaction:
  - Guidelines for Digital Communication: PSIs should provide guidelines on appropriate use of digital communication with students, including email, social media, and online learning platforms. Highlight the importance of maintaining professional language and boundaries in all forms of communication. For example, instructors should be encouraged to reply only to students’ PSI email address as opposed to personal email.

In conclusion, PSIs can help ensure that their staff are well-equipped to set and maintain appropriate boundaries with students (and each other) through providing educational and technological resources, explicit policy & processes, and employee support systems. These steps will foster a safer and more professional learning environment and work culture for students and staff.