Is it really common for professors to invite students to their houses.
![[Post New]](/jforum/templates/default/images/icon_minipost_new.gif){kind=icon}
Anonymous
|
I’ve read a few stories about how Amy Chua was recently suspended from the Yale law faculty for inviting students to her house for parties, and the comments have a lot of remarks about how it’s common for professors to do this.
I’m pretty shocked about this, I was certainly never invited nor knew of anyone else who socialized with their professors off campus. My husband never heard of this happening during law school either. How does this even work? Unless the professor, is invited ALL of their students to their home, which is highly unlikely, inviting a select few students to your house for parties, shows outrageous favoritism. How can universities possibly justify allowing professors to do this? |
Anonymous
|
This happened several times when I was in law school. Not Yale, but another Ivy League school. I would not look up this as socializing with our professors and I don't think any of the other law students did. When I was a 1L, one professor opened his house during the first week of school for everyone in our section for a reception. We politely chatted with him and with each other and spouses. Not everyone came. Later, as 2Ls and 3Ls, profs would sometimes invite a seminar class over to his/her house, either for a discussion or for a potluck dinner. Again, this isn't really socializing.
I also attended a law professor's bris for his child when I worked closely with that professor. No, the professor did not invite every student on campus to the bris, nor would he have to. Rules of academic decorum are based on common sense, not on Title VII. |
Anonymous
Just the attractive ones. |
Anonymous
|
I was invited to dinners at two different professors homes in law school.
I think it used to be much more common than it is now, like a generation ago. |
Anonymous
|
I went to a social gathering at a Georgetown Law professor’s house in the late 90s, and was invited to another that I didn’t attend. Before law school I also attended a social gathering at a graduate school professor’s home in Maine. All of them were held for the students attending one class taught by the prof.
As an adjunct faculty later at my alma mater, I also held a small social at my home for the students who took a seminar I taught. It was lovely and I’m sure a memory from college they’ll all remember. College and graduate students are grown ups, capable of interacting with other grownups of all ages. |
Anonymous
| I had one professor in law school who did this and one in undergrad; the undergrad professor was on the older side. I wouldn't say exceedingly common, it happens. In each case, it was every student but in smaller classes. I'm not sure if the law school professor had other, bigger, classes he was teaching but we had one small class 1L year and he invited that small section. |
Anonymous
|
Used to be more common. As a child my dad had each entire class over once a semester for a dinner of Indian food. But it was a small college so classes were probably 25-40 students.
By the time I was a professor it was far less common. I never had a space big enough to have a class over and would certainly never invite just a few students. |
Anonymous
|
In the Sciences - very common. Many social events, mostly in professors’ homes. Everyone is invited- spouses, children, etc. Now we do it in parks b/c COVID but Professors are officially hosting, working the grill, sending the invitations, etc.
Very common around holidays as well, to host all students who are not able to make it back home for the holiday feast, or to treat foreign students to our traditions. We typically have a houseful on thanksgiving. Yes, at an ivy. |
Anonymous
| I went to Harvard Law and we absolutely went to professors’ houses for dinner and drinks. One of the professors even dated a student in his class and joined us on an weekend outing to another student’s parents’ lake house. |
Anonymous
| I think it’s common at smaller schools where a professor invites a small or seminar class over. I also babysat for professors in both college and law school. Declined invites from the one creepy male prof who invited female students only. |
Anonymous
| One small seminar professor had the class over for dinner while I was in law school. I was also very annoyed that the professor I for whom I worked for a full year never did anything social with me whatsoever (not even a lunch or drink together) while my friends with similar jobs regularly had such interactions with their bosses. |
Anonymous
|
Way back in the Stone Age (late 80s), professors regularly hosted students at my school. The professor who was affiliated with our house would have the house officers over to his house a couple of times a semester. Other professors would frequently host the declared majors in their areas (as noted above, esp. the sciences), and then there was the Theatre Dept., where a couple of professors hosted notorious parties.
In grad school, there were a few professors who would host - the advisor to the Law Review would host them, the advisor to Moot Court would host them, etc., and certain professors would host top students in their subjects. Then we had a couple of professors who were more infamous for their close relationships with their students. 
|
Anonymous
| Students are over 18 and well beyond the age of consent. There is nothing wrong with it - particularly in grad school. |
Anonymous
+1. Not an ivy. |
Anonymous
|
Undergrad in the 90's (Ivy) - I went to parties at the houses of two professors I worked for as a research assistant (they both invited all of the undergrad research assistants). And to my German professor's house (small, friendly class of eight - he and his wife made us German food). Good memories.
It's very common in STEM for graduate students - hell, I house sat for my advisor a few times. Not sure why it's a problem. |