Romantic and Marriage Relationships

Return to: Student Handbook  

As a Christian institution of higher learning, Andrews University believes healthy romantic and sexual relationships must be built on biblical principles. In keeping with the Seventh-day Adventist understanding of those principles, we expect students to refrain from all premarital and extramarital sexual relationships and inappropriate displays of affection, including displays of romantic affection between individuals of the same sex.

While relationships and appropriate demonstrations of intimacy are an important part of college student development, couples should respect the rights and interests of their companions and others by limiting displays of affection in public. Couples should avoid lingering in parked vehicles, vacant rooms and secluded campus locations so as to avoid the appearance of impropriety.

As a religious institution, Andrews University claims constitutional guarantees that permit it to have expectations for students and employees regarding their duty to uphold biblical principles of morality, deportment and appearance as interpreted by the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The University views marriage in keeping with the religious beliefs of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, which state that marriage is “a lifelong union between a man and a woman.” Consequently, only couples united in a legal marriage between a man and a woman will be granted marital rights and privileges by the University.