Romantic and Marriage Relationships

Return to: Student Handbook  

As a Christian institution of higher learning, Andrews University believes that healthy romantic, marriage and sexual relationships must be built on biblical principles. 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.” Therefore, we expect students to refrain from all premarital and extramarital sexual relationships and inappropriate displays of affection.

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. In the interest of safety and propriety, couples should avoid lingering in parked vehicles, vacant rooms and secluded campus locations. Likewise, unmarried or unrelated students of the opposite sex or students who are in a romantic relationship may not live or stay overnight in the same shared dwelling.

For a detailed statement on the University’s position, policies and protections regarding differences in sexual orientation, please refer to Appendix 1 (see Appendix 1: A Seventh-day Adventist Framework for Relating to Sexual Orientation Differences on the Campus of Andrews University ).