Student Handbook

Human Sexuality

God has created us for relationships, and so we encourage students to build strong and lasting friendships that honor his intentions for us. In all relationships, community members are expected to steward their sexual expression with discretion, modesty, and respect for God and others, and in keeping with Biblical standards.

John Brown University seeks to foster an environment of sexual purity and wholeness based on a Biblical standard of fidelity in marriage between a man and a woman, and chastity in singleness.  Therefore, sexual intimacy is reserved for a man and a woman in a marriage. Similarly, because romantic relationships are often a precursor to marriage, same-sex-romantic relationships are prohibited while enrolled at JBU. 

In addition, students should seek to live with integrity and congruence between one’s birth sex and one’s gender identity in keeping with God’s wisdom and benevolent design in creating human beings as male and female. This includes not seeking alterations to one's birth sex by medical intervention or adopting persistent or exaggerated expressions of gender identity inconsistent with their birth sex. JBU recognizes that a student could find it difficult to live out this ideal, and such a student should contact the Vice President for Student Development or the Dean of Students to discuss whether and how JBU might be able to accommodate, if possible, their concerns. 

Learn more about JBU’s understanding of marriage, friendship, and human sexuality in the university’s institutional commitments.