A Mount Saint Vincent University instructor resigned Thursday after admitting to a sexual relationship with one of his students.

Michael Kydd said it was a consensual relationship with a female student.

"I breached the code of conduct," he said.

"In October 2014, while I was separated from my wife and seeking divorce, I was sexually intimate on two occasions with a 38-year-old woman I met through a distance education course at Mount Saint Vincent University.

"The contact was completely consensual, and in the context of that contact we exchanged explicit personal pictures."

He said he pro-rated one of her exams, which means she didn't write it, but he graded her based on her previous work. He said he had done the same thing with other students.

He called it a serious error of judgment on his part and apologized to his wife and children, as well as to his friends and colleagues.

"I did not want to compound my mistake by failing to come forward and take responsibility."

He expects no police involvement, as he says it was consensual.

"I expect my career to be ruined," he said.

Kydd served as a Progressive Conservative staffer during the Rodney MacDonald government and later worked for interim PC leader Karen Casey.

The president of the university, Ramona Lumpkin, says a student approached her on Dec. 23 with a complaint against the instructor.

The investigation should be completed by the end of the month. Lumpkin said the complaint is confidential, but it does involve a possible violation of the university code of conduct.

“As of yesterday the part-time faculty member has been relieved of their duties, pending the outcome of the investigation,” Lumpkin said.

The instructor was still being paid, as stipulated under the union contract, she said.

Complaints are first reviewed by the dean of the department, Lumpkin said. If the dean feels it warrants more investigation, it is forwarded to the university’s academic vice president and the union is notified.

The faculty member is offered the chance to meet with the vice president. Discipline can include termination.

Lumpkin sent a message to students this morning, regarding the matter:

"Based on what we know currently, this situation involves one student and one part-time instructor. To protect the student involved and in keeping with the process outlined in the collective agreement, these matters are normally dealt with between the parties concerned and are not discussed publicly. However, as soon as we were aware the situation was being made public, we felt it important to notify [the study body] as well."