Sexual assault is epidemic on college campuses, but the New York Times’ Richard Pérez-Peña reports that recently appointed Amherst College president Biddy Martin is poised for a major breakthrough on this controversial issue.
Colleges and universities have often been silent, even secretive, when it comes to cases of on-campus sexual assault, according to the nonprofit Center for Public Integrity. But striving to preserve the image and standing necessary to compete in the world of higher education, can compromise not just standards of accountability and transparency, but also the safety and welfare of their students.
“In spite of a recent Department of Education directive requiring schools to investigate sexual assault under Title IX, many schools would rather cover up a reported rape to maintain the school’s reputation,” Whitman College student Rachel Alexander recently wrote in a blog post for The Nation. That sentiment has been echoed widely by many others, including a former Amherst student whose account of her own horrifying experience “dominated campus conversations and “drew worldwide attention,” according to Pérez-Peña.
Agents for change
Amherst’s Dr. Martin has emerged as a leader on this issue, quickly moving to address the incident on her campus openly and on multiple fronts, including with a direct and candid letter to the Amherst community and an ongoing “Action Checklist” documenting the steps that the college is taking to deal with the issue.
Dr. Martin previously sought ambitious changes at the University of Madison-Wisconsin and Cornell University with mixed results, but her latest move is likely her biggest and boldest yet, bringing together her scholarship in gender studies with leadership prowess and steely resolve. “The events unfolding at Amherst could be the catalyst for unprecedented change there,” writes Inside Higher Ed’s Allie Grasgreen. “Martin’s response should be a model for other universities,” according to Colby Bruno of the Victim Rights Law Center. The president struck a similar note in her aforementioned letter: “Amherst, given its values, its commitment to community, and its size should be a model of education, prevention, and effective response when violations occur.”
Biddy Martin has shown no signs that she’ll trade in such principles for a more conventional and superficial public relations strategy, and administrators on college campuses everywhere would be wise to follow suit. “It’s an incredible opportunity to have a conversation about this issue,” she told the Times. “These are the kinds of things I think we’re alive to think about.”