Less than a year into his presidency at the Ivy League college from which he graduated, Dartmouth President Philip Hanlon didn't need to go into detail when he stood before an audience of students, faculty, trustees, staff and alumni this spring and declared, "Enough is enough."
By then, news that a male undergraduate had posted a vulgar "rape guide" in January on a popular student chat site had spread across campus and beyond. A federal investigation of the school's handling of sexual assault complaints had made national headlines. There's probably more to come: A book due this month will elaborate on "many of the factors driving the rape culture at Dartmouth," says author Andrew Lohse, a former student who has written about stomach-turning hazing rituals at his fraternity.
Hanlon, who graduated in 1977, a year before Animal House immortalized his alma mater's hard-partying image on screen, vowed in his speech in April to rid the campus of "extreme and harmful behaviors," including sexual assault.
Whether he succeeds remains to be seen, and some members of the Dartmouth community have their doubts.
It's no coincidence that administrators on campuses nationwide are making similar promises. Over the past three years, a network of advocates for victims of sexual assault has made the case that campus rape is far more prevalent than most colleges like to admit.
Read more at USA Today: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/08/11/campuses-prepare-for-new-sexual-assault-regulations/13091139/