Dartmouth President Philip Hanlon said that education programs launched in the past few years have started to pay off in dealing with campus alcohol issues.
President Philip Hanlon, who has led the Ivy League school since mid-2013, created a “Moving Dartmouth Forward” steering committee last April to study problems he said were “hijacking” its promise: high-risk drinking, sexual assault and a lack of inclusion.
The plan he outlined Thursday includes banning hard alcohol for students on campus; implementing a mandatory, four-year sexual violence prevention program; ending pledge or probationary periods for all student groups; and creating new residential communities.
“Our aspirations will never be realized if we fail to address a vital component: the environment in which our students live and learn,” he said in a speech to students, faculty and staff. “We must recognize a moment in time when change is necessary in order to reach our potential, and now is such a moment.”
Dartmouth received nationwide attention for allegations of fraternity hazing several years ago, and it’s one of 95 schools currently under federal investigation for its handling of sexual harassment and violence. Students protested at Hanlon’s office last spring with a long list of demands aimed at creating a more inclusive, diverse campus.
“Colleges and universities across the country face the issues I’ve detailed today,” Hanlon said. “We are not alone in facing them, but we will take the lead in saying, ‘No more.’”
Sexual assault on college campuses has been in the spotlight as students and the federal government demand stricter policies and stronger enforcement. Dartmouth recently overhauled its policies to include harsher sanctions and a trained external expert to investigate allegations. It will expand on that work with the new mandatory program, an online “consent manual” to reduce ambiguity about acceptable behavior and a smartphone app to allow students to easily seek help if they feel threatened, Hanlon said.
