Dean of the College Lee Pelton founded a men's discussion group last fall for male administrators, faculty and students to discuss gender issues and work to reduce violence and sexual assault against women.
Pelton said the group's original purpose was to educate campus males about sexual assault, but their purpose has expanded to include discussion of other gender issues.
"We are concerned with social structures on campus- how men and women relate, how they date and the role alcohol plays in socializing," Pelton said.
The group, which meets about once a month, is open to any men interested in joining. Attendance ranges from 11 to 20 men at any given meeting, including on the average six administrators, six students and three faculty members, according to Assistant Dean of the College Teoby Gomez.
"One of the purposes was to get older men at Dartmouth - faculty and administrators - together with younger men at Dartmouth, namely students, to talk about what we can do to really reduce violence against women," Associate Dean of the College Dan Nelson said.
"It is not simply a consciousness-raising group," Nelson said. "We are action-oriented. We would like to see the campus as a safe and secure place for women. And we have spent some of every meeting directed toward that end."
The group members bring in different perspectives on the issue and different goals.
A goal of the administrators is to keep the channels of communication open and to educate themselves about the state of gender relations at Dartmouth so they might better address the problem of sexual assault.
"If you are talking about sexual assault and gender relations, you have to keep in mind that it is a two-way street , and with men talking to men, sometimes the message can be louder and clearer," Gomez said.
Nelson said the group formed after sexual assault became a major campus issue.
Pelton and Nelson said the group wants to send a clear signal to the community that the problems of sexual assault and violence against women are not simply women's issues.
"It is also a men's issue and if they're part of the problem they need to be part of the solution," Nelson said.
David Cohen '94 said the administrators play a key role in the group.
"They are in the majority by far in the group. Their role is to learn as well as to get things done," Cohen said.
Cohen said he joined the group to effect positive change regarding gender relations on campus and specifically to see what men can do to help rid this campus of sexual assault.
"I think the major difference between our group and other groups on campus is that we emphasize that men are responsible for part of the change that needs to occur and we are here to address that," Cohen said.
"Unfortunately, the men who need to talk about this the most are the ones not thinking about this topic and the ones who would never come to this group," he said.
English Professor Peter Travis said he joined the group for academic reasons, rather than activist reasons.
"I am interested in how configurations of manhood are supported on the Dartmouth campus," he said.
The group has watched videos, read articles, worked with Coordinator of Sexual Assault/Awareness Programs Heather Earle and co-sponsored programs with Older and Wiser, fraternities and sororities. Pelton said the group plans to coordinate a panel discussion in conjunction with the Sexual Assault Awareness Week in April.
