About the course
LAWGEN 10SC
Prerequisites: None
Trigger Warning: Over the past two years, the issue of campus sexual assault has exploded into the public discourse. While definitive figures are difficult to obtain due to the necessarily private nature of these events, several recent studies estimate that between 20-25% of college women experience sexual assault. Survivors have come forward across the country with harrowing stories of assault followed by an insensitive or indifferent response from college administrators, launching one of the most successful, and surprising, social movements in recent memory. As a result, the federal government has stepped up its civil rights enforcement in this area, with 94 colleges and universities currently under investigation for allegedly mishandling student sexual assault complaints.
This courses focuses on the legal, policy, and political issues surrounding sexual assault on college campuses. We will spend the first week of the course learning some background about sexual violence and the efforts to implement legal protections for women. We will study the basic legal frameworks governing campus assault, focusing on the relevant federal laws such as Title IX and the Clery Act. Starting the second week we will travel first to New York City, and then to Washington D.C., where we will meet with journalists, activists, experts, policymakers, elected officials, and others who are actively involved in shaping the national response to this issue. Confirmed guests speakers include New York Times reporter Emily Bazelon; Catherine Lhamon, the Assistant Secretary of Education for Civil Rights; and the Office of Senator Kristin Gillibrand (D.N.Y.). On our return to campus students will create and present final projects. Travel expenses to NYC and DC (except incidentals) are provided by Sophomore College.
Students are expected to do all readings, and participate in all class sessions, meals, field trips, films, and discussions. Requirements include three short papers, preparing and helping to lead discussions with outside speakers, and the development and presentation of a final group-designed project which can include a multi-media or artistic component.
The subject matter of this course is sensitive and students are expected to treat the material with maturity. Moreover, much of the reading and subject matter may be upsetting and/or triggering for students who identify as survivors. There is no therapeutic component for this course, although supportive campus resources and Title IX staff are available for those who need them. Please consider this prior to enrolling in the course.
Click here to see Professor Dauber speak about her course
Instructor Bio
Michele Landis Dauber is Professor of Law and (by courtesy) Sociology and Bernard D. Bergreen Faculty Scholar at Stanford Law School. Her research centers on the social and legal history of the American welfare state. Her first book, The Sympathetic State (2013 University of Chicago Press) received numerous distinguished book awards and prizes including from the American Historical Association, the American Sociological Association, the American Political Science Association, the American Society for Legal History, and the Law and Society Association. Professor Dauber is the recipient of the 2006 Walter J. Gores Award, Stanford University's highest teaching honor. From 2011-13, Professor Dauber co-chaired the Board on Judicial Affairs and helped to lead the process that revised Stanford's policy on sexual assault. She is a nationally-respected advocate for improving college and university policies on sexual assault in order to increase compliance with Title IX. She is an avid outdoorswoman and skier, and has backpacked more than 2000 miles in the Sierra Nevada. A mother of five, Dauber lives in Palo Alto with her husband Ken, a Google engineer and an elected member of the Palo Alto school board, their son Elliot, and their five chickens.
For more info see:
- New York Times: Transparency and Sensitivity Work Together to Stop Campus Rape
- Mercury News: Rape at Colleges: Victims Challenge Policies Favoring Attackers
- Slate Magazine: Suspension Isn't EnoughSlate Magazine: New York Times Reports Another Campus Sexual Assault Horror Story. Now We Need the Data
New York Times: Campus Sexual Assault Bill Relies on Public Shaming of Colleges
