‘Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town’

Having started my academic career as a law professor at the University of Montana at Missoula, I was interested in reading Jon Krakauer’s book Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town to learn how things could go so wrong with the sexual-assault crises involving students there. The book provided a heart-wrenching read and a reminder of the importance of listening.

As higher-education leaders, we can’t be reminded often enough to listen to victims and to appreciate the courage they need to work through university and criminal processes. We must allow survivors the option to share their experiences, and we must never arrive at a conclusion until we have carefully heard and thoughtfully considered all facts. As college presidents, we expect our students to listen to us and to their professors — but we sometimes fail to do so ourselves.

The University of Montana’s response reflects action based on listening. After the book was published, President Royce Engstrom sent a message to the university community emphasizing the importance of hearing survivors. Importantly, he vowed to gather more feedback from the community and called the book part of the learning process.

I believe the University of Montana has improved as a result of this renewed commitment. Their experiences and lessons must be heard by all in higher education.