Thank you, Amherst faculty. I'm encouraged by the frankness of this letter and reassured by the quantity and quality of those who have signed it. This letter is a good starting point.

It cannot be, and clearly isn't intended to be, a solution. The events and conversations of the last three weeks have brought alumni out of the woodwork whom I haven't heard from in years; this issue resonates and bears extended scrutiny. I've voiced my own ideas on remedies and policy changes elsewhere. Here, I'll simply state the obvious: the alumni are watching with deep and sustained concern over the alleged responses and apparent policies of Amherst College regarding victims and perpetrators of sexual assault. Our love of our school is deep and resilient, but not unconditional. We are watching and worried. Please do the right things.

Sincerely,

-Artie Moffa '00
Admission Green Dean 2000-2001

This is really great. As professors, you are all an integral part of the college community, and it's wonderful to know that students have your support. Thank you.

No Hadley Arkes?

Almost every woman I knew at Amherst experienced sexual assault on campus and/or lived with serious emotional health issues. Almost every one of those women experienced a failure of the school's administrative, health, and counseling resources to meet her needs. Most, but not all, were able to struggle through in whatever way they could. Some were encouraged to take time away from the college, and a few, like me, did just that. Not all of us returned, and that was absolutely Amherst's loss, because those women were wonderful. We all had something to offer the community, but we were difficult, problematic, angry, scary, and so we didn't fit. And boy, did we know it.
Amherst was a hard place to be for many of us, for a variety of reasons, and it was demoralizing to feel that any of us had to fight to be there. Some who struggled, who were lucky, found hope, encouragement, and care in our relationships with our professors. Amherst rightly acknowledges that its faculty is one of the major selling points of the school; more than a collection of brilliant minds, though, they are a group deeply committed to the development of students. This letter shows that they are as willing to open their hearts and hold out their hands as they are to share their knowledge. I hope that students reach out in return, because it can make all the difference to have that connection.
I almost didn't make it through my time at Amherst. The efforts of one professor in particular helped me save my own life, but there were many moments with many others, moments that probably went unnoticed by them, but that meant the world to me, in which I felt that I had a lifeline. So to the faculty who have signed above, I say thank you for this letter; now all students know that they can turn to you, and that you care about what happens to them. It matters. I would also like to personally thank Professors O'Connell, Frank, Barale, Saxton, Clark, and Bumiller for giving me moments of grace and showing me care when I needed it. You made it easier and better to be an Amherst woman.
To the current students: the people who have submitted this letter in support of your well-being are some of the finest minds and hearts you'll know. They are reaching out to all of you, not just to those who are struggling. I hope that you will extend yourselves in kind, and that together you can heal and grow as a community. Your president will help this happen, I have no doubt. We alumni are here, too, and we support all of you in this endeavor.

--Jes Rich '00E

Thank you, my professors. It means a lot to me that you signed this letter and that you care. Thank you.

Yeah, sure. Good luck... Because you couldn't have done this earlier. Congratulations.