Tufts' study abroad program at the University of Ghana has been suspended for the fall semester after a Tufts student was violently raped while on the Accra campus in Ghana last spring.
The decision to suspend the program comes after numerous instances of acquaintance rape and sexual assault against Tufts students studying in Ghana, with three rapes reported to University officials in 1998 alone, according to Tufts' Office of Public Safety website.
Many of the past incidents have been attributed to the vast cultural differences between Americans and Ghanaians when it comes to the signals and expectations that precede consensual sex. Sources indicate, however, that the rape last Spring was far more violent and premeditated. While Tufts cited the recent incident as the immediate cause for the program's suspension, the University acknowledged past security concerns as factors in its decision.
The faculty advisory committee overseeing the program recommended early this summer that Vice President of Arts, Sciences, and Technology Mel Bernstein impose a one-semester suspension pending a broad examination of the safety of Tufts students studying in Ghana, as well as a more targeted investigation into the circumstances surrounding the recent rape.
"Safety of our students is something that we care a lot about," said Dean of Students Bruce Reitman, who is involved in the joint investigation of the incident, which includes administrators and police officers at both universities.
Although a suspect has been taken into custody in Ghana, the future of the investigation remains unclear. Tufts administrators are hesitant to predict the outcome of the investigation, as Ghana's legal system often takes a less stringent approach to sex crimes than its American counterpart.
Five students who planned to attend the program this fall received letters from the administration this summer announcing the program's suspension and the cancellation of their Aug. 10 flights to Ghana.
"It was just a shock. I got a letter saying 'We're sorry but this program is suspended,'" Junior Sharareh Bajracharya said. "I think it's good that they're investigating further into what's been going on before they let students go."
An on-site orientation has traditionally warned students about past incidents and mentioned that certain behaviors - while less-than-seductive in America - could be misinterpreted by Ghanaians. Nevertheless, many participants said they had no idea that any sexual assaults had occurred until they had already signed on to the program. This left some calling on Tufts to make all relevant information available to students before they finalize their study abroad decisions.
"They mentioned harassment, but never sexual assault or violence. This summer was the first I'd heard of any sexual assault on the program," said junior Sara Matsuzaka, who cancelled her plans to study in Ghana this spring after hearing about the allegations.
"The thing that bothers me is that they were so concerned about something that they had to cancel the fall program but they hadn't told us about those concerns," Matsuzaka said. She said she had heard many positive reviews of Tufts in Ghana from alumni, and still plans to visit in the future.
Program alumni agree that there is a fundamental culture gap when it comes to issues of sexual relations in Ghana, and that Ghanaians and Americans often misinterpret one another's sexual signals. For example, when a woman agrees to enter a man's bedroom in Ghana, it is often assumed that she is willing to have intercourse unless she explicitly says otherwise.
"There is more of a gender divide in Ghana - it's not a totally segregated society, but there are certainly more distinct gender roles than we have here," said senior Laura Sheppard-Brick, who studied in Ghana last fall. Sheppard-Brick said that there is a perception in Ghana that American women are more sexually promiscuous than their Ghanaian counterparts, partly because of the way they dress. "Ghanaian women always cover their legs, and American women don't," she explained.
The issue of rape is especially poignant in African countries, where male-dominated cultures often discourage women from resisting unwanted sexual advances and reporting sexual assaults. Rape also carries broader implications on a continent where HIV infection rates are the highest in the world.
While some alumni are critical of the local culture, in which silence is often interpreted as assent and platonic overtures are sometimes perceived as sexual advances, others, like senior Andrea Johnson, believe that American students should be responsible for giving clear signals and avoiding potentially dangerous situations.
"It's really a personal choice about what situations you put yourself in," she said. "If you go to his room, for most Ghanaian men, you're sending a signal that you're interested in something more than a platonic relationship. So you can either go, or you can talk to someone and lay down the ground rules."
Johnson, who is engaged to a Ghanaian man she met while studying there, criticized the administration's decision to suspend the program. "I don't think it was the right decision at all," she said. "I think it's really awful. I got so much out of the program, and I'm a completely different person because of it."
The committee will revisit their decision in October, when it decides to either prolong the suspension, terminate the program permanently, or reinstate it for the spring semester. In the meantime, all students who planned to study in Ghana this fall have returned unexpectedly to campus and registered late for classes.
Not waiting for the administration's final judgement, at least two students have already cancelled their plans to attend the program this Spring.
"There is no question as to the usefulness and popularity of the program, but the safety of our students has to remain a primary concern," Reitman said. Ghana, which is one of the most prosperous and stable countries in Africa, is situated on the west coast of the continent. The University of Ghana is located in the city of Accra, which is a two-hour drive from the Atlantic. Tufts in Ghana is one of nine study abroad programs sponsored by Tufts.
