“Lillian Morgan,” I said, as I took it.

She said, “Nice to meet you,” and motioned me to a seat in front of the desk, which I accepted. It was more comfortable than the one in the waiting area. “What school are you with, Professor Morgan?” she asked.

“Duke.” I said it almost without thinking and hoped I didn’t look too old to still be teaching. By contrast, she looked young and earnest. She had pulled her reddish-brown hair back into a knot and she wore frameless glasses. Her white blouse was buttoned up to the neck.

“I attended Duke,” she gushed. “What department are you in?”

“Mathematics.”

“Oh, I could never do math.” She laughed and I smiled in what I hoped wasn’t a condescending manner. She looked me over for a few seconds. “What can I help you with today?”

“I understand that you’re in charge of the Sexual Misconduct Office.”

“That and a few dozen other things. This is a small college. We have to wear many hats. It’s not like Duke.”

I chose my words carefully. “I’m doing a study of harassment policies-on the side, of course-and I’d like to find out something about yours. I’ve heard it’s unique.”

“Oh, is Duke thinking of changing its policy?”

Be careful. I had only a vague idea of Duke’s current policy. “No. That is, not right away. I’m doing this pretty much on my own.”

“Well, let me give you a brief outline. The reason we implemented a new policy is because it was very difficult for a student to file charges of rape or similar abuse. We needed an approach that was more sensitive to the needs of the victims. When you say our policy is unique, it isn’t really. We have modeled it on those of several larger schools. But I believe that we’ve added several features that are logical extensions of the other policies. I like to think that we’re on the cutting edge.”