Clark says that date rape is probably the most underreported crime on campus--in part because many students are unsure of whether such incidents constitute rape.

Qualified to Judge?

And while debate on campus continues over nuances of definition, legal experts question whether students and administrators are even qualified to be judging such cases.

Professor of Law Philip B. Heymann, who teaches criminal law, warns against straying too far from accepted legal standards.

"You have to be careful using legal terms if you're not following state law," he says.

And some experts say the discussion over legal definitions should never have taken place on campus in the first place.

"When it comes to making judgments on criminal acts, it's a matter for the public authorities and the school should not interject itself," says National Organization of Women staffer Twiss Butler.

Butler says that while the College should have a clear procedural policy, the Ad Board should not determine substantive matters like definitions.

"It's not a matter for dean amateurs to deal with," Butler says. "There is great reason to question the feeling of college administrators that they are qualified to be judges."

Butler suggests that the discussion is another way for administrators to avoid "the real issue"--that of women's position on campus and of the power differential between male and female students.

"Clearly, Harvard students should understand that no means no," Butler says.

D. Richard de Silva contributed to the reporting of this article.