Manhattan ? Police are on the hunt for a man they say has raped seven college-age women near Kansas State University over the past seven years, the latest attack coming last month.

The man, they say, always wears long-sleeved shirts and dark-colored gloves and covers all but his eyes with a mask. Because of the mask, police don’t have a composite sketch of the suspect and few leads to track down.

That uncertainty has ratcheted up the fear in the college community with parents pressuring law enforcement for more information and professors scheduling crime prevention presentations.

“Whenever there is an attack by this guy, we get lots of calls,” said Mary Todd, director of the university’s Women’s Center. “Calls from people concerned about their safety.”

Police have continued to provide female students with tips on how to stay safe, such as never walking alone and keeping doors and windows locked. They say they want students to avoid becoming the victim of all sorts of criminals.

“If someone is able to protect themselves from the opportunist rapist, you can protect yourself against the serial rapist,” said Capt. John Doehling of the Riley County Police Department, which covers Manhattan. “Yes, we believe there is one guy doing this. But if it was seven different persons committing these crimes over the course of seven years, people would still need to be concerned.”

Studies show the bulk of rapes in a college setting are committed by people who know their victims, either as acquaintances or as a date. But two Kansas University doctoral students said their research showed women were more afraid of rapes committed by strangers, even though they believed they were more likely to be raped by an acquaintance.

Female students are using Wildcat Walk, a service that provides escorts across campus at night. Wildcats Against Rape signed up a record number of new members this semester, about 100 people, compared with the usual 40.

“I think it’s great people are concerned and it’s great people want to get involved,” said Abby Heraud, a senior from Pratt and president of the group. “But I think it’s really sad that it has to happen again for people to pay attention to it … This has gone on for years.”