Anti-Hazing Policy

Hazing in any form is prohibited.

��о�� defines hazing as any behavior – whether physical, emotional, or psychological – that abuses, mistreats, humiliates, harasses, or intimidates someone, whether they’ve agreed to it or not. Respect for every student, faculty, and staff member is at the heart of who we are and what we do.

��о�� strictly prohibits hazing in any form. Reports of hazing will be taken seriously and investigated in accordance with this policy.
Retaliation against individuals who report hazing or participate in an investigation is also prohibited and will be addressed under the ��о�� Student Code of Conduct.
All students, faculty, staff, and affiliated organizations are expected to fully cooperate with any investigation related to hazing. Creating a safe and respectful campus environment is a shared responsibility.

Reporting

��о�� will address all reports of hazing, as defined in this policy, in accordance with the procedures outlined in the Student Handbook. Any criminal investigation resulting from a report to law enforcement will be managed by the appropriate law enforcement agency.

Students and/or student organizations are encouraged to report any suspected hazing by using the College’s online reporting form or by contacting the Office of Student Life or the Dean of Students. All reports will be directed to the appropriate College officials for review and follow-up.

Stop Campus Hazing Act Compliance and Public Reporting

In accordance with the Stop Campus Hazing Act (SCHA), ��о�� is committed to transparency and accountability in our efforts to prevent hazing.

The College will publish public reports of confirmed violations of the anti-hazing policy, as required by the SCHA. These reports are accessible on the College’s official website and beginning with records from the 2024-25 academic year.

Reports are updated twice annually, in January and August, to ensure timely and accurate information is available to students, families, and the campus community.

Reports

This will be updated later in 2025.

Hazing Prevention

Hazing persists today because many consider the activities to be a “tradition” or a “rite of passage” which entitles the survivor to presumed special recognition.

The reality of hazing is that it is an activity that demeans an individual and can result in serious emotional and/or bodily injury and death. It is power based and coercion.

Hazing, as we understand it today, has no place in our community. Breaking traditions in a social organization, especially those involving hazing, is not an easy thing to do. But you do have the power to end these unnecessary activities.

Every member of our community is responsible for addressing and stopping hazing. If you witness a hazing incident, or if you are hazed, you are responsible for making sure you report the incident. Please refer to the Student Handbook for a list of potential signs of hazing.

How to address hazing activities

Make members aware of the hazing policies within Center College, national organizations, and/or other affiliated groups (ex. NCAA, NIC, etc.).
Educate members on alternatives to hazing and consequences of participating in hazing activities.
Take advantage of on-campus resources such as faculty, your advisor, your coach, and the Student Life or Greek Life Office.
Discuss and explore hazing issues and your organization’s current rituals and traditions to find areas for improvement.
If a culture of hazing exists within your organization, change it by starting new traditions and doing new activities that are not considered hazing. Incoming members of your organization will model what they see from the active members.
Detect violations by members, be alert for activities and comments of your members that may indicate hazing; don’t look the other way.
If a member of your group jokes about hazing – address it. This is an opportunity to proactively address this important issue, before someone you care about gets hurt and the issue needs to be addressed by the College.
Take corrective action and if there are members who are hazing, hold them accountable for their behavior within the organization and report them to a staff member in the Student Life Office, the Director of Athletics, or the Department of Public Safety.