Hazing Prevention
In accordance with the Stop Campus Hazing Act and Timothy J. Piazza AntiHazing Law, hazing will not be tolerated at Westminster College. Hazing is prohibited in any form both on and off-campus and by any individual student or group (e.g., recognized student organization, fraternities and sororities, intramural group, club sport, varsity athletic team, other student group in the process of being recognized).
Hazing is as any intentional, knowing or reckless activity in which an organization, group, or athletic team expects prospective or current members to participate and which:
Group induction activities are those tasks formally or informally required to obtain or maintain membership and/or participatory legitimacy for new, prospective or current members and/or to attain progressive membership status and/or leadership positions within the group.
For the purposes of this regulation, hazing includes observation of hazing activities by individuals in a position to intervene but who fail to intervene, including group officers/leaders who are aware of planned hazing activities and who condone and/or fail to prevent that hazing from occurring, regardless of their participation.
Hazing has also been defined by the Federal Stop Campus Hazing Act as:
Any intentional, knowing, or reckless act committed by a person (whether individually or in concert with other persons) against another person or persons regardless of the willingness of such other person or persons to participate, that—
‘‘(I) is committed in the course of an initiation into, an affiliation with, or the maintenance of membership in, a student organization; and
‘‘(II) causes or creates a risk, above the reasonable risk encountered in the course of participation in the institution of higher education or the organization (such as the physical preparation necessary for participation in an athletic team), of physical or psychological injury including—
‘‘(aa) whipping, beating, striking, electronic shocking, placing of a harmful substance on someone’s body, or similar activity;
‘‘(bb) causing, coercing, or otherwise inducing sleep deprivation, exposure to the elements, confinement in a small space, extreme calisthenics, or other similar activity;
‘‘(cc) causing, coercing, or otherwise inducing another person to consume food, liquid, alcohol, drugs, or other substances;
‘‘(dd) causing, coercing, or otherwise inducing another person to perform sexual acts;
‘‘(ee) any activity that places another person in reasonable fear of bodily harm through the use of threatening words or conduct;
‘‘(ff) any activity against another person that includes a criminal violation of local, State, Tribal, or Federal law; and
‘‘(gg) any activity that induces, causes, or requires another person to perform a duty or task that involves a criminal violation of local, State, Tribal, or Federal law.’’.
In addition, hazing has been defined by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania through the Timothy J. Piazza AntiHazing Law as:
(a) Offense defined.--A person commits the offense of hazing if the person intentionally, knowingly or recklessly, for the purpose of initiating, admitting or affiliating a minor or student into or with an organization, or for the purpose of continuing or enhancing a minor or student's membership or status in an organization, causes, coerces or forces a minor or student to do any of the following:
(1) Violate Federal or State criminal law.
(2)Consume any food, liquid, alcoholic liquid, drug or other substance which subjects the minor or student to a risk of emotional or physical harm.
(3)Endure brutality of a physical nature, including whipping, beating, branding, calisthenics or exposure to the elements.
(4) Endure brutality of a mental nature, including activity adversely affecting the mental health or dignity of the individual, sleep deprivation, exclusion from social contact or conduct that could result in extreme embarrassment.
(5) Endure brutality of a sexual nature.
(6) Endure any other activity that creates a reasonable likelihood of bodily injury to the minor or student.
Westminster College recognizes the multiple definitions of hazing and its requirement to report acts of hazing in various reports, utilizing the distinct definitions noted above.
Any person having knowledge of any activity or conduct which may constitute hazing can report their concerns to the following areas by the methods noted below:
Student Affairs Office
McKelvey Campus Center 341
724-946-7110
studentaff@westminster.edu
studentlife@westminster.edu
Public Safety Office (active incident)
724-946-7777
Online using the following hyperlinked forms:
Campus Security Authority (CSA) Incident Report Form
Club sports, Fraternities and Sororities, intramural groups, organizations in the process of being recognized, Recognized Student Organizations, varsity athletic teams, and/or team members and officers/captains should immediately report any hazing incidents that occur within their group to the Student Affairs Office, providing a detailed description of the events that have transpired, the names of any individuals involved, and a description of any actions taken by the group.
Upon receiving the report, the Student Affairs Office will refer the matter to Student Conduct, who will notify appropriate parties (e.g., the organization president, adviser(s)/coach(es), Director of Athletics, department chair/dean, etc.). The investigation and adjudication will proceed related to the regulation violations by the individual(s) implicated in the report, unless evidence discovered in the investigation proves the incident to have been sanctioned by the group.
If the incident appears to have been sanctioned by the group, a follow-up investigation into the group’s role may be undertaken. If the group is affiliated with a national organization, the national headquarters will be notified.
Upon receiving a report of hazing, the Associate Dean of Students will assign a hearing officer, to oversee the administration of the case. The hearing officer may, as part of their role:
a. Make contact (if possible) with the individual(s) bringing forward the allegations of hazing;
b. Make contact with the individual(s) alleged to have perpetrated the hazing. If the conduct is group in nature, the hearing officer may contact the adviser(s), coach(es) and president of the group identified in the report;
c. Conduct interviews with all parties, including victims, the accused student(s) and any witnesses. The hearing officer may, at their discretion, recommend interim action (as described in the Student Code of Conduct or Student Organization Code of Conduct) to the Associate Dean of Students at any point during the investigation;
d. Require students, or a select group of students (e.g., all new members of a group) to participate in an investigatory meeting at a pre-determined time and location and may exercise discretion regarding the communication of students during the investigation process, including but not limited to restriction on the use of any electronic devices during the investigation process.
e. Require students to undergo a physical examination by a campus health center staff member, particularly when allegations of physical abuse are part of a hazing investigation. The results of these physical examinations will be protected by applicable health privacy laws, but a summary of any physical signs of hazing (e.g., bruises, burns, etc.) will be provided to the investigator by the medical professional conducting the examinations.
Adjudication shall be conducted pursuant to the Student Code of Conduct, Student Organization Code of Conduct, or other specific language in College policy related to organizational misconduct, if applicable.
The College will, on a case-by-case basis, determine whether any violations of this policy are individual or group in nature. In determining whether or not a violation is group in nature, the College will consider the following:
a. How many members were present when the alleged violation occurred or had specific knowledge of the alleged violation.
b. What knowledge the appropriate group officers and/or adviser(s) had of the alleged violation.
c. What action the appropriate group officers and/or adviser(s) took in addressing and/or preventing the alleged violation.
d. Whether group members acted in concert, or if the individual’s membership in the group served as an impetus for the alleged violation.
e. Did the violation arise out of a group sponsored, financed or endorsed event.
f. Is there a pattern of individual violations that have occurred without proper action by the group.
Students who make a hazing complaint in good faith, or victims of hazing who participate in an investigation, will not be charged with other College policy violations that are brought to light in the course of the investigation that arose out of, or were committed as a direct result of, the hazing incident(s) under investigation (e.g., students forced to consume alcohol as part of a hazing incident will not be charged with violations of the College’s alcohol policy). The College reserves the right to follow up with those students related to those issues as appropriate in a non-disciplinary setting.
Sanctions for violations of this regulation shall be administered in accordance with the Student Code of Conduct and Student Organization Code of Conduct.
For student groups, sanctions may include, but are not limited to, revocation of registration or denial of application for registration, loss of College privileges such as the ability to host social events, to formally meet on campus and to use campus facilities, or to represent the College, and, in the case of fraternities and sororities, the right to be recognized or operate at the College.
Sanctions imposed by the College for violations of this regulation may be in addition to any penalty imposed for violation of the criminal laws of the State of Pennsylvania and for violation of any other College regulations or policies.
For groups that are formally associated with the College (e.g., varsity athletic teams, performing arts groups such as marching bands, or any other groups supported or sponsored by the College that are not required to register as student organizations), the hearing officer, at their discretion, may consult with the Vice-President of the administrative unit that sponsors/supports the group, prior to issuing sanctions.
It is a violation of this policy to retaliate or take adverse action towards any person for reporting an alleged violation of this policy or for cooperating with a College investigation related to this policy. Retaliation includes, but is not limited to, verbal or implied threats, physical or psychological abuse, intimidation, harassment (verbal or written), isolation, or any other action intended to create a hostile environment for the intended target of the retaliation.
The Westminster College Hazing Policy is adapted from The Dyad Strategies Model Hazing Policy and is used here with permission.