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Anti-Hazing

On this page: Policy Statement · Reason for Policy · Policy Scope · Procedures · Frequently Asked Questions · Forms · Appendices · Additional Contacts · Definitions · Responsibilities · Related Information · History

Policy Statement

North Central University prohibits all forms of hazing by any person, group, or organization. Hazing prohibitions apply to all university community members and extend to all activities, locations, and circumstances involving university students or recognized organizations, regardless of consent, tradition, or perceived benefits.

The university prohibits any intentional, knowing, or reckless act committed by any person, whether individually or in concert with others, against another person, or the coercion of another person to commit an act, regardless of the other person’s willingness to participate, when the act meets ANY of the following:

• Occurs in the course of initiation into, affiliation with, or maintenance of membership in any student organization including clubs, athletic teams, fraternities, sororities, academic societies, performance groups, or any collection of students acting together.
• Causes or creates a risk of physical or psychological injury to any person beyond the reasonable risk encountered in normal participation in the institution or organization.

Defining Prohibited Conduct

Physical Hazing

North Central University prohibits:

• Forced or coerced physical activities beyond normal athletic training.
• Exposure to extreme weather without adequate protection.
• Compelled consumption of food, alcohol, drugs, or other substances in excessive or dangerous amounts.
• Sleep deprivation or disruption of normal rest patterns.
• Physical brutality including whipping, beating, striking, branding, electric shocks, or any application of force.
• Requirements to maintain painful or stressful positions.
• Forced tattooing, piercing, or body modification.

Psychological Hazing

North Central University prohibits:

• Verbal abuse, threats, or intimidation designed to demean or frighten.
• Forced social isolation, shunning, or exclusion from normal activities.
• Conduct creating extreme embarrassment or public humiliation.
• Requirements to perform degrading, demeaning, or servile acts.
• Forced violation of personal values, ethics, or religious beliefs.

Organizational Hazing

North Central University prohibits:

• Differential requirements for new members that current members need not fulfill.
• Activities interfering with academic obligations, class attendance, or study time.
• Forced personal servitude, labor, or errands for other members.
• Requirements to wear degrading, uncomfortable, or inappropriate clothing or accessories.
• Mandatory attendance at events during unreasonable hours.

Education and Prevention Standards

To foster a culture of safety and respect, the university maintains the following standards for all recognized organizations:

Mandatory Annual Education: All organizations must complete university-approved anti-hazing education annually as a condition of continued recognition.

Member Orientation: Organization leaders must conduct a formal review of hazing prohibitions with all members at the start of each academic year or whenever new members join.

Leader Certification: Organization leaders must certify their commitment to these standards annually by the university’s established deadline.

Establishing Organizational Accountability

Organizations bear responsibility for hazing conducted by their members when:

• The organization’s officers knew or reasonably should have known about the conduct.
• The conduct occurred in connection with organization activities, traditions, or membership processes.
• The organization failed to take preventive measures despite warnings or prior incidents.
• The organization’s culture or practices encouraged or tolerated hazing.

Organizations cannot avoid responsibility by claiming activities occurred unofficially, without leadership knowledge, off-campus, during unofficial events, or as part of unsanctioned traditions.

Reporting Hazing Violations

Universal Mandatory Reporter Designation

North Central University designates all employees as mandatory reporters. All employees must report known or suspected hazing immediately. This includes faculty, staff, administrators, coaches, advisors, contractors, volunteers, and student employees working in official capacity.

Confidential Resources Exception

The following university officials maintain confidentiality when individuals consult them within their professional capacity:

• The Campus Pastor / Dean of Spiritual Life.
• Licensed mental health counselors in the Counseling Center when providing clinical therapeutic services; counselors performing administrative duties must report.

These individuals need not report disclosures of hazing to the Dean of Students except when required by law or in cases of imminent danger. No other university employees, including other campus clergy, faculty, or spiritual mentors, function as confidential resources for hazing reports.

Reporting Timeline and Requirements

Reports involving immediate physical danger, medical emergencies, or ongoing violent rituals must reach Campus Safety at 612.343.4445 immediately with no delay permitted. The 24-hour reporting window covers only discovery of past incidents where no immediate safety risk exists.

Mandatory reporters must report within 24 hours of learning about potential hazing. This applies to information received through any means. This includes direct observation, student disclosure, peer reports, social media, anonymous tips, or any other source. Reports must include all known details:

• The incident itself.
• Individuals involved.
• Organization connections.
• Dates and locations.
• Nature of activities described or observed.
• Any immediate safety concerns.

Non-Mediation Clause

Hazing allegations never qualify for mediation, informal resolution, or internal discipline. Any attempt by students, coaches, advisors, or employees to address hazing through team-level discipline, private correction, or peer accountability processes constitutes a failure to report and violates university policy. Well-intentioned efforts to handle hazing internally obstruct the university’s ability to assess systemic risks and prevent future harm.

Mandatory reporters must not attempt informal resolution, conduct independent investigation, promise confidentiality to reporting parties, or wait to gather additional information before reporting.

Bystander Intervention Does Not Replace Reporting

Employees and students receive training in bystander intervention skills. These include direct confrontation, distraction techniques, and delegation strategies. These skills serve immediate life-safety purposes when witnessing concerning behavior.

Bystander intervention does not satisfy or replace mandatory reporting obligations. Intervening to stop an act in progress does not discharge the duty to notify the Dean of Students Office within 24 hours. Employees who successfully intervene to prevent harm must still file formal reports documenting the incident.

Minor Protection Requirement

Minnesota Statutes Chapter 260E requires all employees to report suspected maltreatment of minors to county social services or law enforcement within 24 hours. Minors include all persons under age 18. This requirement overrides professional confidentiality except for limited attorney-client privilege. North Central University enrolls students under 18 through PSEO programs, early college admission, and traditional enrollment. Employees who learn of hazing involving minors must report to both child protection authorities and to the Dean of Students Office.

Reporting Channels

Mandatory reporters must submit reports through:

• Dean of Students Office as the primary channel: Email deanofstudents@northcentral.edu, Phone 612.343.4450, or the Hazing Report Form
• Campus Safety for emergencies or immediate threats: Phone 612.343.4445
• Title IX Coordinator if hazing includes sexual misconduct: titleix@northcentral.edu

Anonymous reporting remains available through the National Anti-Hazing Hotline at 1-888-NOT-HAZE (1-888-668-4293), though anonymous reports may limit investigation capabilities.

Consequences for Failure to Report

Employees who fail to report hazing face disciplinary action up to and including termination. Student employees who fail to report while working in official capacity face conduct sanctions. The university treats failure to report as a standalone policy violation separate from any involvement in hazing activities.

Protections for Reporting Hazing

North Central University prioritizes reporting above disciplinary consequences. The university provides protections to encourage students and employees to report hazing violations without fear of discipline for their own conduct.

Reporting Amnesty for Non-Emergency Disclosure

Students who report hazing violations or participate in hazing investigations in good faith may receive amnesty from discipline for their own minor conduct violations. The university evaluates amnesty requests case-by-case. Amnesty typically does not apply to individuals who planned dangerous hazing activities or intentionally caused physical harm.

Employees who report hazing in good faith receive protection under the university’s Whistleblower Protection Policy and Non-Retaliation Policy. The university will not take adverse employment action against employees who report suspected hazing or participate in hazing investigations.

Good Samaritan Protections for Medical Emergencies

Students who call 911 or Campus Safety for hazing-related medical emergencies receive guaranteed immunity from university discipline for violations connected to the incident. This includes immunity for:

• Underage alcohol consumption or possession.
• Drug possession or paraphernalia.
• Hazing violations connected to the emergency, including physical acts done as part of rituals.

Immunity applies to both the person calling for help and the person needing medical care. Minnesota law protects people from criminal prosecution for alcohol and drug offenses when they call for emergency help. The university follows these same standards.

To receive Good Samaritan immunity, individuals must: (1) be the first person to contact emergency services at 911 or Campus Safety, (2) provide name and location to responders, and (3) remain present until help arrives. Only the first caller receives immunity. Those who wait for others to call remain fully liable for hazing conduct and failure-to-report violations.

Organization officers and leaders who call for medical emergencies receive the same immunity as other members. Calling for help demonstrates responsible leadership. Leaders who fail to call receive the university’s most severe sanctions.

Organizations that immediately contact emergency services receive an Administrative Safety Review instead of formal disciplinary proceedings. The university handles these incidents through educational interventions rather than formal findings of responsibility. Organizations using safe harbor do not receive formal findings, so incidents do not appear in the Campus Hazing Transparency Report under federal law. Educational interventions include education sessions, culture reviews, and safety planning but do not include fines, facility loss, or recruitment restrictions.

Good Samaritan immunity does not protect against criminal prosecution, civil liability, intentional violence unrelated to rituals, sexual misconduct, or property damage. Minnesota law requires all employees to report incidents involving persons under 18 to law enforcement and child protection regardless of university immunity.

Athletic and extracurricular protections prevent retaliation. Coaches and advisors cannot remove immunity recipients from teams or organizations based on conduct covered by Good Samaritan protections. The university will not search personal devices or social media accounts of immunity recipients unless immediate safety threats exist. The university will not use evidence found during emergency response to start new cases for unrelated past violations.

Federal law requires the university to report all hazing incidents as statistics. Good Samaritan incidents appear in total counts but remain anonymous. The university will not publish names.

Immunity applies only if the call happens before the university discovers violations through other sources like hospital reports, law enforcement, or social media. Immunity triggers based on the caller’s good-faith belief that an emergency requires help, regardless of final medical diagnosis.

For complete Good Samaritan rules covering non-hazing medical emergencies, see the university’s Good Samaritan Policy. When policies conflict, the most protective rules apply.

Intersecting with Other Policies

Title IX and Sexual Misconduct

If a hazing report includes allegations of sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of gender-based discrimination, the Dean of Students will refer the matter to the Title IX Coordinator. In such cases, Title IX procedures govern the investigation and resolution of sexual misconduct. The university may run concurrent or sequential processes if hazing violations exist independently of the Title IX allegations. Substantiated hazing conduct remains subject to disciplinary outcomes and transparency reporting required by university standards and federal law.

Bias, Discrimination, and Harassment

If a hazing incident involves acts directed at an individual based on background or identity such as race, religion, or disability, the Dean of Students will coordinate with the Bias Incident Response Team. Bias incident protocols may guide aspects of the institutional response. Substantiated hazing conduct remains subject to anti-hazing disciplinary outcomes and federal transparency reporting requirements.

Student Code of Conduct

Hazing violations constitute violations of the Student Code of Conduct. While hazing investigation protocols address specific conduct standards, the university maintains the discretion to consolidate investigations with other conduct violations arising from the same incident.

Prohibiting Retaliation

North Central University prohibits any form of retaliation against individuals who report hazing, express opposition to hazing, or participate in investigations. Prohibited retaliatory acts include any adverse action taken to deter a reasonable person from participating in the conduct process. This includes actions taken by students, employees, organizations, coaches, advisors, or any member of the university community. Retaliation constitutes a standalone policy violation subject to discipline separate from any underlying hazing conduct.

Determining Consequences for Violations

North Central University addresses hazing violations through established conduct standards and disciplinary frameworks. These administrative proceedings operate separately and distinctly from the criminal justice system. The university proceeds with investigations and determines outcomes regardless of whether external criminal charges remain filed, pending, or resolved.

Individual Consequences

Students found responsible for hazing violations face a range of outcomes tailored to the specific circumstances of the case. These outcomes include, without limitation, educational interventions, loss of campus privileges, conduct probation, suspension, or expulsion. Employees found responsible for violations face disciplinary action in accordance with employment policies, up to and including termination of employment.

Organizational Consequences

The university reserves the right to impose sanctions on organizations to preserve the safety and values of the community. Outcomes include, without limitation, mandatory education, social restrictions, probationary status, or the revocation of university recognition.

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Reason for Policy

North Central University operates as a community built on the inherent dignity and worth of every individual. Hazing directly violates these values and undermines the trust and safety necessary for a healthy learning environment.

The university provides comprehensive anti-hazing protections to:

• Foster a culture of mutual respect.
• Ensure compliance with institutional safety standards.
• Meet state and federal expectations for transparency and prevention.

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Policy Scope

Hazing prohibitions apply to:

• All students enrolled in any program including undergraduate, graduate, online, and PSEO.
• All employees regardless of position including faculty, staff, administrators, coaches, and contractors.
• All university-recognized organizations and their members.
• Volunteers and alumni participating in university activities or organization events.

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Procedures

Reporting and Investigating Hazing

Receive and Document Reports:

1. The Dean of Students Office receives hazing reports.
2. Staff document all information provided.
3. Staff assess immediate safety concerns.

Implement Interim Measures:

1. The Dean of Students or Campus Safety may issue an immediate “cease and desist” order to mitigate ongoing safety risks.
2. The Dean of Students may implement temporary suspension of organization recognition pending investigation.
3. The Dean of Students may issue no-contact directives pending investigation outcome.

Conduct Investigation:

1. The Dean of Students or designee initiates an investigation within three business days.
2. Investigators gather evidence through individual interviews.
3. Investigators review physical or digital evidence.

Evidence Standards and Investigative Authority: Investigations into organizational hazing will not rely solely on participant testimony. The university recognizes that participants in hazing incidents have strong incentives to align stories, minimize conduct, or provide false information to protect themselves and organizations from consequences. The university reserves authority to review:

• Organization financial records and expenditure reports.
• Social media accounts, group chats, and electronic communications.
• Facility access logs and reservation records.
• Video surveillance footage from campus facilities.
• Vendor receipts and transaction records.
• Alumni communications and planning documents.

Investigators will triangulate testimonial evidence with physical and digital evidence to identify patterns of conduct that contradict participant statements. Organizations cannot prevent investigation by instructing members to provide uniform denials or refusing to cooperate with information requests.

Determine Sanctions:

1. The Dean of Students makes responsibility determinations based on preponderance of evidence.
2. The Dean of Students determines appropriate sanctions.
3. The Dean of Students may convene a Conduct Committee (faculty, staff, or students) to review evidence and recommend findings or sanctions in high-stakes cases.

Providing Prevention and Education

Access Training Materials:

1. The Dean of Students provides the approved anti-hazing curriculum to organization advisors.
2. The Dean of Students provides the approved anti-hazing curriculum to student leaders.
3. Materials are accessible through the Student Title IX and Anti-Hazing Training and the Employee Title IX and Anti-Hazing Training.

Conduct Orientation:

1. Organization leaders present the approved curriculum to all members.
2. Presentation occurs during the organization’s first official meeting of the academic year.

Submit Certification:

1. Organization leaders submit the signed Anti-Hazing Compliance Certification to the Office of Student Development.

Enforce Compliance:

1. Organizations failing to submit certification by September 30 face immediate administrative suspension.
2. Suspension encompasses loss of room reservation privileges.
3. Suspension encompasses loss of funding access.
4. Suspension encompasses loss of participation in university events.
5. Suspension continues until requirements receive fulfillment.

Maintaining Federal Compliance and Transparency

Data Compilation:

1. The Dean of Students Office records all hazing incidents.
2. Recording begins 2025-07-01.

Transparency Report:

The Dean of Students Office publishes the Campus Hazing Transparency Report biannually on January 15 and July 15. The report includes the following data for formal findings of responsibility:

• Name of the involved organization.
• Date the organization was charged with a violation.
• General description of the incident and violation.
• Date of the final finding of responsibility.
• Description of the sanctions imposed.

Safe Harbor Review:

1. The Dean of Students verifies all incidents before publication.
2. Staff ensure incidents qualifying for Safe Harbor are reported as numerical data only.
3. Staff redact organization names for Safe Harbor incidents.

Clery Act Reporting:

1. Campus Safety includes hazing statistics in the Annual Security Report.
2. Report publishes by October 1 each year.

Processing Appeals

Submission:

1. Students or organizations may appeal within 10 business days.
2. Appeals must be submitted in writing to the Provost.

Criteria:

• Appeals require basis in procedural errors, new evidence, or disproportionate sanctions.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Does my consent make the hazing activity acceptable?

A: No. Consent never makes hazing permissible. Hazing often involves an inherent power imbalance that makes true “voluntary” participation impossible. The university prohibits hazing regardless of the willingness to participate.

Q: What if the activity represents a long-standing tradition?

A: Tradition provides no defense for hazing. Many prohibited acts have roots in history, but university standards prioritize the safety and dignity of community members over organizational customs.

Q: How does hazing differ from tough athletic workouts?

A: Qualified professionals conduct legitimate athletic training and focus on improving performance through methods with reasonable, managed risks. Hazing typically involves arbitrary requirements and risks that serve no pedagogical or competitive purpose.

Q: Can I report an incident anonymously?

A: Yes. Reports can be submitted anonymously through the National Anti-Hazing Hotline at 1-888-NOT-HAZE (1-888-668-4293). While the university reviews all reports, anonymous submissions may limit the university’s ability to conduct a full investigation or take formal disciplinary action.

Q: What if I see hazing but I’m not the one being hazed?

A: The university strongly encourages reporting. Under the Reporting Amnesty provisions, students who report hazing in good faith may receive protection from disciplinary action for minor conduct violations associated with the incident.

Q: What if I was also breaking a rule (like drinking) during the hazing incident?

A: Under the Good Samaritan and Reporting Amnesty provisions, the university prioritizes life safety and reporting over minor conduct violations. Students who report hazing or seek medical help in good faith generally receive amnesty or immunity for associated minor infractions.

Q: If I’m an officer of a club, am I responsible for what a few members do at a private house?

A: Yes, potentially. Organizations carry responsibility for the acts of their members if the conduct relates to the organization’s activities, traditions, or membership processes, and if leadership knew or should have known about it.

Q: What happens if the university discovers a hazing incident through other means instead of a Good Samaritan call?

A: Students should assume hazing-related medical emergencies will reach the university through hospital mandatory reporting, emergency services documentation, digital evidence, or witness reports. Minnesota law requires medical providers to report suspected criminal injuries. Once the university discovers violations through external sources, Good Samaritan immunity closes permanently for that incident. The university’s response defaults to maximum disciplinary sanctions. Students cannot retroactively invoke protections after the university initiates investigation through discovery. Protection exists only for those who report first. Digital forensics, social media evidence, and mandatory medical reporting make concealment virtually impossible.

Q: Does Good Samaritan immunity protect me from all consequences?

A: Good Samaritan immunity protects against university disciplinary action including expulsion, suspension, conduct probation, and organizational sanctions for covered violations. Immunity does not protect against criminal prosecution by law enforcement, civil lawsuits for damages or injuries, or consequences for sexual misconduct or intentional violence unrelated to hazing rituals. Immunity protects university enrollment status and disciplinary record, not legal or civil liability.

Q: Can my coach or advisor still punish me even if I have university immunity?

A: No. Athletic and extracurricular eligibility protection explicitly prevents coaches, advisors, and organization officers from imposing team-level or organization-level sanctions for conduct covered by university immunity. Coaches cannot bench you, reduce playing time, remove scholarships, or suspend team membership based on conduct protected by Good Samaritan provisions. Organization advisors cannot suspend membership or remove officer positions based on protected conduct.

Q: What if someone else calls first? Am I still protected?

A: No. Immunity operates as a first-caller incentive only. The university recognizes one first caller per incident. Students who delay action hoping someone else will report forfeit immunity protections entirely. If another person reports first, you remain fully liable for hazing conduct and failure-to-report violations. The race to report creates urgency precisely because waiting eliminates protection.

Q: As a leader, what happens if I don’t report but someone else does?

A: Organization leaders who fail to report receive the university’s most severe individual sanctions. The university views leader silence as categorically more culpable than member participation because leaders bear explicit responsibility for group safety. When someone else reports and leaders failed to act first, leaders face maximum sanctions including expulsion. For leaders specifically, reporting serves as the only evidence demonstrating responsible conduct during crisis.

Q: Will my organization appear on the Campus Hazing Transparency Report if we use Good Samaritan provisions?

A: Organizations that receive safe harbor through non-disciplinary resolution will not appear on the Campus Hazing Transparency Report because no formal finding of responsibility results from non-disciplinary processes. The incident will appear as an anonymous statistic in the Annual Security Report aggregate counts, but the university will not link statistics to specific organization names in public reports. Educational interventions do not constitute reportable violations under federal law.

Q: What constitutes “educational interventions” versus actual sanctions?

A: Educational interventions include mandatory education sessions, facilitated dialogue about organizational values, organizational culture assessments, development of safety plans, and consultation with national organization headquarters. Educational interventions do not include financial penalties, loss of facilities or privileges, restrictions on recruitment or social activities, or other consequences that functionally operate as sanctions. The university maintains clear distinction to ensure federal compliance.

Q: Can evidence found during emergency response be used against me for other violations?

A: No. Use immunity prevents emergency-discovered evidence from supporting separate proceedings for prior unrelated violations. Chain-of-information protection extends to identities discovered through secondary evidence. The university will not pursue discipline against members identified in group chats or ritual materials when those individuals did not participate in the specific incident. Privacy firewall prevents device searches unless immediate ongoing safety threats exist.

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Forms

• Anti-Hazing Compliance Certification
• Hazing Report Form

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Appendices

Appendix A: Organizational Quick Reference Guide (1-Sheet)

Core Rules for Student Leaders:

• Consent Offers No Defense: Even if someone “volunteers” to participate in a demeaning act, it still constitutes hazing.
• Off-Campus is On-Campus: Hazing prohibitions apply regardless of where the activity occurs if it involves organization members or traditions.
• Retaliation Constitutes a Violation: Marginalizing or “blacklisting” someone for reporting hazing constitutes a standalone policy violation.

The “Life Safety” Protocol:

• If a medical emergency occurs: Call 911 or Campus Safety at 612.343.4445 immediately.
• Good Samaritan Immunity: Individuals calling for help will not face suspension or expulsion for hazing conduct related to the emergency.
• Safe Harbor for Orgs: Organizations that report emergencies immediately enter a non-disciplinary Administrative Safety Review rather than a formal conduct process.
• First Caller Wins: Only the first person to call receives immunity. Waiting means full liability.

Leader Deadlines:

• Sept 30: Deadline for leaders to submit the Anti-Hazing Compliance Certification.
• Member Orientation: Leaders must review hazing prohibitions with all members during the first meeting of each academic year.

Contact Info:

• Reporting: Hazing Report Form
• Anonymous Reporting: National Anti-Hazing Hotline at 1-888-NOT-HAZE (1-888-668-4293)
• Policy Questions: Dean of Students Office at 612.343.4450

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Additional Contacts

Subject	Contact	Phone	Email
Primary Contact	Dean of Students	612.343.4450	deanofstudents@northcentral.edu
Emergencies	Minneapolis Police (MPD)	911
Emergencies	Campus Safety	612.343.4445	security@northcentral.edu
Employee Issues	Office of Human Resources	612.343.4412	hr@northcentral.edu
Title IX	Office of Human Resources	612.343.4412	titleix@northcentral.edu
Bias & Harassment	Office of Human Resources	612.343.4412	Bias Incident Reporting Form
Anonymous Reporting	National Anti-Hazing Hotline	1-888-668-4293

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Definitions

Administrative Safety Review

A non-disciplinary process focused on evaluating institutional safety and organizational health rather than individual or organizational punishment. This review serves as the primary mechanism for cases qualifying for Good Samaritan Safe Harbor.

Adverse Action

Any action that might deter a reasonable person from engaging in reporting suspected or alleged misconduct or participating in an investigation.

Affiliation

The process of maintaining membership or status in an organization, including secondary levels of membership such as “varsity” versus “junior varsity” status.

Bystander

Any person who observes hazing or learns about hazing through disclosure.

Coercion

Unreasonable pressure compelling participation through physical force, threats, or exploitation of power differentials.

Consent

A knowing, voluntary, and clear mutual agreement through words or actions to engage in an activity. Consent lacks effectiveness when it results from the use of physical force, threats, intimidating behavior, or coercion. For purposes of hazing violations, the implied or expressed consent of the person subjected to hazing fails to provide defense and does not excuse prohibited conduct.

Good Faith

Reporting or participating in an investigation based on a reasonable belief that a violation has occurred, without malicious intent or known falsehoods.

Hazing

Any intentional, knowing, or reckless action or situation created to produce mental, emotional, or physical discomfort for purposes of initiation or membership, or the coercion of another person to commit such an act. This includes acts committed individually or in concert with others, regardless of the other person’s willingness to participate.

Initiation

The process of entering an organization or attaining new status within it.

Mandatory Reporter

A university employee required by policy to report any suspected hazing to the Dean of Students within 24 hours of discovery, or immediately for emergencies.

Organization

Any group seeking or maintaining university recognition including student organizations, athletic teams, and academic clubs.

Preponderance of Evidence

The standard of proof meaning evidence supporting a finding outweighs opposing evidence, making it more likely than not that violations occurred.

Protected Disclosure

Communication about actual or suspected hazing based on good faith and reasonable belief that the conduct has occurred and violates applicable law or university policy.

Reckless

Conduct in which a person recognizes and consciously disregards a substantial and unjustifiable risk that physical or psychological injury will occur.

Retaliation

Adverse action against an individual because they have made a protected disclosure or have participated in an investigation, proceeding, or hearing involving a protected disclosure.

Substantiated

A determination made by the university, based on the preponderance of evidence, that a policy violation has occurred.

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Responsibilities

Dean of Students

• Receives and investigates hazing reports.
• Recommends sanctions and implements interim safety measures.
• Tracks incident data for federal compliance and publishes the biannual Campus Hazing Transparency Report.
• Convenes a Conduct Committee for high-stakes cases when necessary.

Faculty and Staff

• Report all observed or suspected hazing within 24 hours of becoming aware (immediately for emergencies).
• Complete annual mandatory reporter training.
• Avoid delegating reporting responsibility, conducting independent investigations, or attempting informal resolution.

Campus Safety

• Maintains hazing statistics for the Annual Security Report (Clery Act).
• Issues immediate “cease and desist” orders for life safety risks.
• Responds to emergency situations and forwards reports to Dean of Students within 24 hours.

Student Organizations

• Monitor and prevent hazing in all activities.
• Submit annual compliance documentation by September 30.
• Ensure leaders present anti-hazing education to all members at start of academic year.

Provost

• Serves as the final appeal officer for hazing conduct determinations.
• Reviews organizational sanctions recommended by Dean of Students.
• Ensures adequate resources for policy implementation.

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Related Information

University Policies and Procedures

• Student Code of Conduct
• Non-Retaliation
• Whistleblower Protection
• Good Samaritan
• Sexual Misconduct (Title IX)
• Bias, Discrimination, & Harassment

Relevant Legislation

• Stop Campus Hazing Act, Public Law 118-173
• Minnesota Statutes Chapter 260E (Reporting of Maltreatment of Minors)
• Minnesota Statutes Section 340A.503 (Alcohol Immunity)
• Minnesota Statutes Section 604A.05 (Drug Immunity)
• Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (20 U.S.C. § 1092(f))

Other Related Information

• Student Title IX and Anti-Hazing Training
• Employee Title IX and Anti-Hazing Training
• National Hazing Prevention Week
• NCAA Hazing Prevention Guidelines
• StopHazing.org

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History

Amended

2026-10-01 – Added links to the student and employee anti-hazing training removed references to a student organization portal, and removed a form that does not exist.

Issued

2026-02-09 – Approved by the Policy Advisory Committee.

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