I. Policy Statement

The purposes of this policy are to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the campus community; to promote the university’s educational goals, both curricular and co-curricular; and to comply with applicable laws, including the state law prohibiting hazing at colleges and universities [RCW 28B.10.900] and the federal Stop Campus Hazing Act (SCHA), which amends the Clery Act. In adopting this policy, the university expresses its commitment to educate students, faculty, and staff about the dangers of hazing, inform the community about acts of hazing, and hold individuals and organizations who engage in hazing accountable for their actions.
 

II. Coverage

In accordance with state and federal law, this policy applies to all University Community Members at the University of Puget Sound, as well as student organizations, student living groups, and their individual members.
 

III. Definitions

Confidential Resource: Someone identified by this policy who is not required to report identifying information to the Office of Student Accountability & Restorative Practices in the Division of Student Affairs about prohibited conduct under this policy but who must report non-identifying information to the Clery Coordinator for federal Clery Act (campus crime) reporting purposes. See Section VI of this policy for additional information.

Hazing: See Section IV.B. of this policy.

Retaliation: See Section VII of this policy.

Student Living Group: For purposes of this policy, a student living group includes university students who reside with one another in a university owned and operated building.

Student Organization: An organization (such as a club, society, association, varsity or junior varsity athletic team, club sports team, fraternity, sorority, band, or student government) in which two or more of the members are students enrolled at the university, whether or not the organization is established or recognized by the university.

University Campus Community (or “Campus”): All University Buildings (permanent and temporary structures) and University Grounds (outdoor spaces including, but not limited to, athletic spaces, sidewalks, and fields) owned and controlled by the university.

University Community Member: For purposes of this policy, these are university students, student organizations, faculty, staff members, interns, volunteers, and any other university affiliates.
 

IV. Prohibited Conduct

  1. Scope of Coverage
    Hazing is prohibited on or off-campus.
     
  2. Definition of Hazing – Prohibited Conduct
    Hazing is prohibited on or off-campus. Hazing includes 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:
    1. is committed in the course of an initiation into, an affiliation with, or the maintenance of membership in, a student organization or student living group; and
       
    2. causes or creates a risk, above the reasonable risk encountered in the course of participation in the university or the organization (such as the physical preparation necessary for participation in an athletic team), of physical or psychological injury including:
      • whipping, beating, striking, electronic shocking, placing of a harmful substance on someone’s body, or similar activity;
      • causing, coercing, or otherwise inducing sleep deprivation, exposure to the elements, confinement in a small space, extreme calisthenics, or other similar activity;
      • causing, coercing or otherwise inducing another person to consume food, liquid, alcohol, drugs, or other substances;
      • causing, coercing or otherwise inducing another person to perform sexual acts;
      • any activity that places another person in reasonable fear of bodily harm through the use of threatening words or conduct;
      • any activity against another person that includes a criminal violation of local, State, Tribal, or Federal law; and
      • 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; or
         
  3. otherwise involves a violation of a law or university policy or which encourages a student or other person to violate a law or university policy, including but not limited to the Code of Conduct (PDF), Student Integrity Code, Alcohol and Drug Policy, Violence Prevention Policy, Weapons on Campus Policy, Policy Prohibiting Sex-Based Discrimination, Sexual Harassment, and Sexual Misconduct, and Policy Prohibiting Discrimination and Harassment.
     

V. Reporting Alleged Hazing; Confidential Resources

  1. Reporting Alleged Hazing
    Any University Community Member or university volunteer, other than a Confidential Resource (e.g., chaplain or minister, counselor, doctor, etc.), who becomes aware of alleged hazing is expected to report it to the Office of Student Accountability & Restorative Practices in the Division of Student Affairs.

    A Confidential Resource is someone identified by this policy who is not required to report identifying information to the Office of Student Accountability & Restorative Practices about prohibited conduct under this policy but who must report non-identifying information to the Clery Coordinator for federal Clery Act (campus crime) reporting purposes. A person disclosing an incident must understand that if disclosures are made to a Confidential Resource, no report to the Office of Student Accountability & Restorative Practices will occur and therefore no investigation, resolution, or sanctions can take place unless it is separately reported to the Office of Student Accountability & Restorative Practices, Security Services, or a Responsible Employee. A reporting party who works with a Confidential Resource may also decide to file a report with the university and/or report the incident to local law enforcement and may choose to participate in an investigation.

    A list of individuals who have been designated as Confidential Resources and have the obligation to report only non-identifying information about conduct prohibited by this policy to the Office of Student Accountability & Restorative Practices can be found at pugetsound.edu/title-ix-equal-opportunity/resources.
     

VI. Enforcement Procedures; Sanctions

  1. Enforcement Procedures
    This policy shall be investigated and enforced following the procedures of the Student Integrity Code (and, as applicable, the university’s "Fraternity and Sorority Recognition Policy" or "Theme House Recognition Policy") for students and student organizations and student living groups, or, as applicable, relevant faculty/staff policies and associated procedures such as the Staff Corrective Action Policy and Faculty Code.
     
  2. Sanctions
    1. Individual Sanctions: Students
      A student who is found responsible for participating in or encouraging hazing shall be subject to disciplinary action by the university, up to and including expulsion. Hazing that endangers a person’s psychological or physical safety is also a criminal offense. As required by state law, a student who participates in criminal hazing, in addition to the possibility of being subject to prosecution, shall forfeit any entitlement to state-funded grants, scholarships, or awards for a period of time determined by the university, but not less than one academic term.
       
    2. Individual Sanctions: Faculty or Staff Member
      A faculty or staff member who is found to have been directly engaged in the planning, directing, or act of hazing of students shall be subject to disciplinary action by the university, up to and including dismissal from employment. In addition, the faculty or staff member may be liable under state law for resulting harm to persons or property.
       
  3. Group Sanctions
    A student organization or living group that knowingly permits hazing to occur by its members or by others subject to its direction or control shall itself be subject to sanctions, including but not limited to the university’s withdrawal of its recognition of the group. In addition, the organization or group, including any individual directors of a nonprofit student organization or group, may be liable under state law for resulting harm to persons or property.
     

VII. Prohibition Against Retaliation

The university and all university community members are prohibited from taking materially adverse action against a person engaged in protected activity under this policy. Prohibited acts of retaliation include intimidating, threatening, coercing, harassing, or discriminating against any individual for the purpose of interfering with any right or privilege secured by law or policy, or because the individual has made a report or complaint, testified, assisted, or participated or refused to participate in or benefit from an educational program or a faculty, staff or student staff member’s ability to perform or participate in a work environment.

Protected activity under this policy includes reporting an incident that may implicate this policy, participating in the enforcement process, supporting a Complainant or Respondent, assisting in providing information relevant to an investigation, and/or acting in good faith to oppose conduct that constitutes a violation of this policy.

Acts of alleged retaliation should be reported immediately to the Office of Student Accountability & Restorative Practices in the Division of Student Affairs and will be promptly investigated. The university will take all appropriate and available steps to protect individuals who fear that they may be subjected to retaliation.

The exercise of rights protected under the First Amendment does not constitute retaliation.

Charging an individual with making a materially false statement in bad faith in the course of an enforcement proceeding under this policy does not constitute retaliation, provided that a determination regarding responsibility, alone, is not sufficient to conclude that any party has made a materially false statement in bad faith.
 

VIII. Public Campus Hazing Transparency Report and Contents; Annual Security Report; Confidential Information

  1. Public Report and Contents
    The university will create and maintain the Campus Hazing Transparency Report and publicly report on its website actual findings (for previous 5 calendar years) of violations by any student organization or student living group of this policy or other antihazing policies, the university’s code of conduct, or state or federal laws relating to hazing or offenses related to alcohol, drugs, sexual assault or physical assault.

    The Campus Hazing Transparency Report shall be updated at least two times each year, and shall include the following information:
    1. The name of the student organization or student living group;
    2. The date the incident(s) was alleged to have occurred;
    3. The date the investigation into the incident(s) was initiated;
    4. The date on which the investigation ended with a finding that a hazing violation occurred;
    5. A general description of the incident or incidents, including the date of the initial violation, whether the violation involved the abuse or illegal use of alcohol or drugs, sexual assault, or physical assault, and the violations, findings, and sanctions placed on the student organization, or student living group;
    6. The details of the sanction or sanctions imposed, including the beginning and end dates of the sanction or sanctions;
    7. The date the student organization or student living group was charged with the hazing violation;
    8. The date the university provided notice to the student organization or student living group that the incident resulted in a hazing violation; and
    9. Any additional information determined by the institution to be necessary or reported as required by State law.
       
  2. Annual Security Report
    Relevant hazing information and statistics will also be included in the university’s Annual Security Report and be made available on the university’s public website.
     
  3. Confidentiality of Certain Information
    1. Any public reports identified shall not include any personal or identifying information of employees or individual students and shall be subject to the requirements of the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974.
       

IX. Training and Education

  1. Educational Programming for Students
    The university will provide students with an educational program on hazing and the dangers of and prohibition on hazing, which shall include information regarding hazing awareness, prevention, intervention, and the institution’s policy prohibiting hazing. The educational program may be offered in person or electronically. The university will incorporate the educational program as part of new student orientation sessions. The educational program will also be posted on the university’s website for parents, legal guardians, and volunteers to view.

    Institutional materials on student rights and responsibilities given to student organizations, or student living groups, either electronically or in hard copy form, shall include a statement on the university’s policy prohibiting hazing and on the dangers of hazing.
     
  2. Educational Programming for Faculty and Staff
    The university will provide hazing prevention education on the signs and dangers of hazing as well as the university’s prohibition on hazing to faculty, staff, and student employees, who have direct ongoing contact with students in a supervisory role or position of authority. This hazing prevention education will be provided either in person or electronically. The prevention education shall be provided to applicable faculty, staff and student employees at the beginning of each academic year and for new employees at their start date.

X. Effective Date

This policy is effective as of May 9, 2025 and supersedes the policy last updated on November 1, 2022.
 

XI. Related Statutes, Regulations, and Policies

Policy Owner: Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Students

Date Adopted: 1998

Date Last Revised: May 9, 2025