Dean of Students - Hazing Prevention and Awareness
Close

Dean of Students

Section Navigation

    Hazing Prevention and Awareness

    At Tennessee Tech, we are committed to fostering a safe, respectful, and inclusive campus environment where all students, staff, and faculty can thrive. Hazing has no place in our community, and we are dedicated to preventing it through research-informed, campus-wide initiatives that promote education, accountability, and ethical leadership. This website serves as a comprehensive resource for hazing prevention and awareness, providing clear information on university policies, reporting procedures, investigative processes, and applicable local, state, and federal laws. Our prevention strategies focus on stopping hazing before it occurs, equipping individuals with skills for bystander intervention, promoting ethical leadership, and encouraging positive group cohesion without harmful practices. Together, we can create a campus culture that values respect, inclusion, and the well-being of every member of our community.

    To support our commitment to a safe and inclusive campus, this website offers a range of resources to help students, faculty, and staff understand, prevent, and respond to hazing. Whether you're looking to learn more, report an incident, or access support, the following sections provide essential information:

     

    Hazing Defined

    Statement of Policy

    Investigation and Accountability

    Prevention Strategies

    Campus Resources

    Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

    Rise Above Hazing
    Together, we can build a campus where respect and inclusion come first.
    Report Hazing

    Campus view

    Hazing Defined

    › The Stop Campus Hazing Act amends section 485(f) of the Jeanne Clery Campus Safety Act (20 U.S.C. 1092(f)) and is designed to improve safety, hazing reporting, and prevention on college campuses.

    › In addition to federal law, T.C.A. § 49-7-123, prohibits hazing at all Tennessee institutions of higher education.

    › There are no local or Tribal anti-hazing laws applicable to the university.

    Statement of Policy

    Definitions:

      • Complainant: an individual who is alleged to be the victim of conduct that may constitute hazing.
      • Respondent: an individual who has been reported to be the perpetrator of conduct that may constitute hazing.
      • Hazing: 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 suchother 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; and
        2. 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—
          1. whipping, beating, striking, electronic shocking, placing of a harmful substance on someone’s body, or similar activity;
          2. causing, coercing, or otherwise inducing sleep deprivation, exposure to the elements, confinement in a small space, extreme calisthenics, or other similar activity;
          3. causing, coercing, or otherwise inducing another person to consume food, liquid, alcohol, drugs, or other substances;
          4. causing, coercing, or otherwise inducing another person to perform sexual acts;
          5. any activity that places another person in reasonable fear of bodily harm through the use of threatening words or conduct;
          6. any activity against another person that includes a criminal violation of local, State, Tribal, or Federal law; and
          7. 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
      • Student organization: an organization at an institution of higher education (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 institution of higher education, whether or not the organization is established or recognized by the institution.

     

    Investigation and Accountability

    • Overview of the university’s investigation process  - complaints against students, 302 – complaints against employees, vendors, or visitors
    • Rights of individuals involved in hazing cases
    • Disciplinary actions and legal consequences
    • Campus hazing transparency report (chart with hazing violations)

    Prevention Strategies

    • Primary prevention approaches to stop hazing before it occurs  
      • Bystander intervention training and skill-building resources  
      • Ethical leadership development programs  
      • Alternative ways to build group cohesion without hazing  

    Campus Resources

    • Counseling and support services for hazing victims  
    • Partnerships with national hazing prevention organizations  

     

    Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

     

    Experience Tech For Yourself

    Visit us to see what sets us apart.

    Schedule Your Visit