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Student Accountability & Re...
Student Handbook
Hazing Policy
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Gallaudet University recognizes that student organizations, clubs, athletics, including club and intramural sports, fraternities, and sororities, student governance bodies, and performance arts groups are an integral part of the student experience. They are important contributors to a vibrant and positive campus life. This relationship carries with it certain rights of the University to protect and preserve an appropriate environment in which all students, student athletes, and student organizations may operate. Hazing is a fundamental violation of human dignity that is incompatible with Gallaudet University’s mission and values and is strictly prohibited. Hazing can cause physical or psychological harm and may be characterized by hazing behaviors that are subtle and intimidating, harassing, and/or violent in nature.
Hazing is prohibited by Gallaudet University and the federal Stop Campus Hazing Act (H.R. 5646). No chapter, organization, team, or member of the Gallaudet community, including students, faculty, staff, University officials, or any other persons employed by Gallaudet University, or University alumni, may engage in or condone hazing activities. Hazing is abusive, degrading, psychologically damaging, and may be life-threatening. Violations of the hazing policy as defined in the Student Code of Conduct may subject any individual, student organization, athletic team, club, intramural sports team, and related groups or associations to disciplinary action. Passive involvement in hazing activities (i.e., being passively present during a hazing activity, helping plan the activity, providing supplies, etc.) may also be considered a violation of the code of conduct (see definitions of complicity and collusion). Individuals and groups are expected to act in accordance with the Student Code of Conduct and to treat others with respect.
The following hazing policy applies to all student organizations (including but not limited to clubs, fraternities, sororities, or student government bodies), varsity or athletic teams, club sports teams, intramural teams, performing arts, and students of Gallaudet University.
For the purpose of this policy and the Student Conduct disciplinary process, “hazing” is defined as any action or situation, with or without consent and whether on or off University premises, that intentionally, knowingly, recklessly, or unintentionally:
Endangers the physical or mental health or safety of a student,
Creates an unreasonable risk of injury or serious emotional distress,
Causes discomfort, embarrassment, harassment, or ridicule,
Willfully destroys or removes public or private property,
Violates any federal, state, or local law or University policy, or
Causes or encourages another person to commit an act that would violate the law or University policy.
Hazing typically occurs in connection with an individual’s initiation into, affiliation with, or continued membership in a group, club, organization, team, association, or similar entity.
A list of common examples provides guidance as to what may constitute a hazing violation under the Student Code of Conduct can be found under “Types of Hazing” below.
For the purpose of reporting incidents of hazing in our Annual Security Report (ASR), the Stop Campus Hazing Act defines “hazing” 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:
• Is committed in the course of an initiation into, an affiliation with, or the maintenance of membership in, a student organization; and
• 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. The following are non-exhaustive examples of conduct that causes or creates such a risk:
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 applicable local, [insert applicable state name] 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.
Context matters when determining whether an act constitutes hazing. While some behaviors constitute hazing regardless of context (e.g., paddling, branding, use of alcohol and/or other drugs), other behaviors may depend on the circumstances. An example would be calisthenics for athletes, which is an expected part of conditioning and maintaining fitness during the course of a season and would not be considered hazing; however, requiring new members or non-athletic student organizations to perform calisthenics such as push-ups or mile runs would constitute hazing.
The expressed or implied consent of any individual or group of individuals will not be a defense to any action brought pursuant to this policy. An individual who does not object to or appears to be a willing participant in an activity does not signify that the activity or conduct is not hazing.
For the purposes of this policy and the student conduct disciplinary process, “student organization” is defined as a group of students who have joined together for a common purpose and are officially registered with Gallaudet through the Student Engagement and Leadership office as a student organization or club.
The Stop Campus Hazing Act defines a “student organization” for purposes of reporting statistics as “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.”
In the case of students participating in a student organization unrecognized by the campus that contains two or more members who are students enrolled at the campus, such individual students may be subject to a charge or charges of hazing on an individual basis.
Hazing encompasses a wide range of behaviors which are often grouped into three categories: subtle and intimidating, harassing, and violent in nature*. Individuals, organizations, teams, clubs, and other participants. will be held responsible for violations of the hazing policy if they cause, coerce, induce, or are complicit in prohibited hazing behaviors.
* From “The Spectrum of Hazing”, a research-based resource developed by StopHazing researchers, Dr. Elizabeth Llan and Dr. Dave Kerschner. For more information, check https://stophazing.org/resources/spectrum/
It is not possible to make an all-inclusive list of hazing behaviors, as many are context-specific; the following list of common examples provides guidance as to what may constitute a hazing violation under the Student Code of Conduct.
Subtle and intimidating behaviors are the types of behaviors that are often taken for granted or accepted as harmless or meaningless, and emphasize a power differential between new members and other members of the group, team, club, or related organization. Examples include:
Assigning demerits
Implementing undue financial expenditures
Assigning acts of servitude or menial tasks
Name calling/using demeaning names
Socially isolating new members
Expecting certain items to always be in one’s possession or carrying certain unusual items
Quizzing/drilling on meaningless information
Deceiving and/or threatening new members that they will not be initiated or able to join the group/team/organization for failing or refusing to partake in or submit to any form of hazing activity
Activities which deter or hinder fulfillment of academic, athletic, or occupational obligations, and conducting activities during academic hours (i.e., 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., Mondays through Friday)
Withholding information or personal property from others that is essential to daily functioning (e.g., wallets, keys, IDs, phones, computers, or any other personal property)
Harassing behaviors are the type of behaviors that cause physical, mental, or emotional discomfort and include:
Verbal abuse and threats – the yelling, taunting, cursing, insulting, bullying, or cyberbullying, or any activity that places another person in reasonable fear of bodily harm through the use of threatening words or conduct
Sleep deprivation – causing, coercing, or otherwise inducing an activity that results in sleep deprivation (less than 7 consecutive hours of uninterrupted sleep on any given day). No activities or events should be conducted after 11 p.m. beginning Sunday evening through Friday morning and after 3:00 am on weekends; conducting activities which do not allow adequate time for study or involve late work sessions or assignments that interfere with academic, occupational, or athletic obligations; and/or denying a pledge/associate member access to their bed at any time.
Skit nights with degrading or humiliating acts
Sexual simulations
Assigning members to interfere with or disrupt other organizations, clubs, teams, or related groups and their members
Requiring costuming, the wearing of apparel or hairstyles that are conspicuous and/or normally in bad taste, or alterations of appearance. This includes unusual clothing styles or repetitive wearing of uniforms
Requiring line-ups, which are defined as lines or gatherings created for the purpose of traveling/going from one place to another, or a line where new members are subject to interrogation or harassment.*
*Occasional ceremonial line-ups for the purpose of announcing members or events may be conducted with advance approval from departments with oversight of the organization/team/club.
Activities or behaviors that have the potential to cause physical, emotional and/or psychological harm. Examples include:
Any type of physical brutality, such as paddle swats, whipping, forced tattooing or branding, beating, pushing, shoving, striking, tackling, electronic shocking, placing of a harmful substance on someone’s body, or similar activity
Causing, coercing, forcing, requiring, or encouraging new members/members to drink alcohol or use any other drugs; providing or using alcohol or other drugs as part of organizational activities.
Causing, coercing, forcing, or requiring the consumption of any substance (food, liquid or other vile substance); pouring, dropping, throwing, or rubbing any substance (eggs, garbage, water, paint, syrup, etc.) on any part of the body of any individual; conducting food consumption events or contests
Blindfolding
Nudity, partial nudity, or indecent exposure
Causing, coercing, or otherwise inducing another member to perform sexual acts
Any activity against another member that includes violation(s) of University policies, the D.C. Code, and/or Federal law, including activities that require, induce or cause another member to perform tasks or duties that violate University policies, D.C Code, and/or Federal law
Unnecessary exposure to the elements, including severe or inclement weather, without appropriate clothing or protection;
Confinement in a small space
Calisthenics or similar activity, such as push-ups, sit-ups, and runs, or any activity that adversely affects the mental or physical health or safety of a student
Abduction or kidnapping; scavenger hunts that require or result in theft, forced or coerced road trips, abandonment of new members, requiring them to find their way back (drop-offs)
(Some elements of this policy were adapted from the Stop Campus Hazing Act, stophazing.org, SUNY Student Conduct Institute, University of California – Riverside, Georgetown University, and/or Cornell University hazing policies)
At the time of this publication, the District of Columbia does not have an applicable law on hazing.
Gallaudet encourages the reporting of incidents of hazing and takes every such report seriously. Any person having knowledge of any activity or conduct which may constitute hazing can report their concerns directly to the Chief Student Affairs Officer (Ely 102, Student Affairs Email), Director of Student Accountability and Restorative Programs, the Coordinators of Student Accountability (Ely 103, SARP email), or Department of Public Safety (Carlin Hall basement, DPS email). The link to the Hazing Policy Violation Form can be found here.
If this is an emergency or urgent situation, contact the Department of Public Safety (DPS email, 202 651-5555 (v, text) or 911. It will investigate all reports diligently and thoroughly in accordance with the hearing procedures for student organizations. Individuals found responsible for committing, soliciting, encouraging, directing, aiding, or recklessly permitting hazing to occur will be subject to disciplinary sanctions that could include suspension or expulsion.
All members including new members of a student organizations, clubs, athletics including club and intramural sports, fraternities, and sororities, student governance bodies, and performance arts groups are expected to immediately report any observed hazing incident or improper activity, and fully cooperate with University officials and/or law enforcement authorities in the investigation of hazing and other illegal activities.
Gallaudet will respect the privacy of reporters but cannot guarantee confidentiality for hazing reports. The information you provide to a non-confidential resource will be relayed only as necessary to investigate and/or seek a resolution and/or to comply with other appropriate University policies and procedures, and any federal, state, and/or local laws, rules, and regulations. Gallaudet will limit the disclosure as much as possible, even if we determine that the request for confidentiality cannot be honored.
Offices and officials who are confidential resources will not report to law enforcement or university officials without a complainant/reporting party’s permission, except for extreme circumstances, such as a health and/or safety emergency. Gallaudet offices that are considered confidential are as follows:
Counseling and Psychological Services
Student Health Services
Office of Campus Ministries
Gallaudet recognizes that students are sometimes reluctant to report hazing activity, due to a fear of potential consequences for their own conduct. For this reason, the University has adopted an amnesty policy which states that a student who acts in good faith to report activity that may fall within the definition of hazing and/or a victim who cooperates fully as a witness in the investigation and disciplinary process may not be subject to student conduct sanctions related to their own participation in hazing behavior as determined by the University in its sole discretion.
In the event amnesty is granted for self-reported behaviors, if evidence is presented that the student has continued to engage in hazing behaviors or has knowledge of hazing activity that was not reported, they may be held accountable for past behavior. Students who choose to report and request amnesty for their own conduct should know that amnesty does not apply to any criminal or civil action that may be taken by any law enforcement agencies, including the Department of Public Safety and the DC Metropolitan Police Department.
(adapted from SUNY – Student Conduct Institute)
No person or organization may intimidate, threaten, harass, coerce, or discriminate against any individual for reporting an alleged violation of this policy, or for cooperating with, assisting, or otherwise participating in any University investigation, proceeding, or hearing under this policy. Complaints alleging retaliation may be filed with the Student Accountability and Restorative Practices (SARP) and/or Human Resources. Harassment and/or intimidation of the Student Conduct Board prior to, during, and/or after a conduct proceeding is prohibited.
If there is a report made alleging a violation of the hazing policy, Student Accountability and Restorative Practices (SARP) will quickly review the submission and determine the next appropriate actions. If a report is criminal in nature, the Department of Public Safety and/or the DC Metropolitan Police Department will be contacted. SARP will also conduct its own investigation to prevent a recurrence of the alleged hazing and to determine if there are potential violations of the Student Code of Conduct and/or any other applicable processes, depending upon the nature of the complaint.
The Coordinator of Student Accountability will implement the appropriate University disciplinary procedures. This does not preclude additional action taken by the organization/team itself, the Athletics Department, the Theatre and Dance Department, Student Engagement and Leadership, the national/international headquarters of the organization, the District of Columbia, or the Federal courts. Hazing charges against individuals will be investigated and adjudicated separately and in accordance with student disciplinary procedures for individual students in the Student Code of Conduct; if found responsible for violations of the hazing policy, the organization itself may be subject to organizational charges.
The Dean of Student Affairs, Director of Student Accountability and Restorative Practices or their designee may suspend or restrict a student organization for an interim period pending the resolution of the allegation when there is a reasonable suspicion to believe the continued activities of the organization, athletic team, club sport, intramurals, or other groups and its members may pose an immediate threat to or interrupt the normal functions of the University community. During the interim suspension of student organizations, the organization may be required to cease all organizational activities, and its access to University space may be denied. The organization may be asked to vacate any assigned University space immediately upon written notice from the Dean of Student Affairs, Director of Student Accountability and Restorative Practices, or their designee.
The Greek Presidents Council will be briefed about charges pending against a Greek organization, while the Student Body Government will be advised of charges pending against a non-Greek organization only if an interim suspension is imposed against an organization pending a hearing. The Greek Presidents Council or the Student Body Government will receive information regarding penalties, if any, that are imposed against an organization in order to ensure compliance with the decision. The Director or Coordinator of Student Accountability may choose not to provide this information in extremely sensitive cases.
Any person or organization in need of clarification of this process should consult with the Dean of Student Affairs, the Director of Student Accountability and Restorative Practices, the Director of Student Engagement and Leadership, or the SARP Coordinators of Student Accountability.
The discipline of student organizations is incorporated into the general Student Code of Conduct and operates according to the rules of that system. Violations of the hazing policy follow the same procedures as other violations of the Student Code of Conduct by student organizations. The University may carry out disciplinary proceedings and impose disciplinary sanctions on a student organization, recognized club or intramural team (hereinafter referred as “student organization”) found responsible for violation(s) of the Student Code of Conduct without regard to the pendency of civil or criminal litigation in court or criminal arrest and prosecution. Any member of the University community may file charges against an organization for misconduct. Charges should be prepared in writing and directed to the Coordinator of Student Accountability. Any charge should be submitted as soon as possible after the event takes place.
The Coordinator of Student Accountability may conduct an investigation to decide whether a formal charge will be brought against the student organization. Student organizations may also be collectively responsible and held accountable for the actions of individual members when the behavior is reasonably connected to the student organization (see below). Individual students who are members of a student organization may also be charged and held individually accountable for violations that are also attributed to the student organization.
It is not the number of members involved in an activity that determines collective responsibility; the determining factor is whether the activity is related to the student organization rather than a private activity by persons who happen to be members of the same group. Several factors* may be considered when determining an organization’s responsibility for the individual actions of its members, including but not limited to the following*:
Whether the acts grew out of or were directly related to the organization’s activities, or an environment created by the organization;
Whether the group or its officers officially sanctioned or implicitly encouraged the activity, even though they did not officially “sanction” it;
Whether a member of an organization violated the law or university policies, and other members present failed to indicate their disapproval, were complicit, or by their continued presence without objection implicitly condoning the behavior;
Whether the acts were those of guests of the organization or by persons authorized or permitted to represent themselves as connected to the organization;
Whether a substantial number of the organization’s members or officers were aware, in advance, that the activity might take place;
Whether the organization’s members or officers were aware of the violation(s) after the fact and did not take the steps to correct the violation(s) that occurred;
Whether the organization failed to document, communicate, and utilize accountability mechanisms to address member behavior when it is not aligned to the organization’s expectations of members and/or university policy;
Whether there have been previous similar incidents with members of the organization, and
Whether a pattern of misbehavior and group norms emerges from otherwise seemingly isolated incidents.
If one or more of the factors listed above are present, there is a basis to charge the student organization and hold the organization accountable for the behavior of its members based on the principle of collective responsibility.*(adapted from Stanford University’s collective responsibility policy for student organizations)
The Coordinator of Student Accountability may refuse to grant hearings on complaints about incidents that occurred at a time too distant from the date of the filing of charges or when information or testimony is too vague.The following procedural guidelines are established for the direction of all persons and boards conducting formal hearings on disciplinary complaints against a student organization at Gallaudet University:
The Coordinator of Student Accountability may investigate to determine if the charges have merit and/or if they can be disposed of by restorative practices, through a restorative practices committee established for this purpose on a basis acceptable to the Coordinator of Student Accountability. If the charges are disposed of by mutual consent through the restorative practices committee, such disposition will be final, and there will be no subsequent proceedings. If the charges cannot be disposed of by mutual consent or if restorative practices are not the appropriate form of resolution for the allegations, the charges will be handled by the Student Conduct Board or the Coordinator of Student Accountability. The Coordinator of Student Accountability, if present at the restorative practices committee, may later serve in the same manner as a non-voting member of the Student Conduct Board in a hearing.
1. The organization will be notified by the Coordinator of Student Accountability that a disciplinary complaint has been filed. The organization’s advisor will also be notified of the complainant. The president/chair of an organization and/or their designee will represent the organization in any proceedings involving alleged violations of the Student Code of Conduct by the organization.
2. An appointment for a pre-hearing meeting with the Coordinator of Student Accountability must be made no later than five business days after the letter is received. If a meeting with the Coordinator of Student Accountability is not arranged within five business days after receipt of the letter, or if the organization fails to show up at the scheduled pre-hearing meeting to decide how the case will be handled, information in support of the charge(s) will be presented and considered, and a decision will be made in the student organization representative’s absence.
3. The organization will be informed by the Coordinator of Student Accountability of two possible ways to resolve the case: 1) appear at a scheduled hearing and present its case before the Student Conduct Board; or 2) accept responsibility for the violation(s) as charged, waive the right to a hearing and present witnesses on their behalf and accept sanctions imposed by the Coordinator of Student Accountability. In the event of scheduling difficulties or special circumstances, the complaint may be heard and action decided by the Student Conduct Board.
4. The designated representatives of the organization may be accompanied by an advisor of their choice. The designated representatives of the organizations are responsible for presenting information during the hearing, and therefore, advisors are not permitted to speak or to participate directly in the disciplinary hearing. Advisors may confer with a student only when there is no question on the table or a response pending from the student. In consideration of the limited role of an advisor, the organization should select an advisor or a person whose schedule allows attendance at the scheduled date and time of the hearing, because delays will not normally be allowed due to the scheduling conflicts of an advisor. Violations of any restrictions for advisors will result in the advisor being removed from the hearing at the discretion of the Coordinator of Student Accountability.
5. The president/chair of the organization and/or his/her designee may appear in person and present relevant information to the Coordinator of Student Accountability or the Student Conduct Board and may call witnesses. While efforts will be made to accommodate the schedules of all parties involved, scheduling conflicts or the failure of witnesses or the advisor to appear will not constitute grounds for a continuance of the hearing. The designated representatives are responsible for presenting their cases and will have the opportunity to hear and question all participants at the hearing. Should the designated representatives of the organization elect not to appear at the hearing, it will be held in their absence. The failure of an organization to appear may be a factor considered.
6. The organization may choose to remain silent to preserve the right against self-incrimination. In such cases, other available information will be considered.
7. Formal rules of processes, procedures, and/or technical rules of evidence will not be applicable to campus disciplinary proceedings conducted pursuant to this Code. Any information or testimony the Board or the Coordinator of Student Accountability believes to be relevant may be considered.
8. The Coordinator of Student Accountability will exercise control over the proceedings to avoid needless consumption of time and to achieve orderly completion of the hearing. Any person, including the representative of the student organization (the respondent), witnesses, or the advisor, who disrupts a hearing may be excluded by the Coordinator of Student Accountability.
9. After the hearing, the Student Conduct Board will determine whether the organization is responsible for the violation with which it is charged and will recommend sanctions, if any, to the Coordinator of Student Accountability from the range of sanctions applicable for student organizations. All parties and witnesses will be excluded during Board deliberations. All decisions apply the preponderance of the evidence standard; the Student Conduct Board’s determination will be made on the basis of whether it is more likely than not that the accused organization violated the Student Code of Conduct. If the Student Conduct Board, or Coordinator of Student Accountability, or the restorative practices committee decides that a violation did occur, but the organization is not responsible for the violation, the complainant may proceed with charges against individual(s) through the Student Conduct program in accordance with the disciplinary hearing procedures for individual students. The student organization will be entitled to a rationale of any decision, and a letter summarizing the decision and any disciplinary sanctions, if applicable, will be sent to the student organization except in certain cases (e.g. sexual misconduct) where the complainant will also receive a letter summarizing the decision and any disciplinary sanctions, if applicable.
10. The organization will be informed in person and/or in writing of the right to appeal a decision. A decision of the Student Conduct Board or the Coordinator of Student Accountability may be appealed to the Associate Dean of Student Center Programs and Services. A decision or judgment of the Student Conduct Board or the Coordinator (or Director) of Student Accountability may be appealed by either or both of the opposing parties upon the following grounds:
An appeal must be in writing, must indicate the basis of the appeal with an explanation, and must be made within five business days of the date the parties were notified of the decision. In an appeal case, action assessed by the initial Student Conduct Board or the Coordinator of Student Accountability may be held in suspense until acted upon in appeal, at the discretion of the Associate Dean or designee. The Associate Dean or designee may affirm, reverse, or modify the sanction originally assessed. The Coordinator of Student Accountability will convey pertinent information to the Associate Dean. The decision of the Associate Dean of Student Center Programs and Services or designee is final and is not appealable.
All Student Conduct hearings will be closed to the public in order to protect the confidential nature of the proceedings.
Any Student Conduct Board member will elect to abstain from participation in a hearing when the member has a duality of interest in the case or a personal reason that precludes participation without prejudice. The parties will be provided a list of potential panel members during the pre-hearing meeting. All objections to any panel member must be raised in writing, detailing the rationale for the objection, and must be submitted to the Coordinator of Student Accountability as soon as possible and no later than three (3) business days prior to the hearing. Panel members will only be removed if the Coordinator of Student Accountability concludes that their bias or conflict of interest precludes an impartial hearing of the allegation(s).
Determinations made or sanctions imposed under the Student Code of Conduct will not be subject to change or challenge because criminal charges arising out of the same fact, giving rise to a violation of University rules, are pending, were dismissed, reduced, or resolved in favor of/or against the criminal law defendant.
Because of time concerns and the expenses it would incur, provision for written transcripts of campus disciplinary hearings is not required.
The Student Conduct Board, restorative practices committee, and/or Coordinator of Student Accountability will determine the rules of procedure in addition to those stated herein, and all procedural questions are subject to the final decision of the Coordinator (or Director) of Student Accountability.
If a Student Conduct Board or the Coordinator (or Director) of Student Accountability decides that a student organization should be disciplined, the disciplinary action should be consistent with the severity of the offense. The following are sanctions recognized by Gallaudet University; the Board or the Coordinator (or Director) of Student Accountability may implement other sanctions instead of or in addition to those specified below:
A. Organization Restorative Actions – this involves engaging in actions to restore the impact of a violation and repair the harms resulting from misconduct on other members of the community. These actions may include letters of apology, drafting and implementing a plan of resolution, engaging in restorative conversations, and developing plans for reintegration.
B. Organization University Warning – a formal notice that the organization’s actions violated a University policy, that such actions are not acceptable in our community, and that further misconduct, or any other violation of a University policy, may result in more impactful disciplinary action. Organizations are expected to reflect upon their decisions and to be mindful of how their future choices and actions may impact members, the organization, others, and the University community.
C. Organization Conduct Review – this indicates that an organization’s behavior is a significant violation of university policy, either because the student has had one significant incident or because the organization is beginning to show a pattern of concerning behavior. Conduct Review is imposed for a specific period of time to encourage the organization to reflect upon their choices and behavior and to demonstrate the ability to abide by university policies and expectations. During this time, any policy violations committed during this period will likely result in a heightened level of response and more significant sanction(s). A conduct review does not place any formal restriction on a student’s privileges or activities. It may impact opportunities for which an organization’s disciplinary record is considered as a criterion for participation.
D. Organization Disciplinary Probation – a status imposed for a specific period of time where organizations are asked to take active steps toward improving their decisions and behaviors and to demonstrate that they can abide by university policies and succeed as a registered student organization. Disciplinary probation will frequently be accompanied by a loss of privileges within an organization, including the loss of privileges to participate in an event or activity. Examples include:
Denial of the right to maintain an office or other assigned space on University property:
Restriction on receiving or retaining funding, and fundraising activities;
Restriction on participating in intramurals;
Restriction on sponsoring a social event;
Restriction on use of University resources;
Restriction on sponsoring any speaker or guest on campus;
Restriction on participating in a social event;
Restriction on co-sponsoring any social event or other activity;
Prohibition from conducting rush or membership recruitment;
Restriction on eligibility for University awards or recognition;
Restriction on organization representation on university and studentcommittees, organizations, or boards, or organization representation in any official capacity with Gallaudet University;:
Restriction from members or officers holding positions of leadership, including in other student organizations or paraprofessional positions;
Conditions – Limitations on a student organization’s privileges for a period of time or an active obligation to complete a specified activity or activities.
Restriction on entry or access to particular locations, premises, or events;
The terms imply that violation of any provision in the Student Code of Conduct would be viewed not only as a violation of the regulation itself, but also as a violation of the probation and would most likely result in more significant sanction(s).E. Discretionary Sanctions – work assignments, essays, educational projects, attendance at sexual assault, intimate relationship violence, and/or stalking awareness, hazing, or related workshops or training, participation in online sexual assault modules, intimate relationship violence, and/or stalking awareness or related courses, service to Gallaudet University, other discretionary assignments.F. Financial Restitution – monetary or material reimbursement/compensation required of organizations who have taken, misused, damaged, or destroyed University, public, or private property or services. Amounts charged to organizations may include the cost to repair, replace, recover, clean, or otherwise account for the property or services affected.G. Fines – punitive monetary costs intended to dissuade organizations from violating the Code of Conduct. Fines collected are used by the University to fund services and programs for students.H. Loss of Student Privileges – Limitations on organization member(s) privileges for a period of time. Principals (officers, etc.) may be prohibited from holding office in any other organization, depending on the severity of the negative leadership displayed. Students from a suspended or revoked organization may also be prohibited from reforming a similar organization under another name.
I. Organization Suspension – Denial of rights and privileges of a registered organization. Any organization whose registration is suspended must cease all organizational activities upon receiving this sanction. Any member of a suspended organization may not hold an appointed or elected office as a representative of the suspended organization in any other organization or committee for the duration of the organization’s period of suspension. The organization may be asked to vacate the office or housing space assigned by the University. Office or housing space assigned prior to suspension will not automatically be reassigned. The organization may reapply for space assignment, subject to availability. Suspended organizations will automatically be placed on disciplinary probation for a minimum of one academic year following their renewed registration and may be subject to conditions and/or restrictions during the probationary status.
J. Organization Dissolution – Termination of an organization’s recognition by the University. This includes total restriction on the organization and its members or supporters conducting any activity on the premises of Gallaudet University or at off-campus University-sponsored events that in any way promote the goals, purposes, identity, programs, membership, or activities of the organization. Space vacated due to this permanent revocation will be reassigned by the University. Once dissolved, a group or organization may only reapply for recognition once all current members have left the University community.
Additional conditions or restrictions as deemed appropriate by the Student Accountability Coordinators/Student Conduct Board.
Hazing activities may occur as part of student organizations, clubs, athletics, including club and intramural sports, fraternities, and sororities, student governance bodies, and performance arts groups. As such, Gallaudet has implemented a variety of research-informed campus-wide prevention programs for students, faculty, and staff to prevent the occurrences of hazing and report incidents of hazing. Examples include but are not limited to:
Online hazing educational courses/modules. Student Affairs offers research-based hazing prevention online courses on hazing for students, faculty, staff, student groups, teams/clubs, coaches, advisors, and administrators.
On-campus workshops. Student Affairs offers campus-wide and organization/team-tailored workshops on hazing that supplement the online hazing educational modules.
Social media information dissemination. Student Affairs shares relevant information on hazing on its social media platforms.
Related prevention and awareness programs include AlcoholEdu and Sexual Misconduct Prevention for Undergraduates, which highlight prohibited conduct as well as bystander intervention strategies.
The online hazing educational courses/modules and/or on-campus workshops include research-based educational information on hazing, information related to University policy on hazing, information on ethical leadership, skill building for bystander intervention, information on how to report activities or conduct which may constitute hazing, and the promotion of strategies for building group cohesion without hazing.
While hazing prevention and awareness programs are publicly available for anyone during the course of the academic year, participation in online hazing educational courses/modules and/or on-campus workshops is mandatory for some student organizations, teams, and student leaders and coaches/advisors; prospective new members for Greek organizations will not be able to join any Greek organization until they have completed hazing training. For more information, contact Student Accountability and Restorative Practices (SARP) or Student Engagement and Leadership (SEL).
StopHazing is a leader in data-driven strategies that support safe and inclusive school, campus, and organizational climates. Their Spectrum of Hazing provides a graphic representation of examples of hazing behaviors in various forms. Gallaudet uses information from StopHazing in its policy development and educational and prevention programs. stophazing.org
Hazing Prevention Network. The Hazing Prevention Network is a non-profit dedicated to empowering people to prevent hazing. Their goal is to educate people about the dangers of hazing, advocate for change, and engage the community in strategies to prevent hazing. https://hazingpreventionnetwork.org/
Campus Hazing Transparency Act
Gallaudet will publish a report of responsible findings for hazing violations involving student organizations in December 2025, pursuant to the federal Stop Campus Hazing Act. The report will be found on this page on or before December 23, 2025.
Jeanne Clery Campus Safety Act
The Stop Campus Hazing Act amended the Jeanne Clery Campus Safety Act by requiring higher education institutions to report crime statistics and disclose security-related information by adding hazing incident and prevention program data to the Annual Security Report. In October 2026, Gallaudet will provide hazing crime statistics in the Annual Security Report (ASR) and Fire Safety Report, published by the Department of Public Safety. For more information about Gallaudet’s Clery ASR, please click click the link.
Effective date June 23, 2025
Student Accountability & Restorative Practices (SARP)