Policy 3.6.1

3.6.1 Hazing

Part 1: Purpose
This institutional policy framework is constructed in alignment with the mandates articulated in the Stop Campus Hazing Act (SCHA), codified in December 2024 as an amendment to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (20 U.S.C. § 1092(f)). It is further informed by relevant statutory guidance from the State of Minnesota (§121A.69) and governed by Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) Board Policy 3.6 (MnSCU 2024). The enactment of this policy reflects both a statutory obligation and a normative institutional commitment to fostering a campus ethos that is safe, inclusive, and conducive to intellectual and social flourishing, unmarred by coercion, degradation, or the systemic perpetuation of psychological or physical harm through hazing.

This policy is designed to serve as an integrative governance mechanism that:

  • Establishes a legally sound and operationally precise definition of hazing, harmonized with both federal and state regulatory standards.
  • Institutes structured, research-informed prevention education and intervention frameworks that target students, faculty, and staff (Clery Center 2025).
  • Develops multi-channel, confidential, and trauma-informed reporting procedures.
  • Codifies investigatory protocols rooted in procedural justice and aligned with the evidentiary standards of administrative law.
  • Ensures full institutional compliance with federal and state disclosure mandates, including integration with campus security reporting and notification infrastructures.
  • Assigns discrete functional responsibilities to institutional agents, including executive leadership, student affairs personnel, instructional staff, and campus law enforcement entities.

The policy’s scope encompasses all individuals engaged in the college’s academic, extracurricular, residential, and governance structures—students, faculty, administrators, classified staff, volunteer affiliates, and contractual third parties—across all physical sites, online platforms, and affiliated venues. Organizational units subject to this policy include athletic teams, student clubs and associations, honors societies, discipline-specific learning communities, Greek-letter organizations (regardless of institutional recognition), and any assemblage satisfying the SCHA’s designation of a student organization.

Part 2: Definition of Hazing
In accordance with the statutory language of the Stop Campus Hazing Act, hazing is defined as any intentional, knowing, or reckless act—executed by a single individual or a collective—directed at another individual, wherein the target’s willingness to participate is irrelevant, and where the act occurs as a condition of:

  • Initiation into, continued affiliation with, or retention of membership in any student organization or group sanctioned or unsanctioned by the institution; and
  • The act produces, or foreseeably risks, physical, psychological, emotional, or reputational injury, extending beyond normative participatory risk in academic or organizational life (Clery Center 2025).

Illustrative acts qualifying as hazing include, but are not limited to:

  • Physical assault or duress, such as whipping, beating, excessive exertion, deprivation of bodily autonomy, or branding.
  • Compulsory ingestion or exposure to harmful substances including alcohol, drugs, or unpalatable materials.
  • Simulated or coerced sexual conduct, public nudity, or other dehumanizing practices.
  • Psychological manipulation through isolation, intimidation, or verbal abuse.
  • Engagement in illegal acts under municipal, state, tribal, or federal law under duress or organizational pressure.
  • Mandated participation in ritualized degradation designed to harm, humiliate, or demoralize the individual.

This policy distinguishes between infractions that constitute violations of campus behavioral expectations and those that are prosecutable under criminal statutes. While the college will adjudicate institutional violations, all conduct meeting criminal thresholds will be referred to external law enforcement. Cross-jurisdictional coherence is maintained through ongoing legal counsel and interagency protocols (U.S. Department of Education 2024).

Part 3: Reporting Procedures
Minnesota West Community & Technical College encourages, and in some cases legally mandates, the prompt and accurate reporting of hazing incidents by any campus-affiliated individual. The reporting architecture is designed to prioritize both confidentiality and accountability, utilizing the following authorized mechanisms:

  • The institution’s centralized online reporting form (accessible via the Student Conduct page).
  • Direct submission to the Dean of Student Development or designated administrator.
  • Formal report to Campus Security Authorities (CSAs) or certified institutional safety officers.
  • Referral to the Title IX Coordinator in cases implicating sexual misconduct or sex-based harassment.
  • Contact with local, state, or tribal law enforcement in circumstances involving criminal conduct or imminent threat.

Reporting Standards and Compliance Requirements:

  • Faculty, staff, coaches, residential life personnel, and advisors designated as CSAs under Clery regulations are classified as mandatory reporters (34 C.F.R. § 668.46(a));
  • Reports must include the date, time, location, involved individuals (when known), and a detailed narrative of the incident.
  • Incidents falling within Clery-defined geography and meeting the federal hazing criteria must be integrated into:
  • The Annual Security Report (ASR),
  • The Daily Crime Log, and
  • The Campus Hazing Transparency Report (Clery Center 2025).

Additionally, where a hazing incident presents an ongoing risk to campus safety, it may necessitate the issuance of a Timely Warning Notification, as governed by the college’s emergency communication protocols.

Whistleblower protections are codified, and individuals acting in good faith are shielded from institutional retaliation. Amnesty policies are available to mitigate punitive consequences for those reporting hazing while concurrently disclosing minor policy infractions (U.S. Department of Education 2024).

To ensure regulatory compliance and support effective institutional learning, data tracking platforms will be restructured to tag hazing-related events, support longitudinal analysis, and facilitate interdepartmental coordination. Regular training sessions will be administered to equip CSAs and other stakeholders with the competencies required for accurate identification, documentation, and procedural response to hazing.

Approved By: Terry Gaalswyk, President
Approval Date: August 26, 2025
Revision: May 23, 2030