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My educational background includes teaching middle and elementary students math and science. Through my teaching experience, we would talk about the different school activities that they could be a part of or their future endeavors as in looking into a career or a college they would want to attend. My field of education is in Student Development and Leadership in Higher Education. Based off my experience and the knowledge I have gathered through out my degree program, I can see myself working in student affairs or with student organizations in my future field of work. Therefore, my professional perspective will be as the Director of Student Affairs sharing with fellow Student Affairs personnel information over hazing in student organizations.

Student Affairs personnel that work closely with student organizations can utilize this legal guide to understand the legal and ethical principles and best practices when it comes to addressing the issue of hazing in student organizations.

This topic was chosen since working with student organizations in my future field of work is something of interest to me. The specific topic of hazing in organizations was chosen since this is a issue that is prevalent on college campuses today. Hazing comes in many forms and there is a lack of informed personnel on campus on "the severity and permeation of this behavior" (Rich, 2018, para. 1). Therefore, this legal guide will be either very informative to some student affairs personnel or a great reminder.

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The interview with the Director of Multicultural & Student Activities Programs, Eliza Baker (pseudonym),  led to a better understanding of the importance of brining attention to the topic of hazing. This particular legal guide for hazing in student organizations is important for higher education personnel because this is a topic that "needs more attention brought to it" (E. Baker, personnel communication, July 12, 2021). Due to the fact that there is a lot of gray area when it comes to what is considered hazing (Personnel communication, July 12, 2021), it is important to inform student affairs personnel of this topic along with students. Student affairs personnel need to be sure they are doing their part when it comes to informing students and to focus on preventative awareness (Personnel communication, July 12, 2021). If students and student affairs personnel lack the information needed to address and identify hazing, legal issues will become an issue on campus.

In the area of hazing there are some practices that personnel can follow in order to ensure they are up to date on reporting, teaching others about the topic, and identifying hazing. One practice is staying current on the topic of hazing through research and collaboration with other leadership on campus (Personnel communication, July 12, 2021). This ensures uniformity across campus and that everyone is on the same page when it comes to hazing. Another practice is to talk with students through the use of focus groups to understand what is happening on campus that school personnel may be missing (Personnel communication, July 12, 2021). To understand what students need to feel safe on campus, which can help to identify areas that need to be trained on. A third practice is for student affairs personnel to provide risk management training for students. This ensures that students are aware of what constitutes hazing, how to report it and helps keep the campus safe (Personnel communication, July 12, 2021).

An emerging issue related to hazing is determining what students think is safe now that most school environments are online (Personnel communication, July 12, 2021). There is the question if different forms of hazing will be seen now that an online environment is more prevalent. This is something that will need to be watched and talking with students about what they are experiencing can be beneficial to understand what is going on in the virtual world. This can lead to student affairs personnel having a better understanding of how to identify different forms of hazing and schools can support students at all levels.

Name: Eliza Baker (pseudonym)
Title: Director of Multicultural & Student Activities Programs
School: Angelo State University
Link to Bio: https://www.angelo.edu/live/profiles/1253-erika-baeza

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Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors (AFA)
Citation: Jones, J.M. & Bowie, M.V. (2018, Oct. 15). NPHC town hall: Six point strategy for collegiate councils. Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors (AFA). https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.afa1976.org/resource/collection/3380E713-014A-4313-9968-59949C74CB69/NPHC_TownHall.pdf
Link: https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.afa1976.org/resource/collection/3380E713-014A-4313-9968-59949C74CB69/NPHC_TownHall.pdf

On AFAs website, there is a webinar to discuss strategies related to hazing on campus which can be beneficial for student affairs personnel look into. It provides information on how personnel can stay up to date on hazing information, along with tips on how to be compliant with hazing topics. Such tips include, communicating with all stakeholders the plan for addressing hazing, trainings and education for new and current personnel through time and resources.
(Jones & Bowie, 2018)

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Article: What Can Campus Leaders Do About a Surge in Fraternity Hazing?
Citation: McCreary, G. (2021, March 15). What can campus leaders do about a surge in fraternity hazing? The Chronicle of Higher Education. https://www.chronicle.com/article/what-can-campus-leaders-do-about-a-surge-in-fraternity-hazing?cid=gen_sign_in
Link: https://www.chronicle.com/article/what-can-campus-leaders-do-about-a-surge-in-fraternity-hazing?cid=gen_sign_in

Research over how COVID-19 has impacted fraternity experience has led to new trends (McCreary, 2021) that may lead to hazing issues in the years to come.

One trend that schools can expect to see is the increase in binge drinking. With the pandemic, drinking has increased in general, which has shown to carry on to our college students including fraternities (McCreary, 2021).

There is also an increase in students that know they definitely want to be a part of a fraternity and less of students that are unsure if they want to join. The caution with this is, those that know they definitely want to join will go at any cost to be sure they are a part of the fraternity. Leading to a possibility of an increase in hazing. Those that are unsure if they want to join are just there for a feeling of comradery and will not go to extreme measures to be sure they are able to join (McCreary, 2021).

There is also the trend that there will be a motivation to haze new recruits. With the decrease in social encounters for students, hazing will be a way to increase social-dominance over others (McCreary, 2021).

Since last year with social distancing in place and the school environment not as normal as it used to be, fraternities are ready to get back to as close to a normal school year as they can. This means they will be going all out to make up for last year. This will include every aspect of fraternity life, including drinking and especially hazing (McCreary, 2021).

Some ways to address these trends are to rethink rush week to make it a safe way to recruit students. Look at providing resources and interventions to reduce alcohol use. Try to instill in fraternities a immediate initiation, skipping the pledging stage. This will help to eliminate the fraternity from feeling the need to haze students wanting to join (McCreary, 2021).

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Article: A New Roaring Twenties?
Citation: Sasso, P. A. & Veldkamp, S. (2021, June 17). A new roaring twenties? Inside Higher ED. https://www.insidehighered.com/views/2021/06/17/colleges-should-prepare-deal-more-student-drinking-and-hazing-fall-semester-opinion
Link: https://www.insidehighered.com/views/2021/06/17/colleges-should-prepare-deal-more-student-drinking-and-hazing-fall-semester-opinion

Now that schools are starting to go back to normal and students are returning from a year with a lack of a social life, students may be on the look out for ways to meet their social needs. This could be met by joining student organizations such as fraternities and sororities, an increase in drinking and hazing to achieve their sense of normality (Sasso & Veldkamp, 2021).

There is a need to consider how colleges can reduce the harm that is done on campus. One solution is to provide monitored social events for students to attend that create awareness for binge drinking and hazing in student organizations (Sasso & Veldkamp, 2021).

Be aware of events that happen during the semester that are known to have drinking and hazing. These events could be homecoming week, athletic events, rush week, etc. Which could be "rites of passage, increasing the expectation for alcohol to be involved" (Sasso & Veldkamp, 2021, para. 10) along with hazing for students to earn their place in the organization (Sasso & Veldkamp, 2021).

Moving forward, colleges should look to inform parents and students over the consequences that can come with hazing. By increasing staff and resources to increase trainings on preventative awareness, schools can get on the right track to addressing the hazing and alcohol misuse (Sasso & Veldkamp, 2021).

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Law: Texas Education Code Section 37.151
Source of Law: Statutory (State)
Citation: Tex. Educ. Code § 37.151
Link to Full Text: https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/ED/htm/ED.37.htm

Identifies the meaning of an organization. That it can include fraternities, sororities, cheerleading, athletic,  and academic groups.

Defines what hazing is and all the different forms that hazing can come in. The fact that there is a lot of gray area with hazing, this is important to understand so it can easily be identified in organizations.

As student affairs personnel, it is our legal requirement to understand how to identify different forms of hazing should we come across an incident. Or be able to identify hazing if a student comes to you about an incident. This way the incident can be reported correctly and in a timely manner.

(Tex. Educ. Code § 37.151)

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Law: Fourteenth Amendment
Source of Law: Constitutional (Federal)
Citation: U.S. Const. amend.  XIV
Link to Full Text: Fourteenth Amendment | Browse | Constitution Annotated | Congress.gov | Library of Congress

The fourteenth amendment guarantees the right of due process of the law. Therefore, when a hazing case arises, there is the need to provide a fair and equal trial for each side of the case. As student affairs personnel, we cannot go into a case with predetermined biases and deprive a student of their property (interest in educational opportunities) by suspending a student without due process or we will be denying students of their rights granted to them. This law also guarantees equal protection of the laws, therefore, student affairs personnel should make it a point to ensure that each student in the trail is treated fairly and their statements are heard to assure their due process right and protection of the law.
(U.S. Const. amend.  XIV)

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Law: The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) section over 'What Definitions Apply to These Regulations'
Source of Law: Administrative (Federal)
Citation: 34 C.F.R § 99.3
Link to Full Text: https://ecfr.io/Title-34/Section-99.3

This particular law is important to the topic of hazing due to the statutory law that states when reporting, there should be careful consideration to not include any personal identifiable information about a student that would go against FERPA (Tex. Educ. Code § 51.936). Therefore, it is important to understand what information should not be included so there are not any liability issues in the reporting stage.

This law helps student affairs personnel to understand what information is protected under FERPA and what should not be released without permission.

By reviewing this information, personnel will be following all guidelines and procedures which will help to avoid any liabilities in the reporting stage that could occur should information be released that is not supposed to be.

(34 C.F.R § 99.3)

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Law:  Alton v. Texas A&M University
Source of Law: Judicial (State)
Citation: Alton v. Texas A&M University, 168 F.3d 196 (5th Cir. 1999)
Link to Full Text: https://law.resource.org/pub/us/case/reporter/F3/168/168.F3d.196.98-40338.html

In this case, Alton was the victim of nightly beatings by fellow cadets on the FISH Drill Team that he was a part of at Texas A&M University. He did not tell authorities about the incident but spoke to his brother who told the parents. Alton suffered another beating and a self inflicted wound that some cadets made him do. Parents met with the Corps of Cadets to do an investigation, some of the cadets were suspended. Alton claimed though that his constitutional rights were deprived of him, the fault falling on the supervisory officers. However the courts ruled that the officers could not be held accountable for what the cadets did (Alton v. Texas A&M University, 168 F.3d 196 (5th Cir. 1999)).

Even though the outcome of this case is not ideal, this case is important information for student affairs personnel because it shows the reason why students may be reluctant to speak up about hazing acts. They are either afraid of what their organization members will do to them if they speak up or they do not want to go through all the trouble of a hearing or trial just to find out that nothing may be done. This is something student affairs personnel need to keep in mind so schools can develop ways to make the reporting process safe and proactive for victims of a hazing incident.

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Law: Required Notifications
Citation: Angelo State University. (2020, Aug. 12). Student Handbook, Required Notifications, Part 1 § C. https://www.angelo.edu/live/files/27603-student-handbook-2020-21
Link: https://www.angelo.edu/live/files/27603-student-handbook-2020-21

In the Angelo State student handbook, Part 1 outlines that schools should provide students with notice of the nature and availability of a hazing report along with the website to reach the report. There is information on what the report must include so students are aware of the information needed when filing a hazing incident (Angelo State University, 2020).

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Ethical Code: Principle IV: Justice
Citation: Council for the Advancement of Standards. (2006). CAS professional standards for higher education (6th Ed.). Washington, DC: Author.
Link: https://www.cas.edu/files/CASethicsstatement.pdf?mc_cid=467ed5fe4a&mc_eid=052333efc4

This principle relates to the topic of hazing because student affairs personnel will need to be sure they are operating within the framework of laws and policies (Council for the Advancement of Standards, 2006) when addressing hazing cases. This is to avoid any lawsuits or wrong doings by acting in a way that is non-ethical, this will help to frame the decision making process when working through a hazing situation with a student organization.

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#12 Personal Connection to the Legal and Ethical Standards

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#12 Personal Connection to the Legal and Ethical Standards

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In my personal educational journey, this particular topic of hazing was something that impacted my educational journey through my participation in student organizations. In those organizations I held officer positions and as a officer, we had to be aware of the policies and rules of the school to be compliant with topics such as hazing. We were required to complete and attend trainings over hazing, alcohol and drug use and other related topics, this was beneficial so that we could understand what was not tolerated along with how to identify and report hazing should we need to do so.

Colleges, such as the one I attended as an undergrad, that upheld these policies and standards of being aware of hazing and teaching students how to report hazing helped pave the way for my educational goals. The organizations that I was a part of were honor societies and since the officers knew what was not tolerated when it came to hazing it allowed for a welcoming and informative environment. My goal, which was accomplished due to an awareness of hazing and a school that applied the policies set in place, was to be a part of these organizations to learn from fellow members about best practices in education, trending topics to be aware of and overall to have a community to support one another.

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Below are some best practices that can be used to ensure student affairs personnel are compliant with rules, policies, and regulations when it comes to hazing in student organizations.

1. Set high expectations for student organizations to fully understand hazing. This can be done by speaking about hazing, providing trainings and events that inform students and teach them how to be proactive members in stopping hazing.
2. To stay updated on policies related to hazing, student affairs personnel should continue research on the topic of hazing. Also, attending trainings is beneficial to gather information on how to address this topic with students.
3. Be sure there are anti-hazing policies in place at the school for student organizations to follow. Without a guideline for students to follow, that gives way for a lot of gray area for what is consider hazing and what is not.
4. It could be beneficial to understand all traditions, days of celebration, etc. that could be potential markers for hazing to happen. This way, trainings or events that cover hazing prevention could happen around the times of these "marker days" in hopes of avoiding a hazing incident. This could also be a chance to meet with these organizations to discuss new traditions that do not lead to harmful actions.
5. When it comes to reporting hazing incidents, be sure students feel heard and welcomed to bring their incidents to school officials. There are times when students do not want to report with the chance that their organization will harm them if they make a report. There is also the chance that the outcome of the hearing or trial will not be in favor of the victim. Be sure students feel welcomed and supported to make these reports and that they understand the school will do everything they can so it will not happen again.
6. Communicate with students and parents the reporting policy, how to report, how victims will be supported by the school, along with the consequences that can come with being apart of hazing. By having transparency with students and parents, awareness can be made and there will be a clear idea from the start of what can happen with a hazing incident.

(Pualwan, 2019)

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Alton v. Texas A&M University, 168 F.3d 196 (5th Cir. 1999)

Angelo State University. (2020, Aug. 12). Student Handbook, Required Notifications, Part 1 § C. https://www.angelo.edu/live/files/27603-student-handbook-2020-21

Council for the Advancement of Standards. (2006). CAS professional standards for higher education (6th Ed.). Washington, DC: Author.

Jones, J.M. & Bowie, M.V. (2018, Oct. 15). NPHC town hall: Six point strategy for collegiate councils. Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors (AFA). https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.afa1976.org/resource/collection/3380E713-014A-4313-9968-59949C74CB69/NPHC_TownHall.pdf

McCreary, G. (2021, March 15). What can campus leaders do about a surge in fraternity hazing? The Chronicle of Higher Education. https://www.chronicle.com/article/what-can-campus-leaders-do-about-a-surge-in-fraternity-hazing?cid=gen_sign_in

Pualwan, E.N. (2019, June). Best practices for hazing prevention: A framework for building your plan and implementing strategies. https://www.nfhs.org/media/1020261/wksp-46-pualwan.pdf

Rich, B. (2018, Nov. 7). Hazing in college- Awareness and prevention. The Best Schools. https://thebestschools.org/magazine/hazing-in-college/

Sasso, P. A. & Veldkamp, S. (2021, June 17). A new roaring twenties? Inside Higher ED. https://www.insidehighered.com/views/2021/06/17/colleges-should-prepare-deal-more-student-drinking-and-hazing-fall-semester-opinion

U.S. Const. amend.  XIV

Tex. Educ. Code § 37.151

Tex. Educ. Code § 51.936

34 C.F.R § 99.3