October 19, 2023

StopHazing is launching a new cohort of the Hazing Prevention Consortium™  (HPC) with eleven colleges and universities this Fall. The HPC is a multi-year research-to-practice initiative using a public health approach to build an evidence base for hazing prevention on college campuses. Members come from select colleges and universities that have demonstrated a commitment to eliminate hazing and a readiness to launch a comprehensive, campus-wide approach to prevention. 

The institutions participating in the sixth cohort of the HPC include Arizona State University, Harvard College, Indiana University, New Mexico State University, Princeton University, Rhodes College, Southern Methodist University, University of Mississippi, University of San Diego, Virginia Commonwealth University, and William and Mary.

StopHazing’s research team led by Dr. Elizabeth Allan, Professor of Higher Education at the

University of Maine’s College of Education and Human Development, coordinates and supports universities participating in the HPC. The three-year initiative is guided by the Hazing Prevention Framework™ (HPF), the only data-driven framework for campus-wide hazing prevention, and participating campuses receive individual consulting and technical assistance (TA) from research and prevention experts to assess campus climate for hazing, as well as build institutional and leadership commitment and capacity to prevent hazing.

The HPC includes significant data collection and assessments to inform a tailored and comprehensive approach for prevention. Members will develop, implement, and evaluate hazing prevention strategies, and share lessons learned with other colleges and universities participating in the Consortium. Additionally, they will evaluate prevention strategies to test efficacy and contribute to the knowledge base for hazing prevention.

“The research base for hazing prevention is limited, so our work is geared toward developing research-informed and tested prevention strategies so campus professionals can be equipped with tools that have a proven track record,” Allan says.

Consortium members are expected to expand and improve the quality and impact of campus- wide hazing prevention efforts directed toward students, staff, faculty, families and the broader communities connected to the campuses. “Our goal is to shift campus hazing cultures to prevent tragedy and senseless harm, and in the process, develop positive and healthy skills for student leadership and group membership,” says Allan.

Guided by principles of prevention science, the HPF, and leading experts in the field, the HPC provides the infrastructure for campus institutions to build capacity and commitment for hazing prevention that is  culturally competent and sustainable. Assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation are also a focus of the comprehensive approach. To date, 23 colleges and universities have participated in this pathbreaking initiative that has helped to fuel the publication of six peer-reviewed journal articles, two invited peer-reviewed articles, four additional manuscripts under review for publication, and several others in development. Additionally, we’ve developed over 50 technical data reports, one-hundred webinars, and fifty national presentations to share what we’ve learned from the HPC so far. Also as a result of the HPC, we’ve developed the most comprehensive collection of research-based resources for the public to access at no cost, and insight on the services and coaching needed to support institutions committed to preventing hazing. 

Cohorts four and five, including Tarleton State University, University of California Santa Barbara, University of California San Diego, University of Missouri, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Washington and Lee University are also continuing in their second and third years of the program. 

To learn more about the HPC, research and resources produced as a result of the consortium, or next steps to join the research-to-practice hazing prevention program, reach out to Meredith Stewart, Operations Manager at StopHazing at meredith@stophazing.org. 

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Download PDF of Announcement here.