The Power of Leadership in Preventing Hazing: How Institutional Commitment Makes All the Difference
Hazing remains a significant problem nationwide, harming students and undermining college and university missions. As organizations and institutions work to address hazing, robust and visible leadership is critical to meaningful and sustainable change. Institutional commitment to hazing prevention, with clear, visible leadership and support, can make a significant difference.
Senior leaders from 25 colleges and universities took action recently to sign a letter to the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP). The letter, viewable here, urges the committee and U.S. Senators to prioritize and pass this lifesaving legislation in the 118th Congressional session.
With leaders committed to this cause, many from institutions participating in the Hazing Prevention Consortium (HPC), we’re better equipped to protect students and foster safer learning environments.
What We Know About Commitment to Hazing Prevention
Commitment is a key component for hazing prevention – one of the eight components of the Hazing Prevention Framework (HPF), the only research-based framework for campus hazing prevention. As such, college and university leaders across the country are taking a visible stance on the issue by endorsing and advocating for the passage of federal legislation, the Stop Campus Hazing Act (H.R.5646/S.2901).
StopHazing researchers recently published What Does It Take? Reframing Organizational Commitment to Campus Hazing Prevention in the Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice. Dr. Elizabeth Allan, Dr. David Kerschner, and Kim Stewart, M.Ed. applied Bolman & Deal’s four frames of leadership to analyze hazing prevention commitment in U.S. higher education. Building on previous research (Allan et al., 2018), their findings underscore the importance of commitment, what it looks like, and leadership considerations for prevention.
The Role of Leadership in Hazing Prevention
Visible leadership sets the tone for any institution’s commitment to hazing prevention. When presidents, vice presidents, and other senior leaders take a stand, it sends a clear message about the institution’s values.
Leaders like Robert Q. Dana, Dean of Students and Vice President for Student Life and Inclusive Excellence at the University of Maine, have demonstrated this commitment by endorsing the Stop Campus Hazing Act, encouraging transparency, and promoting campus-wide prevention programs.
At Rider University, President Gregory G. Dell’Omo, Ph.D. recently wrote to congressional members Senator Cory Booker and Senator George Helmy to urge them to support the legislation. President Dell’Omo noted that while the institution is proud of the progress made alongside the DeVercelly family, who lost their son Gary Jr. in 2008, they recognize that more must be done to prevent future tragedies nationwide.
Dr. Walter M. Kimbrough, Interim President at Talladega University and past president of Dillard University, also wrote to the U.S. Senate urging members to support the Stop Campus Hazing Act. His experiences from an 18-year tenure as a university president, author, and hazing subject matter expert underscore the importance of passing the federal legislation.
Leaders actively engaged in hazing prevention are paying attention to the crucial implications federal legislation will have in creating safer campuses.
Supporting the Stop Campus Hazing Act
The Stop Campus Hazing Act, which amends the Clery Act, requires institutions to disclose hazing incidents in their annual security reports, conduct research-informed prevention programs, and post findings of hazing violations on their websites. This federal legislation is designed to create a culture of safety and transparency across college campuses, protecting students and holding institutions accountable.
With the endorsement of university presidents and vice presidents nationwide, we see a united front of leaders prioritizing student safety and advocating for this critical campus safety measure.
A Call to Action
The impact of institutional leaders’ commitment to hazing prevention efforts cannot be overstated. With more leaders like those who signed this letter publicly supporting this Act and urging colleagues to do the same, we can create safer environments for all students. We invite campus leaders nationwide and the public to join us in demonstrating commitment to student safety by supporting the Stop Campus Hazing Act. Together, we can save lives and uphold the integrity of our educational institutions.
Written by StopHazing. Questions? Reach out to info@stophazing.org.