Hazing Prevention

• Campus Police: 201-216-3911

• Student Affairs: [email protected]

• Online Form: stevens.edu/report

• Anonymous Reporting: Compliance Hotline or 855-277-4065

• Fraternity and Sorority Life: [email protected]

Hazing in all its forms by any member of the Stevens community or Organization is strictly prohibited by this Policy. Under this Policy, hazing includes, but is not limited to, all behavior prohibited under Applicable Law as set forth below.

• Under the Stop Campus Hazing Act, the term `hazing' means 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, an Organization; and

  • causes or creates a risk, above the reasonable risk encountered in the course of participation in higher education or the Organization (e.g., the physical preparation necessary for participation in an athletic team, ROTC, or drama club), of physical or psychological injury including:

    • 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 local, 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.

• Under NJ Law, a person will be guilty of hazing if their conduct is in connection with initiation of applicants to or members of a student or fraternal Organization and the person knowingly or recklessly:

  • Causes, coerces, or otherwise induces another person to commit an act that violates federal or state criminal law; ii. Causes, coerces, or otherwise induces another person to consume any food, liquid, alcoholic liquid, drug, or other substance which subjects the person to a risk of emotional or physical harm or is otherwise deleterious to the person’s health; iii. Subjects another person to abuse, mistreatment, harassment, or degradation (a) of a physical nature including, without limitation, whipping, beating, branding, excessive calisthenics, or exposure to the elements, or (b) of a mental or emotional nature including, without limitation, activities adversely affecting the mental or emotional health or dignity of the individual, sleep deprivation, exclusion from social contact or conduct that could result in extreme embarrassment, or (c) of a sexual nature; or iv. Subjects another person to any other activity that creates a reasonable likelihood of bodily injury to the person.

• Under NJ law, a person will be guilty of hazing if their conduct is in connection with the initiation of applicants to or members of a student or fraternal Organization and the person knowingly or recklessly:

  • Causes, coerces or otherwise induces another person to commit an act that violates federal or state criminal law;

  • Causes, coerces or otherwise induces another person to consume any food, liquid, alcoholic liquid, drug or other substance which subjects the person to a risk of emotional or physical harm or is otherwise deleterious to the person’s health;

  • Subjects another person to abuse, mistreatment, harassment, or degradation

    • of a physical nature including, without limitation, whipping, beating, branding, excessive calisthenics, or exposure to the elements or

    • of a mental or emotional nature including, without limitation, activities adversely affecting the mental or emotional health or dignity of the individual, sleep deprivation, exclusion from social contact or conduct that could result in extreme embarrassment or

    • of a sexual nature, or

    • Subjects another person to any other activity that creates a reasonable likelihood of bodily injury to the person.

Policy on Hazing

This Policy sets forth expectations for all members of the Stevens community, all Organizations, and for non-community members visiting the Stevens campus or participating in Stevens’ programs. It applies to conduct that occurs on Stevens’ campus including, without limitation, all fraternity and sorority activities and residences and facilities (regardless of whether such residences or other facilities are owned or operated by Stevens), and to all programs and activities sponsored by Stevens, even if such program or activity takes place off-campus or online. Stevens’ prohibition on hazing extends to all aspects of its educational programs and activities, including, but not limited to, admissions, employment, academics, athletics, and student services.

In accordance with the prevention and awareness program requirements of SCHA, the Divisions of Student Affairs and Human Resources will provide information and mandatory training on this Policy to students, faculty, and staff each year. Each student, faculty, and staff member is obligated to complete this training and to cooperate in all respects with Stevens’ efforts to prevent hazing in accordance with this Policy.

Stevens will maintain a report including information on all violations of this Policy and Applicable Law which are reported to Stevens. This information will be retained by Stevens for five years. No report will include the personal identifying information of any individual.

Stevens will post to its public-facing website and announce to its community an annual report containing information on reported violations of this Policy twice each year as of January 1 and August 1. This report will (a) include information for the current year and four prior years (i.e., 5 years in total) and (b) include the date an individual or Organization was charged with a violation of law or this Policy and a general description of the violation, including whether the violation involved the abuse or illegal use of alcohol or drugs, any investigation, findings, and penalties imposed by Stevens, and the date on which the matter was resolved. The report will be publicly available on the University webpage at https://www.stevens.edu/page-basic/hazing.

In addition to the Hazing Transparency Report, the University will also include hazing incidents reported to have occurred within applicable Clery-geography in its annual Clery Report. The first calendar year that will include hazing statistics is 2025 which will be published by October 1, 2025. The Clery Act also requires Stevens to issue a warning to the community in circumstances of serious and continuing threats to the campus community.

For details on the New Jersey Anti-Hazing Law, please refer to the Student Conduct Handbook with the section on Hazing (p.30) and Appendix B. It provides additional guidance and details including:

• Definition of hazing

• Pledge’s Bill of Rights

• Prohibition on Hazing

• Acceptable Behavior

• Written Notification of Rights

• Additional details on the New Jersy Anti-Hazing Law

https://stevens-institute-of-technology.dcatalog.com/v/Student-Handbook?page=78

The Pledge’s Bill of Rights can be found on DuckLink, and it is required for all new members. For additional information, please contact [email protected].

Student health and safety are fundamental to our community. Whenever there is concern for another student or belief that assistance is needed, students are expected to contact the Campus Police at 201-216-3911.

Students who seek medical assistance for themselves or for an individual who is intoxicated or experiencing a drug- or alcohol-related emergency will not be subject to university disciplinary action related to their drug and alcohol activity, although such students may be required to meet with the Director of Community Standards, as appropriate, to discuss the incident. Such students may be subject to penalties under local, state, or federal law.

Prompt reporting of hazing to Stevens and/or Campus Police will be considered by Stevens as a mitigating fact in any disciplinary process involving the reporter and may be relevant under NJ Law to mitigate the likelihood of criminal prosecution for certain drug crimes.

Overdose Protection Act N.J.S.A. 24:6J-1: New Jersey’s Overdose Prevention Act, also referred to as the Good Samaritan Law, is intended to encourage witnesses and victims of drug overdoses to seek medical assistance by providing certain protections from criminal or civil liability, in an effort to decrease overdose-related fatalities.

StopHazing.org

Association of Fraternity and Sorority Advisors (AFA): Building Healthy Groups to Prevent Campus Hazing

Anti-Hazing Coalition

Hazing Prevention Network

NCAA: Addressing student-athlete hazing

NCAA: Building New Traditions