Student Affairs

Published October 4, 2017

National Hazing Prevention Week is an opportunity to educate students, parents, teachers, coaches, administrators, faculty, staff, athletic directors, band and performing arts directors, residence hall leadership, student government leaders, community members, local and campus police and others to not just recognize hazing but to learn ways they can prevent it from occurring in the first place. The ultimate goal is to prevent hazing. Strong education efforts, diligent policy development and reinforcement, and comprehensive planning and ongoing community efforts can do just that.

This year, Fraternity & Soroity Life Fraternity and Sorority Life (FSL) took a different approach to National Hazing Prevention Week (NHPW). With FSL programs under national scrutiny, we wanted to approach this week from a preventative model. With that framework in mind, we piloted Take Action Training, an active bystander intervention program created in-house, on September 18th to kick off the week. There were 308 students in attendance to and received training on sexual misconduct, suicidal ideation, hazing, and alcohol with a medical issue. On September 19, our office partnered with the Office of the Dean of Students to host a Penn State Roundtable. The roundtable served as a vehicle to bring awareness to the lethal impact hazing and alcohol has on the Greek community. There were over 80 students in attendance. We concluded the week on Wednesday, September 20, with a community day.