Skip to main content Skip to footer
Saginaw Valley State University

Return to Policies

Hazing Prevention and Awareness 10.1-1

Details

Category:
Legal / Compliance
Authorizing Body:
President - PRES
Responsible Department:
Student Affairs
Applies To:

Adopted Date:
06/04/2025
Print Policy

Introduction/Purpose:

As part of its commitment to providing a safe and healthy campus environment, Saginaw Valley State University prohibits hazing. This policy defines hazing and outlines the procedures for reporting and investigating instances of hazing that may occur within the University community.

Definitions: 

Hazing is defined as 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:

  1. is committed in the course of an initiation into, an affiliation with, or the maintenance of membership in, a student organization or student group; and
  2. causes or creates a risk, above the reasonable risk encountered in the course of participation in the student organization or student group (such as the physical preparation necessary for participation in an athletic team), of physical or psychological injury including:
    1. whipping, beating, striking, electronic shocking, placing of a harmful substance on someone’s body, or similar activity; 
    2. causing, coercing, or otherwise inducing sleep deprivation, exposure to the elements, confinement in a small space, extreme calisthenics, or other similar activity; 
    3. causing, coercing, or otherwise inducing another person to consume food, liquid, alcohol, drugs, or other substances; 
    4. causing, coercing, or otherwise inducing another person to perform sexual acts; 
    5. any activity that places another person in reasonable fear of bodily harm through the use of threatening words or conduct; 
    6. any activity against another person that includes a criminal violation of local, State, Tribal, or Federal law; and
    7. 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.

"Student Organization" means a number of persons who are associated with each other and who have registered with the University as a student organization under the Office of Student Life policies for recognized student organizations. 

"Student Groups" means a number of persons who are associated with each other and in which two or more of the members are SVSU enrolled students, but are not registered as a student organization.  Examples of Student Groups may include varsity athletic teams, a band, student government, or other groups in which two or more of the members are students enrolled at SVSU.

"Student" includes all persons enrolled for courses through or at SVSU, both full-time and part-time, and those who attend educational institutions other than SVSU but who reside in SVSU housing facilities.  Persons who are not officially enrolled for a particular semester but whose SVSU record indicates a continuing relationship with the University are considered “students”. Persons who have been accepted into SVSU but have not yet enrolled for courses are considered “students”.

Policy:

Saginaw Valley State University strictly prohibits hazing.

  1. Scope
    1. This policy applies to Saginaw Valley State University students, registered student organizations, student groups, and employees. This policy also applies to alumni, consultants, student organization advisors, and volunteers acting in an official and professional capacity who advise or coach student organizations or student groups and who have direct contact with students. 
    2. The policy applies to any event, program, or endeavor operated, conducted, or organized on University property and/or anywhere off campus, including virtual spaces. 
    3. The following factors do not prevent conduct from being considered a violation of this policy: 
      1. Expressed or implied consent; or
      2. The conduct in question is not part of an official event or otherwise sanctioned or approved by a registered student organization or student group. 

  2. Prohibited Conduct:
    1. The following behaviors constitute a violation of this policy: 
      1. Engaging in hazing as defined in this policy.  
      2. Failure to report acts of hazing. 
      3. Engaging in retaliatory actions against any reporting individual and/or participant in a hazing investigation or disciplinary process is strictly prohibited. An example of retaliation would be suggesting or implying that an individual be shunned, removed, or unable to join/participate, or retain membership or affiliation in any student organization or student group, due to their failure or refusal to engage in or comply with any hazing activities.
    2. Failure to intervene and/or prevent hazing may constitute a violation of this policy.   
    3. This Policy does not apply to the following:
      1. Actions or concerns between individual students not related to membership or continuing membership in a student organization or student group. 
      2. Actions or concerns between employees not related to membership or continuing membership within a student organization or student group. 
      3. Trainings, competitions, or auditions legitimately relevant to the student organization’s or student group’s core purpose, such as marching band or sport club tryouts.

  3. Education and Prevention Programs:
    1. SVSU will help prevent hazing by establishing campus-wide, research-based hazing education and prevention programs. Education and prevention programs will be made available to all faculty, staff, and students.
    2. Faculty, staff, and student officers who participate or are affiliated with a student organization or student group are required to complete anti-hazing training as directed by the University.
    3. SVSU will produce a Campus Hazing Transparency Report that includes violations that the University has documented. The report will be updated at least twice a year and made available on SVSU’s website.

Procedures:

  1. Reporting Procedure:
    1. All members of the University community have a duty to promptly report good faith concerns about potential hazing impacting another member of the University community. Specifically, if any such individual holds firsthand knowledge about hazing, whether that hazing has already occurred or is set to occur in the future, they have a duty to make a reasonable effort to immediately report the hazing-related information.
    2. Any member of the University community may report a suspected hazing incident by using the following link. The University will notify the appropriate law enforcement agency (ordinarily University Police) when a report of hazing is received. University Police will assess the report for criminal violations in conjunction with the appropriate criminal justice agencies.  Criminal reports of hazing may also be reported to University Police.

      The University will review all reports of hazing it receives.

  2. Interim Measures
    1. To protect the ongoing health and safety of the University community, the University may issue interim measures (e.g., interim suspension or cease and desist) in accordance with University policies and the Code of Student Conduct.

  3. Investigation and Adjudication:
    1. An investigation related to the reported hazing will be completed by the appropriate University office(s) in accordance with their applicable procedures. Based upon the involved parties and the nature of the allegations, these offices may include, but are not limited to, the Office of Student Conduct Programs, Human Resources, the Office of Diversity Programs, and University Police.
    2. Alleged violations of this policy will be adjudicated under applicable policies and rules, including the Code of Student Conduct for alleged violations by students, student organizations, and student groups. Alleged violations may also be adjudicated by collective bargaining agreements or other applicable procedures for employees, or other governing bodies such as NCAA rules and club sport rules.
    3. When a student organization is charged with a violation, the President of the student organization shall represent the organization in the process described in Section 2 of the Code of Student Conduct, unless the student organization designates some other representative. The representative of the student organization must be a registered student at Saginaw Valley State University and must be a regular member of that organization.

  4. Sanctions/Corrective Action
    1. When a student is found to have violated this policy, potential sanctions under the Code of Student Conduct include but are not limited to formal reprimand, disciplinary probation, suspension, expulsion, and other appropriate educational opportunities and/or sanctions listed in Section 2.5 of the Code of Student Conduct.
    2. Any University employee who knowingly permits, authorizes, or condones hazing activity is subject to disciplinary action by the University.
    3. If a student organization is found to have violated this policy, the University may revoke that entity’s permission to operate on University property or rescind its University recognition, among other actions. Student organizations can also receive any sanction outlined in Section 2.5 of the Code of Student Conduct.
    4. When alumni, consultants, or volunteers are found to have violated this policy, the University reserves the right to issue a no trespass order and take other appropriate action. 
    5. Violations of this policy are subject to referral to appropriate law enforcement or University services, as well as to regional, national, and/or international affiliated offices of student organizations, for additional action and/or prosecution. 

  5. Amnesty
    1. The University understands that students may be reluctant to report hazing due to a concern of potential consequences for their own actions. Therefore, students who make a report under this policy or who participate in an investigation related to this policy may receive amnesty.

Related Policies & Forms:

Hazing Reporting Form
Hazing Prevention & Campus Transparency Report
SVSU Code of Student Conduct
Alcohol and Other Drugs Policy
Sexual Misconduct Policy

Appendix:

Hazing is illegal in Michigan under the law commonly known as “Garret’s Law,” which is codified under M.C.L.A.750.411(t)

This policy was developed in compliance with the federal Stop Campus Hazing Act.