Student Hazing Prevention and Campus Response

Responsible Executive	Assistant Vice Chancellor of Civil Rights, Whistleblower & Clery Compliance
Responsible Office	Center for Student Conduct, Employee and Labor Relations, Center for Support and Intervention, Academic Personnel Office, and Clery Division
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Issued	April 9, 2025
Effective	June 23, 2025
Revised	n/a
Supersedes	n/a
Next Review	June 23, 2030

I. Policy Statement

This campus policy prohibits hazing of students in the activities of campus organizations, including but not limited to student organizations, teams, clubs, committees, and academic and administrative units. The policy also outlines reporting responsibilities and training program requirements.

II. Definitions

A. Hazing. This Policy uses the term “hazing” as it is defined in the Congressional 2024Stop Campus Hazing Act:

“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–

(I) is committed in the course of an initiation into, an affiliation with, or the maintenance of membership in a student organization; and

(II) causes or creates a risk, above the reasonable risk encountered in the course of participation in the institution of higher education or the organization (such as the physical preparation necessary for participation in an athletic team), of physical or psychological injury including–

(aa) whipping, beating, striking, electronic shocking, placing of a harmful substance on someone's body, or similar activity;

(bb) causing, coercing, or otherwise inducing sleep deprivation, exposure to the elements, confinement in a small space, extreme calisthenics, or other similar activity;

(cc) causing, coercing, or otherwise inducing another person to consume food, liquid, alcohol, drugs, or other substances;

(dd) causing, coercing, or otherwise inducing another person to perform sexual acts;

(ee) any activity that places another person in reasonable fear of bodily harm through the use of threatening words or conduct;

(ff) any activity against another person that includes a criminal violation of local, State, Tribal, or Federal law; and

(gg) 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.”

B. Student Organization. For the purposes of this policy, the term ‘student organization’ means an organization at UC Berkeley in which two or more of the members are students enrolled at UC Berkeley, whether or not the organization is established or recognized by UC Berkeley. This includes university-managed organizations, including but not limited to the University of California Marching Band (Cal Band), Intercollegiate Athletics teams, and club teams managed by UC Berkeley Recreation & Wellbeing. It includes Registered Student Organizations that operate under the oversight of Organization Advising & Student Involvement Services (OASIS), including but not limited to the Associated Students of the University of California (ASUC), professional student organizations, and affiliated fraternities and sororities. It also includes unaffiliated student organizations, including but not limited to unaffiliated fraternities or sororities

C. Clery Geography - For the purposes of collecting statistics on Clery Crimes, Clery Geography includes:

1. On-Campus –

a) Any building or property owned or controlled by the University within the same reasonably contiguous geographic area and used by the University in direct support of, or in a manner related to, the educational purposes of the University, including On-Campus Student Housing Facilities (as defined below); and

b) Any building or property that is within or reasonably contiguous to the area identified in section a)of this definition, that is owned by the University but controlled by another person, is frequently used by students, and supports institutional purposes (such as a food or other retail vendor).

2. On-Campus Student Housing Facility – any student housing facility that is owned or controlled by the University, or is located on property that is owned or controlled by the University, and is within the reasonably contiguous geographic area of On-Campus Property.

3. Public Property – All public property, including thoroughfares, streets, sidewalks, and parking facilities, that is within the campus or immediately adjacent to and accessible from the On-Campus Property.

4. Non-Campus Building or Property –

a) Any building or property owned or controlled by a student organization that is officially recognized by the University; or

b) Any building or property owned or controlled by the University that is used in direct support of, or in relation to, the educational purposes of the University, is frequently used by students, and is not within the same reasonable contiguous geographic area of the On-Campus Property.

For purposes of maintaining the crime log required by the Clery Act, Clery Geography also includes the areas within the patrol jurisdiction of the campus police or campus security department.

D. Campus Security Authority (CSA) - A Clery Act-specific term that encompasses four groups of individuals and organizations associated with the University:

1. A campus police department or a campus security department of the University. All individuals who work for these departments are CSAs.

2. Any individual or individuals who have responsibility for campus security but who do not constitute a campus police department or a campus security department under paragraph (1) of this definition, such as an individual who is responsible for monitoring entrance into a University property.

3. Any individual or organization specified in the security policy of the University as an individual or organization to which students and employees should report criminal offenses.

4. An official of the University who has significant responsibility for student and campus activities, including, but not limited to, student housing, student discipline, and campus judicial proceedings. If such an official is a Pastoral or Professional Counselor, the official is not considered a campus security authority when acting as a Pastoral or Professional Counselor.

III. Scope of Policy

This policy affects all UC Berkeley affiliates, including students, employees, and volunteers in University programs.

Note: Conduct by represented employees that would violate this policy will be addressed through other existing policies and practices until any union bargaining of this policy is complete.

IV. Policy

Hazing is at odds with the educational mission of the University, with the University’s commitment to community safety, and with the University’s commitment to ensuring that students can engage fully with campus opportunities in a manner that is free from harm. Accordingly,

Hazing is prohibited. No Berkeley student, employee, or volunteer may commit hazing of a student, as defined above.

Anyone who learns that hazing of a student has occurred or that hazing activities have occurred within a student organization should report it to the University as soon as practically possible.

Campus-wide hazing prevention education must be provided.

Access to research-informed hazing prevention education must be provided campus-wide and be designed to reach students, staff, and faculty.

Hazing prevention education must include current policies relating to hazing (as defined by the University), how to report incidents of such hazing, the process used to investigate such incidents of hazing, and information on applicable local, State, and Tribal laws on hazing
Hazing prevention education should include primary prevention strategies components such as skill-building for bystander intervention, information about ethical leadership, and/or the promotion of strategies for building group cohesion without hazing.

Campus hazing transparency report.

The campus must produce and update the Campus Hazing Transparency Report at least twice a year in accordance with federal law.

The campus mustinclude hazing incidents and relevant policies in the UC Berkeley annual security report, in accordance with the Stop Campus Hazing Act amendment to the Jeanne Clery Campus Security Act.

V. Procedures

A. Reporting prohibited hazing conduct

Anyone who learns that the hazing of a student has occurred or that hazing activities have occurred within a student organization should report it to the University as soon as practically possible. Anyone designated as a Campus Security Authority must report it to the University as soon as practically possible.

a. Reporting violence to the UC Berkeley Police Department (UCPD)

i. Violence and other criminal hazing activities should be reported to UCPD. In an emergency, call 911 or, from a cell phone, (510) 642-3333. For crimes no longer in progress, call (510) 642-6760.

ii. Any incident of hazing that could be a serious or ongoing threat within Clery Geography (as defined above) or an immediate threat to the health and safety of the campus community should be reported to UCPD as soon as practically possible for timely warning and/or emergency notification evaluation.

b. Reporting hazing to campus offices

In addition to reporting violence or other criminal hazing activities to UCPD,

- Violations of this policy by a student or student organization may be reported to the Center for Student Conduct by filing a Berkeley Campus Code of Student Conduct incident report form
- Violations of this policy by an employee may be reported to the Abusive Conduct portal for assessment under the Abusive Conduct policy and/or referral to the employee’s supervisor or other administrative authority.
- Violations of this policy may be reported anonymously via the Whistleblower Hotline (https://secure.ethicspoint.com/domain/media/en/gui/23531/report.html) for routing to the appropriate office.

c. Reporting responsibilities for certain employees

Certain employees have specific reporting responsibilities for hazing conduct that may also violate other policies, including but not limited to the UC Policy on SVSH, the UC Anti-Discrimination Policy, the UC Abusive Conduct in the Workplace Policy, the UC Clery Act Policy, and the Activities Involving Minors Policy

Reporting hazing to UCPD or the Center for Student Conduct is not necessarily sufficient to fulfill these other reporting obligations. Individuals should refer to those policies to understand their reporting obligations.

B. Hazing prevention

- Hazing prevention education, consistent with state and federal law training requirements, must be available to all students, faculty, and staff.
- Hazing prevention education shall be part of every incoming undergraduate student’s orientation.
- Hazing prevention education shall be offered annually to the following campus-affiliated organizations:

- Intercollegiate Athletic teams
- Affiliated sororities and fraternities

VI. Responsibilities

Center for Student Conduct: Will produce and update the Campus Hazing Transparency Report at least twice a year in accordance with federal law.
Center for Support and Intervention: Will maintain a hazing prevention training course that is available to all students, and ensure training is offered annually to Intercollegiate Athletics teams and affiliated sororities and fraternities.
New Student Services: Will ensure that hazing prevention education is included as part of new student orientation.
Clery Officer: Will include hazing incidents and relevant policies in the UC Berkeley annual security report. Will ensure educational materials are available to all employees.

VII. Consequences of Policy Violations

Any individual found to be in violation of this policy may be subject to disciplinary action in accordance with the Code of Student Conduct and/or applicable academic personnel and staff personnel policies, including collective bargaining agreements.

Volunteers who are found to be in violation of this policy may be subject to termination of volunteer service.

Registered student organizations (RSO) are subject to the revocation of recognition by/affiliation with the university, and the individual members of those student organizations are subject to discipline under the Code of Student Conduct

The members of Intercollegiate Athletic teams and other defined “student organizations” that are university-managed can be subjected to consequences for hazing at the group or organization level by their responsible administrator, and the individual members of those student organizations are subject to discipline under the Code of Student Conduct.

Organizations that are unrecognized, unaffiliated, and/or otherwise not established with the University are not subject to discipline by the University. However, the individual student members of those organizations are subject to discipline under the Code of Student Conduct and the University may choose to take administrative action against the organizations where appropriate.

Conduct of represented employees that would violate this policy will be addressed through existing policies and practices until any union bargaining of this policy is complete.