Policy

UW Oshkosh Hazing Policy

Original Issuance Date: June 20, 2025
Last Revision Date:
Next Review Date: July 2026

PDF Version

REASON FOR POLICY

The purpose of this policy is to establish compliance with state and federal law, including the federal Stop Campus Hazing Act. The policy strictly prohibits hazing, including hazing that occurs on and off University lands, involving UW Oshkosh students, employees, and student organizations, as defined by this policy. This policy outlines the UW Oshkosh policy, state, and federal laws related to hazing, how to report hazing, and the potential disciplinary process related to hazing incidents, including the possibility of criminal sanctions.  Hazing is contrary to the values and standards of the UW Oshkosh community and will not be tolerated.  This policy also outlines requirements related to reports of hazing to campus security authorities or law enforcement to be included in the Annual Security Report under the Clery Act; requirements related to prevention and awareness initiatives; and requirements related to the publishing of a report on the UW Oshkosh website summarizing violations of this policy by an established or recognized student organization.

SCOPE

This policy is consistent with the mission of the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh and its commitment to community safety. All students and employees of UW Oshkosh will comply with this policy.

BACKGROUND

The bipartisan Stop Campus Hazing Act, which went into effect on January 1, 2025, imposes new federal requirements on colleges and universities nationwide, requiring them to track, report, and publicly disclose hazing incidents. The law is designed to enhance transparency and prioritize student safety on campuses across the United States. Higher education institutions should engage and collaborate with legal counsel to navigate the act’s requirements and intersections with existing statutory and regulatory frameworks.

The Stop Campus Hazing Act amends the Higher Education Act and requires institutions participating in Title IV programs to include hazing incidents in their annual security reports (often referred to as a Clery report). The act also requires institutions to publish a new, annual Campus Hazing Transparency Report. In this way, the law aims to create a national standard for hazing incident reporting, complementing existing state laws.

DEFINITIONS

Hazing:

1. Conduct defined in s. 948.51, Stats., pursuant to UWS 17.09(5).

(1) In this section “forced activity” means any activity which is a condition of initiation or admission into or affiliation with an organization, regardless of a student’s willingness to participate in the activity.

(2) No person may intentionally or recklessly engage in acts which endanger the physical health or safety of a student for the purpose of initiation or admission into or affiliation with any organization operating in connection with a school, college or university. Under those circumstances, prohibited acts may include any brutality of a physical nature, such as whipping, beating, branding, forced consumption of any food, liquor, drug or other substance, forced confinement or any other forced activity which endangers the physical health or safety of the student.

(3) Whoever violates sub. (2) is guilty of:

(a) A Class A misdemeanor if the act results in or is likely to result in bodily harm to another.

(b) A Class H felony if the act results in great bodily harm to another.

(c) A Class G felony if the act results in the death of another.

History:1983 a. 356; 1987 a. 33232; Stats. 1987 s. 948.51; 2001 a. 109

2. As defined by the Stop Campus Hazing Act, “any intentional, knowing, or reckless act committed by a person (whether individually or in concert with other persons) against another person of 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; an

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, but not limited to:

a. whipping, beating, striking, electronic shocking, placing of a harmful substance on someone’s body, or similar activity;

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

c. causing, coercing, or otherwise inducing another person to consume food, liquid, alcohol, drugs, or other substances;

d. causing, coercing, or otherwise inducing another person to perform sexual acts;

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

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

g. 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.” 20 U.S.C. 1092(f)(6)(A)(vi).

Student Organization: an organization at an institution of higher education (such as a club, society, association, varsity or junior varsity athletic team, club sports team, fraternity, sorority, band, or student government) in which two or more of the members are students enrolled at the institution of higher education, whether or not the organization is established or recognized by the institution. 20 U.S.C. 1092(f)(6)(A)(vii).

POLICY STATEMENT

The University of Wisconsin Oshkosh will not tolerate nor condone any form of hazing. Students and registered student organizations, fraternities and sororities, athletic teams and all other student groups are prohibited from engaging in hazing by Federal Law, Wisconsin State Law, and University Policy.

PROCEDURES

Reporting Incidents of Hazing 

    1. To report an incident of hazing, complete the reporting form located on the UW Oshkosh Reporting site located at https://www.uwosh.edu/report/.
    2. You may also report incidents of hazing to the following campus and local resources:

Investigation

    1. Upon receipt of a report of hazing, the report will be reviewed by the Clery Coordinators and the Dean of Students to determine classification of the allegation and assign to an investigator.
    2. The university will investigate all reports of hazing to the extent possible, consistent with the process provided in UWS Chapter 17 – Non-Academic Disciplinary Procedures, Subchapter II.

Finding & Penalties

Upon the completion of the investigation, students and student organizations, as defined above, who violate this policy are subject to the University disciplinary process, as set forth in UWS Chapter 17 – Non-Academic Disciplinary Procedures, Subchapter II.

      1. Disciplinary sanctions for those found responsible of hazing will follow UWS Chapter 17.085.  Examples of disciplinary sanctions that may be imposed are:
        • Written reprimand, denial of specified University privileges, payment for restitution, educational or service sanctions (including community service), disciplinary probation, imposition of reasonable terms and conditions on continued student status, removal from a course in progress, enrollment restrictions on a course or program, suspension, and expulsion.
        • For University recognized organizations disciplinary actions could also include: educational and service sanctions, funds freeze, disciplinary probation and suspension, revocation of University recognition, and emergency suspension.
      2. Additionally, any individual or student organization that violates this policy may also be subject to criminal sanctions under Wis. Stat. § 948.51.
      3. When there is a violation of this policy, UW Oshkosh will complete the Campus Hazing Transparency Report, found below.

Campus Hazing Transparency Report

UW Oshkosh will collect information with respect to hazing incidents for the purpose of publishing on a prominent location of its public website a hazing transparency report that summarizes findings concerning any student organization that is established or recognized by UW Oshkosh found to be in violation of this policy. The Campus Hazing Transparency Report must be available on the UW Oshkosh website no later than December 23, 2025, and updated not less frequently than 2 times each year.  The Campus Hazing Transparency Report can be found on the UW Oshkosh Police Department site, located at https://www.uwosh.edu/police/.

This report must include:

      1. the name of the student organization;
      2. a general description of the violation that resulted in a finding of responsibility, including whether the violation involved the abuse or illegal use of alcohol or drugs, the findings of the institution, and any sanctions placed on the student organization by UW Oshkosh, as applicable; and
      3. the dates on which:
          • the incident was alleged to have occurred;
          • the investigation into the incident was initiated;
          • the investigation ended with a finding that a hazing violation occurred; and
          • the institution provided notice to the student organization that the incident resulted in a hazing violation.

The Campus Hazing Transparency Report shall not include any personally identifiable information, including any information that would reveal personally identifiable information, about any individual student in accordance with section 444 of the General Education Provisions Act (commonly known as the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974).

The Campus Hazing Transparency Report shall include a statement notifying the public of the annual availability of statistics on hazing, consistent with the Clery Act, including a link to the Annual Security Report, this policy, applicable laws on hazing, and notice that the information included is maintained for a period of 5 calendar years from the date of publication. UW Oshkosh may also include, as part of the publication of the Campus Hazing Transparency Report a description of the purposes of, and differences between the report required the Clery Act and the Campus Hazing Transparency Report.

Prevention & Awareness Training

As required by the Stop Campus Hazing Act, the Institutional Compliance Office in collaboration with the Dean of Students and UW Oshkosh Police Department, will be responsible for facilitating research-informed, campus-wide prevention and awareness programs that are designed to reach students, faculty, and staff. The programming will include (i) information about this policy, information on how to report, the process used to investigate hazing, and applicable law; and (ii) primary prevention strategies intended to stop hazing before hazing occurs, which may include skill building for bystander intervention, information about ethical leadership, and the promotion of strategies for building group cohesion without hazing.  Prevention and awareness programs will be made available to all students, faculty and staff.  These programs may include, but are not limited to:

      1. Presentations
      2. Tabling Events
      3. Online Training
      4. Online Resources
      5. Poster Campaigns

Additional resources on hazing include:

      1. www.stophazing.org
      2. www.hazingprevention.org
      3. www.insidehazing.com
      4. www.gordie.org

CONTACTS

SUBJECT CONTACT PHONE EMAIL
Dean of Students Kate Demerse 920-424-3100 demersek@uwosh.edu
Clery Coordinators Chris Tarmann, (Chief of Police)

Rachel Cromheecke, (Chief Civil Affairs and Compliance Officer)

 920-424-1212

920-424-0835

 tarmannc@uwosh.edu

cromheecker@uwosh.edu

 

REVISION HISTORY

06/20/2025 Effective Date
July 2026 Scheduled Review