Greek Life

National Hazing Prevention Week

SAVE THE DATE: September 23-27, 2024
Schedule of Events
Date Program Location Time
Monday, September 23, 2024      
Tuesday, September 24, 2024      
Wednesday, September 25, 2024      
Thursday, September 26, 2024      

What about Hazing?

Hazing is illegal in the State of Illinois. In addition to this, Western Illinois University, and the governing body of all organizations represented at WIU, including the North American Interfraternity Conference (NIC), National Panhellenic Conference (NPC), National Pan-Hellenic Conference (NPHC), and the National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations (NALFO) stand firm in their conviction and refusal to tolerate hazing in any form.

Hazing is a recurrent blight that can attack any organization whenever a few persons attempt to substitute force for reason and expediency for understanding. Such persons seem to believe that subjecting members to a series or ordeals will make them fit in and that fear will somehow make them more disciplined and mature. Even though such methods may seem efficient in the short run, there can be no justification whatsoever for hazing. The principles and values of Western Illinois University as well as each and every fraternity and sorority at WIU are in stark contrast to any act of hazing and these values must be evident in the words and actions of all members. Therefore, the university retains the right to sanction organizations as well as individuals who are involved in or permit hazing.

Each fraternity and sorority and all of the three governing councils at Western Illinois University (IFC, UGC, and PHC) joins the university and the aforementioned organizations in their refusal to accept or tolerate hazing activities in any form, included practices by new members, active members, alumni, or any recognized university organization. Whatever form it takes, hazing subverts and corrupts the true fraternal experience. In its more extreme forms, hazing risks human lives, brutalizes everyone involved, and jeopardizes the very existence of the entire Greek community.

While each organization has its own hazing policy, the Western Illinois University hazing policy reads as follows:

University Hazing Policy (Code of Student Conduct)
Code of Student Conduct- D: Regulations of Student Conduct; 6

Defined as an act which endangers the mental or physical health or safety of a student, whether on University property or not, or which destroys or removes public or private property, for the purpose of initiation, admission into, affiliation with, or as a condition for continued membership in a group or organization.

Policy Statement B
Hazing (See Section D.6.) - Hazing of any type, whether committed or arranged by individual students or members of recognized student organizations, is an unacceptable practice at Western Illinois University.

Activities prohibited under this Policy will include, but not be limited to, any of the following: extended deprivation of sleep or rest; forced consumption of food, liquor, beverage, or drugs; beatings; brandings; tests of endurance; or submission of members or prospective members to potentially hazardous or dangerous circumstances.

It will not be an acceptable defense to a charge of hazing to claim that the participants took part voluntarily, that they voluntarily assumed the risks or hardship of the activity, or that no injury in fact was suffered.

Hazing is illegal in the state of Illinois.

Illinois Hazing Law
§ 720 ILCS 120/5. Hazing
A person commits hazing who knowingly requires the performance of any act by a student or other person in a school, college, university, or other educational institution of this State, for the purpose of induction or admission into any group, organization, or society associated or connected with that institution if:
(a) the act is not sanctioned or authorized by that educational institution; and 
(b) the act results in bodily harm to any person.

§ 720 ILCS 120/10. Sentence
Sec. 10. Hazing is a Class A misdemeanor, except hazing that results in death or great bodily harm is a Class 4 felony.

How to Report Suspected Hazing

WIU Hazing Report Form

This form can be filled out anonymously and is intended to be used specifically for hazing allegations. Only with your permission, will your identity will be disclosed to the individuals or group in question. Your identity will be held in confidence. You may submit this form anonymously however; doing so will limit the ability of Western Illinois University to fully investigate the incident. You may be asked to submit an official statement on this matter and/or the case may be passed on to student Judicial Programs.

Click Here to Access the WIU Hazing Report Form
Inter/National Headquarters Reporting

Each inter/national organization has a specific person and/or process for reporting incidents. Please locate the National Headquarters Website link on our chapter pages to access that information.

National Anti-Hazing Hotline
1-888-NOT-HAZE (1-888-668-4293)
                **Note the National Anti-Hazing Hotline is an external entity not directly affiliated with Western Illinois University**
               
            

The FSL Anti-Hazing Hotline, established in 2007 by a consortium of national fraternities and sororities, is currently sponsored by 47 national and international Greek organizations.

The Hotline provides an anonymous telephone line for anyone to report a suspected or recent hazing incident to one number 1-888-NOT-HAZE (1-888-668-4293) that accepts calls 24 hours a day. The Hotline connects to a dedicated voice mailbox at Manley Burke, LPA. The calls are automatically saved as audio files that are then transmitted by e-mail to the headquarters of the fraternity or sorority named in the report. This is true whether or not the reports are about one of the sponsors or another organization. In some instances, reports are about athletic teams, bands or clubs. When those calls are received, the institution where the organization is located is contacted.

For more information regarding the National Anti-Hazing Hotline click here.

List of Activities for Building Healthy Groups & Teams (from StopHazing.org- CLICK TO DOWNLOAD)

" Notes about this resource: This resource is adapted from  Alternatives to Hazing first published on StopHazing by Dr. Elizabeth Allan in 1997. This list of activities is not exhaustive.

Important to know  – all group activities and behaviors, given the circumstances, could become hazing. If the activity is used to exert control over another person or humiliate, degrade, abuse, or endanger them, there are power dynamics at play and harm (psychological, emotional, physical) being inflicted. That is hazing. See the  We Don’t Haze  film and companion discussion and activity guides for more information and education on considering activity circumstances that can turn haze free activities into hazing based activities.

For more information, please contact the Program Coordinator in the Office of Student Engagement at 309-298-3232 or at FSL@wiu.edu.