The Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE) launched a statewide plan for preventing hazing at colleges and universities, in response to Collin’s Law, signed by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine.
Ashland University has updated its policies for student organizations on campus in accordance with this plan.
Ahead of this fall semester, students involved in organizations will need to complete hazing prevention trainings along with first-year and prospective students in order to join or remain involved in student organizations.
“My personal definition of hazing is ‘any unwanted participation in an organization-sponsored activity,” Liz Keller, director of student activities, said.
According to Keller, this update and its predecessors to prevent hazing on campus has helped more students be aware of hazing. The training, Keller says, is designed to help students understand how to identify, prevent and speak out against hazing on campus.
“Implementing the training has helped students want to speak up when things happen to them,” she added.
Keller drew attention to the Fraternity and Sorority Life (FSL) community on campus.
“By implementing this policy, it will decrease the stigma that hazing is only present in FSL,” Keller continued. “Since every student organization is doing the training, it won’t have that negative connotation. Anybody can get hazed, but we want to prevent it everywhere on campus.”
In addition to the policy update, Keller touched on bringing in speakers for students to listen to and experience, bringing light to the importance of awareness and providing prevention resources.
To further this prevention process, Keller described that if hazing does occur, the plan is to bring the campus community back together, emphasizing community engagement and pulling from campus and outside counseling.
Keller advises that students, “should not wait until the last minute to do [the training].”
Along with the hazing prevention training, first-year students are already required to complete alcohol-wise and consent trainings as well.
“Typically, students don’t realize the importance of these trainings,” Keller concluded. “I believe these trainings are teaching students how to be better human beings. Some aspects are common sense, but others are things students could be unaware of. This brings attention to the gray areas and helps to dispel these areas for students in order to create the best AU campus community possible.”