Hazing
Intentional, knowing, or reckless act directed against a student by one person acting alone or by more than one person occurring on or off university premises that endangers the mental or physical health or safety of a student for the purpose of pledging or associating with, being initiated into, affiliating with, holding office in, seeking and/or maintaining membership in any organization or program whose membership consists of students. Consent and/or acquiescence by a student or students subjected to hazing is not a reasonable defense in a disciplinary proceeding. Hazing includes, but is not limited to:
a. Any type of physical brutality, such as whipping, beating, using a harmful substance on the body or similar activity.
b. Any type of physical activity that subjects the student to an unreasonable risk of harm or that adversely affects the mental or physical health or safety of a student, such as sleep deprivation, exposure to the elements, confinement in a small space, or calisthenics.
c. Any activity involving consumption of a food, liquid, alcoholic beverage, drug or other substance which subjects a student to an unreasonable risk of harm, or which adversely affects the mental or physical health or safety of a student.
d. Any activity that intimidates or threatens a student with ostracism, subjects a student to extreme mental stress, shame, or humiliation, adversely affects the mental health or dignity of a student, or discourages a student from entering or remaining enrolled at the university, or may reasonably be expected to cause a student to leave the organization or the university rather than submit to acts described above.
e. Any activity in which a person solicits, encourages, directs, aids, or attempts to aid another in engaging in hazing; intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly permits hazing to occur; has firsthand knowledge of the planning of a specific hazing incident which has occurred and knowingly fails to report the incident to the Office of Community Standards or the University Police Department.
f. Any activity in which hazing is either condoned or encouraged or any action by an officer or combination of members, pledges, associates, or alumni of the organization of committing or assisting in the commission of hazing.
Students who are recipients and/or victims of hazing (and who have not perpetrated hazing behavior on others involved in the fact pattern for which they are reporting) and who report the activities to the VP of Student Affairs and/or the University Police Department, will not be charged with a violation of the hazing rule. Note: For more information on hazing see Texas Education Code, Sections 37.151-37.155 and Section 51.936 at http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/?link=ED.