Dear Campus Community,

As members of this community, we have a chance to help create experiences that treat all people with dignity and respect. Living together on the Mountain, it is obvious how we support one another inside and outside the classroom, in small and large ways that create a positive campus climate.

In recent years, there has been a conversation across the nation regarding hazing on college campuses. It should be noted that the impact of hazing reaches beyond the individuals involved to include their families and the campus community. While commonly associated with Greek organizations, hazing is not isolated to a particular organizational type or functional area. Sewanee is committed to partnering across campus to address the issue.

Hazing is abusive behavior that interferes with community members' ability to thrive as leaders and learners. We all have a responsibility to help stop hazing by being informed and committing to hazing prevention. 

Hazing is not an innocent or acceptable rite of passage and often exists in secrecy. Traditions, rituals, and initiations that involve alcohol consumption, verbal abuse, sleep deprivation, or humiliating or degrading activities are harmful, dangerous, and violate University policy (page 10). Such behaviors are detrimental and unnecessary to creating community, trust, and a sense of belonging.

As senior leaders at the University, we are committed to promoting awareness and understanding of hazing, and to creating a culture that stops hazing before it starts. We believe such action is critical to hazing prevention. As such, we are proud to share our campus wide initiative for hazing prevention at Sewanee:

  • The creation of a hazing prevention coalition. This coalition will consist of faculty, Sewanee police, researchers, students, and alumni, in addition to staff from residential life and community standards, to name a few. Its purpose will be to bring awareness to the issue of hazing, and generate and evaluate campuswide prevention efforts.
  • The launch of our hazing prevention website, hazing.sewanee.edu. The website is intended to serve as a hub for all things related to hazing, to include providing community members with the tools and resources to recognize the signs of hazing and providing a mechanism for confidential reporting.

We all have a responsibility to help stop hazing at Sewanee, and it is incumbent upon each of us to reflect on our shared values of Inquiry, Community, Flourish, and Courage. Please join us in doing your part by visiting hazing.sewanee.edu to learn more about hazing, potential warning signs to be aware of, and how you can submit a report. 

Sincerely,

Nancy Berner, Acting Vice-Chancellor and President
Sibby Anderson-Thompkins, Vice Provost for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Jay Fisher, University Secretary and Special Assistant to the Vice-Chancellor
Peter Gray, University Chaplin
Nicky Hamilton, Chief of Staff
Erica Howard, Associate Provost for Student Life and Dean of Students
Parker Oliver, Associate Vice President for Marketing and Communications
Terry Papillon, Vice Provost for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College
Karen Proctor, Special Assistant to the Vice Chancellor for Strategic Planning Initiatives
Alan Ramirez, Associate Provost and Dean of Admission and Financial Aid
Chip Schane, Vice President for Public Safety
Vicki Sells, Associate Provost for Library and Information Technology Services
John Shackelford, Director of Athletics
David Shipps, Vice President for Economic Development and Community Relations
Karen Singer, Assistant VP for Facilities Management
Marquitte Starkey, Vice President and General Counsel
Lisa Stephenson, Vice Provost for Student Success
Brent Tate, Interim Director of Sewanee Dining
Jim Turrell, Vice Provost and Dean of the School of Theology
Debbie Vaughn, Vice President for University Relations
Doug Williams, Treasurer and Vice President for Finance and Operations
Scott Wilson, Acting Provost

Adapted from StopHazing & Clery Center