Hazing Policy

Student Organizations and individual students are prohibited from engaging in hazing, both on and off campus. Hazing will not be tolerated at Jacksonville State University.

  1. “Hazing” is defined as “any non-accidental, costly aspect(s) of group induction activities that: (a) do not appear to be group-relevant assessments/preparations, and/or (b) are excessive, dangerous, or degrading in their application or constitute violations of local, state or federal law or any other University policy regardless of the consent of the participants. Group induction activities are those tasks formally or informally required to obtain or maintain membership and/or participatory legitimacy for new, prospective, or current members and/or to attain progressive membership status and/or leadership positions within the organization” (Adapted from Cimino, 2017).
  2. For the purposes of this regulation, hazing includes observation of hazing activities by individuals in a position to intervene, but who fail to intervene, either directly or indirectly. This includes organizational officers or leaders who are aware of planned hazing activities and who condone and/or fail to prevent the hazing from occurring, regardless of their own participation. Indirect intervention may include actions such as calling the police or reporting to a person of authority to stop the hazing activities.
  3. Code of Alabama 16.1.23 - Hazing Prohibited; Penalty.

A student organization is defined as “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.

Gamecocks Against Hazing - Website

Jacksonville State University is dedicated to fostering a safe and inclusive educational environment that promotes the well-being of every member of our campus community. Hazing is strictly prohibited under both Alabama state law and Jax State policy.

At JSU, hazing in any form is not tolerated and is considered a serious violation of our community standards.

The Gamecocks Against Hazing website serves as a resource to help prevent hazing by offering educational materials, support for victims, and guidance for bystanders.

Thank you for your commitment to keeping Jacksonville State University a hazing-free community.

As of December 2024, the Stop Campus Hazing Act requires colleges to:

  • Track and report hazing incidents in annual security reports
  • Define hazing as any act that causes or risks harm during group initiation or membership
  • Publish a Campus Hazing Transparency Report starting July 1, 2025

Source: U.S. Congress – Stop Campus Hazing Act (2024) – congress.gov

The Campus Hazing Transparency Report will be published starting on July 1, 2025. The link to the report will be available here at that time.

Organization Violations – Website

The website will document hazing violations involving Jacksonville State University student organizations over the past seven years (starting in July 2025).