Campus Activities and Student Engagement (CASE) makes joining an organization on campus easy. With more than 200 recognized student organizations, there is something to suit every Pointer. Want to learn more? Check out the Engagement Fair. This event is held on a weekday evening at the beginning of each semester and features most of the organizations on campus. Get involved, meet new friends, and join an organization!
Academic, Occupational, Professional
Cultural, Personal, or Political
Emotional, Religious, or Spiritual
Extracurricular or Relationship Building
Fitness, Health, or Recreational
Fraternity and Sorority Life
Create
Can’t find the perfect organization for you? Create one! CASE is where you go to start a UW-Stevens Point-recognized student organization.
Manage
We can help you manage your organization, and recruit new members through events like our Student Organization Fair. SPIN is home to all forms, policies, travel, and event planning information for all student organizations at UWSP. CASE also shares space and works closely with the Student Government Association (SGA) the shared governance representative for the student body on campus. SPIN is an online system that, among other things, allows student organizations to update and maintain organization rosters and their officers as they change. It is important to keep up-to-date information on display for your organization.
Is Your Student Organization Planning an Event?
The Dreyfus University Center (DUC) hosts multiple events, hosted by on campus student organizations and departments, but also by off-campus community organizations and businesses.
Hazing Prevention
Whether you are involved in a student organization, a fraternity or sorority, volunteerism events, or leadership development, it is important to be aware of hazing prevention resources. Hazing is a serious issue that all campuses face. Ranging from seemingly harmless pranks and activities to life-threatening actions, hazing creates an unwelcome environment. This resource has been developed for organizations, teams, advisors, and coaches to utilize to help in defining hazing, identifying positive traditions to initiate, and how to respond if you are aware of hazing-related to any campus entity.
University life is about exploring new directions, meeting new people, and experiencing the world with new eyes. Hazing has no part in this process. UWSP has been participating in National Hazing Prevention Week since 2008. The Hazing Prevention Committee will be working to inform the community about hazing through buttons, posters, and an information booth. You may want to join their Facebook group.
Hazing Definition
While many proponents of hazing hail its virtues (building unity, strengthening membership), the simple fact is that hazing is an antiquated view of developing a strong organization. And in the most base form, it is illegal. The University will not tolerate nor condone any form of hazing. Hazing is to be defined as:
“any action taken or any situation created intentionally that causes embarrassment, harassment or ridicule and risks emotional and/or physical harm to members of a group or team, whether new or not, regardless of the person’s willingness to participate
– HazingPrevention.org”
If you are concerned that the activity your organization is planning or in which you are participating, contact the Student Involvement & Employment Office to discuss these concerns or report it here.
Wisconsin State Law
Click here to visit Wisconsin Legislative Documents
“Hazing” refers to any activity expected of someone joining a group (or to maintain full status in a group) that humiliates, degrades or risks emotional and/or physical harm, regardless of the person’s willingness to participate. (taken from StopHazing.org)
Additionally, hazing may be reflected in any act that is required of new members in order for them to gain admittance to an organization that is not required of the current membership. This may include, but is not limited to, the following behaviors:
- requiring new members to perform tasks that other members do not need to do (baking cookies, going on scavenger hunts for items not related to the organization, etc.)
- expecting certain items to always be in a new member’s possession
- requiring new members to address current members with certain titles
- verbally abusing new members
- expecting new members to do personal chores for current members
- performing sexual simulations in front of others
- forced use of alcohol or other drugs
- water intoxication
- public nudity
- asking new members to engage in illegal activities
- undue exposure to weather elements
While organizations may indicate that particpation is optional, the university (and the legal system) would consider any participation (“voluntary” or involuntary) as coerced.
Hazing is a form of peer pressure. Regardless of opportunities to not participate, new members may still feel obligated to participate in an activity.
Make the following inquiries of each organization activity to determine whether or not it is hazing. If the answer to any of these questions is “yes,” the activity is probably hazing:
- Is alcohol involved?
- Will active/current members of the group refuse to participate with the new members?
- Is there risk of injury or a question of safety?
- Do you have any reservations describing the activity to your parents, to a respected professor, or a University official?
- Would you object to the activity being photographed for the school newspaper or filmed by the local TV news crew?
Additional questions to consider…
- Is the organization’s advisor supportive of the activity?
- What are we trying to achieve by doing this activity?
- Is there another way to achieve the same outcome?
- Would you be prepared to go to court to defend the merit of this activity?
- Would you be willing to share a written description of this activity for other organizations like yours to use?
- Does the activity represent your organization and UWSP in a positive light?
- Would the behavior/activity be appropriate in a community volunteer group?
- Would an employer utilize this activity as a means to build team unity?
- Would you put your participation in this activity on a resume?
“It’s tradition!”
Keep in mind, all traditions do not reflect a positive influence on an organization. Our country has supported many “traditions” in the past that are no longer socially or legally acceptable.
“It builds a sense of unity.”
In actuality, hazing rituals pit new members against current membership. Forcing new members to “prove” their worth and interest in a group is an antiquated means of indoctrinating them into the group.
“New members need to prove themselves.”
In what other groups do members need to “prove” themselves? Athletic ability, grades, commitment to a certain way of thinking or belief are all ways in which new and current members show their willingness to participate. Asking new members to particiate in unrelated activities is hazing.
“It sets us apart from other groups.”
True. However, hazing does not have to be a requirement for initiation to a group. Treat members with respect and dignity and you will reap the benefits!
Hazing Checklist
Often times, hazing rituals/traditions are passed on from one student generation to the next. Consider using the “Is it hazing?” checklist above for each of your group’s tradition-based activities. Still not sure? Set up a confidential meeting through the Hazing Report to determine the status of your event. The report will be fielded by the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs office.
Are the tasks required of participants directly related to the mission of your organization?
Is there a “hell week” or similar event within your organization?
Is your national office, NCAA, or campus student organization office supportive of the activity?
Is the activity supposed to be kept a secret?
“Hidden Harm is a phrase used to describe the effects of a previous trauma. These hidden harms can be both physical and psychological, and they can have long-lasting effects on the individual. Hidden harms can manifest from a variety of past experiences – war, abuse, hazing, violence, families with alcoholism, and other sources. What we don’t know about another individual can be the ultimate harm of hazing. Someone who just joined an organization or team could have experienced something in their lives that makes them highly susceptible to serious repercussions if they’re hazed. Hazing can be physically and/or psychologically harmful to even perfectly healthy individuals, but mix hazing with any one of thousands of previous experiences and the damage can increase exponentially.” – hazingprevention.org
Non-Hazing Activites to Avoid the Negative Effects of Hazing:
1. Teambuilding activites (can be facilitated by CASE or campus professional – there are hundreds of these activites that you can use).
2. Participate in and/or plan a community service project.
3. Visit a ropes course together
4. Plan a fundraiser to donate to a charity.
5. Encourage active membership in at least one organization outside the group.
6. Host a Family Weekend event.
7. Attend a theatrical production or athletic event of a new member choosing together.
8. Allow new members time for themselves to do and be what they want. Don’t monopolize their time.
9. Have lunch together once a week in a dining hall with the entire organization.
10. Invite Alum to talk about the history of the organization.
Have an alternative to hazing idea? Post it on our Facebook page!
The following national organizations recognized on our campus also support anti-hazing activities. Please click on the links to learn more:
More Hazing Prevention Links: