WVU is committed to preventing hazing through year-round education, training and strategic partnerships. Programs like the Prevention Summit, Hazing Prevention Week and advocacy trainings raise awareness, promote safe practices and empower the campus community to take action. WVU also collaborates with national organizations to strengthen its efforts and support a culture of safety and accountability.
Hazing Prevention Programming
Prevention Summit
Has been held annually, the Prevention Summit focuses on various areas of harm reduction including but not limited to alcohol and other drug education, medical amnesty, hazing prevention, emergency onlooker response and sexual misconduct/bystander intervention. The “Breathe, Nolan, Breathe” documentary is the keynote of the program, focusing on the hazing death of Nolan Burch at WVU. Strategies for hazing prevention are provided at length.
Hazing Prevention Week
Has been held annually during the last week in September, WVU engages with the National Hazing Prevention Week by promoting virtual education offered by the Hazing Prevention Network and the StopHazing Organization. Original programming includes:
- Faces of Hazing Exhibit: A silent walk-through exhibit highlights the real stories of various students who have died by hazing. These stories include deaths within fraternities and sororities, varsity athletics, club sports and intramurals, general student organizations, marching bands and military programs.
- Is This Hazing?: This interactive workshop highlights common traditions in fraternity and sorority life and explains when such traditions develop into hazing rituals. Participants discuss the appropriate engagement in traditions as opposed to using them as a means of hazing.
Hazing Prevention Advocacy Network Training
Offered throughout the academic year, the Network includes faculty, staff, students, families and community members who are trained to “refer up and refer out” when they interact with a student who is potentially experiencing hazing. This program includes specific steps on how to report hazing at WVU and is personalized for all campuses in the WVU System. The information provided is evidence-based and incorporates recent social science research.
Hazing Prevention Awareness and Education
This online training is available to all students and employees across the WVU System and is evidence-based, teaching participants what hazing is, how to identify it and how to specifically report it and offering strategies for hazing eradication.
C.H.A.P.T.E.R.
Offered by WellWVU upon request, this program focuses on peer accountability and intervention with acts of hazing in fraternity and sorority life.
New Member Bill of Rights
This list of rights are to be bestowed upon new members who join a fraternity or sorority. Each organization agrees to uphold the Bill of Rights during the membership intake process. The document also includes strictly prohibited activities that are outlined in detail.
Fraternity and Sorority Scorecard
This document lists academic, demographic and disciplinary information per recognized organization. It is updated at the end of each semester and shared publicly on the WVU Fraternity and Sorority Life website.
Hazing Prevention Task Force
Established in 2017, the Task Force exists to increase an active awareness and understanding of hazing in the University community. It is a collaborative body of faculty, staff and students committed to strategizing the intentional eradication of hazing at West Virginia University. It includes representation from all major facets of student life as well as WVU System campuses.
Partnerships
WVU has intentionally partnered with agencies and organizations focused on hazing prevention. These include:
- Piazza Center for Fraternity Research and Reform at Penn State University: WVU participated in the inaugural cohort of campuses who participated in the “What Works in Hazing Prevention” longitudinal study from 2022-2025. We received professional consultation on our hazing prevention efforts and engaged weekly in a community of care with other professionals, discussing ways to eradicate hazing on campus. We also participate in their national scorecard program. WVU has one employee who serves as a Research Fellow with the Center.
- Hazing Prevention Institute: For the past several years, WVU has sent staff and students to this multi-day conference focused on hazing prevention.
- Hazing Prevention Network: WVU has had multiple employees/students certified as Hazing Prevention Advocates through this multi-week, asynchronous online course.