Student Handbook - Sweet Briar College

Article VII: Violations1. Hazinga. “Hazing” means: To recklessly or intentionally endanger the health orsafety of a student or students, or to inflict bodily injury on a student orstudents in connection with, or for the purpose of initiation, admissioninto or affiliation with, or as a condition for continued membership in aclub, organization, association, fraternity, sorority, or student body,regardless of whether the student or students so endangered or injuredparticipated voluntarily in the relevant activity. VA Code §18.2-56.b. The College has a moral and ethical obligation to punish hazing when itoccurs. Sweet Briar has a legal obligation to deal with hazing as well.Under Virginia law:i. It shall be unlawful to haze, or otherwise mistreat so as to causebodily injury, any student at any school, college, or university.1) Any person found guilty thereof shall be found guilty of a Class Imisdemeanor.ii. Any person receiving bodily injury by hazing or mistreatment shallhave a right to sue, civilly, the person or persons guilty thereof. VACode §18.2-56iii. IMPORTANT - As with sexual harassment and other forms ofassault, an individual cannot legally consent to hazing. At no timewill implied or actual consent to participate in an activity by thosebeing hazed be considered a valid defense to a hazing charge. Thehazing does not have to take place on Sweet Briar’s campus in orderfor the Policy on Hazing to apply.iv. To fulfill its moral, ethical, and legal obligations, the College hasadopted a Policy on Hazing and Standards of Group Behavior whichdescribes Sweet Briar’s policies and processes for identifying andpunishing hazing. Each Tap Club will sign the Policy on Hazing andStandards of Group Behavior each year and place a copy on file withthe Office of Student Involvement & Programs. Additional copiesof the complete policy can be obtained online or by contacting theOffice of Student Involvement & Programs. Alleged hazinginfractions will be investigated by the Judicial Committee and thenforwarded to ICC. ICC will also investigate the alleged infractionand will try the case if needed. The investigation and trial processcan be obtained in the ICC constitution.2. Absences and Consistencya. The President of every Tap Club must be present at every meeting. If aPresident cannot attend a meeting they must inform the Tap Club CouncilPresident with their excuse and ensure that a representative comes in theirplace. Even an excused absence is an absence.b. The first absence will result in a verbal warning by the Tap ClubExecutive board in a meeting. This meeting is to remind the President________________________________________________________________38