Yesterday, the FAMU Board of Trustees announced the appointment of an Anti-Hazing Committee. The independent committee tasked with providing recommendations on determining the most effective and indelible approach to end hazing on campus. It will work in unison with the ongoing efforts of the FAMU community to address the issue of hazing.The FAMU Anti-Hazing Committee's members were selected based on input from the board, administration, faculty, students and alumni. The members are as follows:
• Stephen Craig Robinson (Chairman) – Former U.S. District Court Judge and current partner at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom;
• Dr. Na’im Akbar – Clinical Psychologist and Former President, National Association of Black Psychologists;
• Dr. Elizabeth Allan – Professor, University of Maine and Co-Director, The National Collaborative for Hazing Research and Prevention;
• Dr. Michael V. Bowie – Executive Director of Florida Fund for Minority Teachers & former national president of the National Pan-Hellenic Council;
• David Brewer – Former Vice Admiral of the United States Navy and Superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District;
• Dr. Mary Madden – Professor, University of Maine & Co-Director, The National Collaborative for Hazing Research and Prevention;
• David Starnes – Band Director and Professor of Music at Western Carolina University.
Trustee Belinda Shannon assembled the FAMU Anti-Hazing Committee initiative on the board’s behalf. She will continue to work as liaison between the trustees and committee members.
“We are extremely grateful that these distinguished individuals have chosen to work with FAMU to help us find solutions to a problem that has persisted for far too long, both at the college and even high school level,” Shannon said.
The committee will be asked to examine the following issues:
• Hazing at other universities and how has it been handled?
• Getting students to resist hazing; what has worked?
• How do we best govern the Marching “100” and its activities?
The committee’s work will result in findings and recommendations to be presented to the FAMU Board of Trustees for consideration and approval.