“Everyone on campus needs to be unified in the fight against hazing,” said FAMU Interim President Larry Robinson. “We will continue to enact change, positively empower our students and provide resources going forward to ensure that we provide a safer and healthier environment for learning.”
In addition, in spring 2013, students will be required to sign an anti-hazing pledge attesting they will not participate in any form of hazing. This will be a prerequisite for any student to register for classes.
FAMU students who log on to the website will also have an opportunity to sign a pledge confirming they are fully versed on campus policy and state laws related to hazing. The site will include messages from students, administrators, parents and others on the topic of hazing. It also includes a quiz to test one’s knowledge about hazing and a form to report hazing incidents that will be disseminated real-time to the FAMU Police Department. University officials believe the website is a great resource for those across the U.S. who want to have more information on the issue.
“This new site is an interactive and vibrant resource that can help educate and ultimately prevent incidents of hazing on FAMU’s campus,” said Belinda Shannon, member of the FAMU Board of Trustees and the BOT liaison to the university Crisis Management Team. “Hazing is a ritual that is practiced on campuses across the nation, but we want to make sure that we are doing what we can to stop this ritual at FAMU.”
The anti-hazing website is one component of the FAMU BOT updated Anti-Hazing Plan. The university plans to add designated Twitter and Facebook accounts to complement the website when the new special assistant to the president on hazing and the music compliance officer are hired. To date, FAMU has received about 60 applications for each position.
“We encourage our students, faculty and staff to bookmark the website, visit it frequently and utilize it if they are aware of any incidents of hazing,” said Robinson. “We want to help educate the campus about what constitutes hazing and the destructive force it can be.”