I. Purpose
A. Anne Arundel Community College (“College”) expressly prohibits Hazing in any form in Educational Programs or Activities of the College.
B. The purpose of this Policy is to ensure compliance with federal and state laws and regulations regarding Hazing.
II. Scope and Applicability
A. This Policy applies to all Employees, Students, and other individuals participating in or attempting to participate in the College’s Education Program or Activity.
B. This Policy applies to all acts committed during initiation into, affiliation with or the maintenance of membership in a Student Organization of the College.
C. This Policy applies only to incidents alleged to have occurred after the effective date of this Policy.
D. The College will investigate and resolve allegations of Hazing conduct using the Interim Anti-Hazing Procedure.
III. Anti-Hazing Statement
The College expressly prohibits Hazing in any form, as also stated in its Code of Student Conduct. This prohibition includes acts of Hazing that occurs on or off campus in connection with Education Programs or Activities of the College. Student Organizations, members of Student Organizations and Hazing Bystanders, are required to notify the College of any known or suspected acts of Hazing.
IV. Definitions
The following definitions apply to the Interim Anti-Hazing Policy and the Interim Anti-Hazing Procedure:
A. Behavioral Intervention Team (BIT) is a group of college personnel with expertise in the areas of student development, law enforcement, threat assessment, college operations, medical and mental health. The BIT evaluates and manages imminent threats of violence and coordinates an appropriate plan of action, which may include consulting external third parties with expertise in threat assessment.
B. Business Day means any day that is not a Saturday or Sunday or day that the College is closed, such as holidays, spring break, winter break, or other day that the College announces that it is closed.
C. College Property or Premises means any part of the buildings, grounds, or property that is owned, leased, operated, or controlled by the College.
D. Complaint means any oral or written notice to the College that can objectively be understood as a request for the College to investigate and resolve allegations of Hazing.
E. Complainant means a Student who is alleged to have been subjected to conduct that could constitute Hazing or Retaliation under this Policy; or a person other than a Student or Employee who is alleged to have been subjected to such conduct and who was participating or attempting to participate in the College’s education program or activity at the time of the alleged conduct.
F. Education Program or Activity means locations, events, or circumstances, including employment, where the College exercises substantial control over the context in which the Hazing or Retaliation occurs. This includes, but is not limited to, athletics, study abroad, and other College sponsored programs and activities.
G. Employee means a person employed by College either full- or part-time, including Student Employees when acting within the scope of their employment, and applicants for employment.
H. Hazing means any intentional, knowing, or reckless act committed by a person (whether individually or in concert with other persons) against another person or persons regardless of the willingness of such other person or persons to participate, that
1. Is committed in the course of an initiation into, in affiliation with, or for the maintenance of membership in, a Student Organization; and
2. Causes or creates a risk, above the reasonable risk encountered in the course of participation in the institution of higher education or the organization (such as the physical preparation necessary for participation in an athletic team), of physical or psychological injury including:
a. whipping, beating, striking, electronic shocking, placing of a harmful substance on someone’s body, or similar activity;
b. causing, coercing, or otherwise inducing sleep deprivation, exposure to the elements, confinement in a small space, extreme calisthenics, or other similar activity;
c. causing, coercing, or otherwise inducing another person to consume food, liquid, alcohol, drugs, or other substances;
d. causing, coercing, or otherwise inducing another person to perform sexual acts;
e. any activity that places another person in reasonable fear of bodily harm through the use of threatening words or conduct;
f. any activity against another person that includes a criminal violation of local, State, Tribal, or Federal law;
g. any activity that induces, causes, or requires another person to perform a duty or task that involves a criminal violation of local, State, Tribal, or Federal law; and
h. any activity that involves physical risks or mental distress through humiliating, intimidating, or demeaning treatment of individuals, including abuse through acts of servitude, menial tasks, and/or financial expenditures.
I. Hazing Bystander means anyone who knowingly witnesses hazing or is aware of planned hazing activities, who is in a position to intervene, report or otherwise prevent Hazing, but chooses not to act. This includes but is not limited to organization officers and leaders, regardless of physical participation in the Hazing conduct.
J. Protected Activity includes reporting information, making a Complaint, threatening to file a complaint, testifying, assisting, or participating in any manner in an investigation under this Policy, or in any other appropriate steps taken by the College to promptly and effectively address Hazing incidents.
K. Reporter means any person with knowledge of any activity or conduct which may constitute Hazing, who reports or otherwise provides notice of Hazing allegations to the College.
L. Retaliation means adverse action, including intimidation, threats, or coercion, against any person, by the College, a Student, Employee, or a person authorized by the College to provide aid, benefit, or service under the College’s education program or activity, for the purpose of interfering with any right or privilege secured by this Policy, or because the person has engaged in protected activity under the Policy, such as reporting instances of Hazing.
M. Respondent means person who is alleged to have engaged in conduct that could constitute Hazing or Retaliation under the Policy.
N. Report provides notice of Hazing allegations pursuant to Section IV of the Interim Anti-Hazing Procedure.
O. Student. An individual who is registered for any credit, noncredit or continuing education course offered by the College for the current or a future term.
P. Student Organization means any group (such as a club, student associations, athletic team, club sports team, band) composed of two or more students, regardless of whether the organization is officially established or recognized by the College.
V. Policy Provisions
A. Employees and Students are required to report conduct that is known or suspected to be Hazing, pursuant to Section IV.A of the Interim Anti-Hazing Procedure. Upon receiving notice of Hazing conduct, the College will promptly investigate and attempt to resolve the reported conduct using the Anti-Hazing procedure.
B. Student Organization leaders and members must immediately report their knowledge of any conduct that is known or suspected to be Hazing or planned Hazing events that occur within their organization, pursuant to Section IV.A of theInterim Anti-Hazing Procedure. Reporting Hazing under this policy is Protected Activity. The College prohibits Retaliation for reporting Hazing against Employees, Students and other individuals participating in or attempting to participate in the College’s program or activities, including education and employment.
C. Collateral Misconduct
1. Collateral misconduct is defined to include potential violations of College policies other than the Interim Anti-Hazing Policy that occur in conjunction with alleged violations of this Policy, or that arise through the course of the investigation, for which it makes sense to provide one resolution for all charges. Thus, the collateral allegations may be charged along with potential violations of this Policy to be resolved jointly under the Interim Anti-Hazing Procedure or under other College policies, at the discretion of the Dean of Student Development.
2. In such circumstances, the Dean of Student Development may refer such collateral misconduct to College officials who typically oversee such collateral misconduct (e.g., human resources, academic affairs, compliance).
3. All other allegations of misconduct unrelated to incidents covered by the Policy will typically be addressed separately through procedures described in other applicable College policies.
D. A Respondent is subject to Disciplinary action only if they are a College Student or Employee at the time of the alleged incident. If the Respondent is unknown or is not a member of the College community, the College will offer to assist the Complainant in identifying appropriate institutional and local resources, including police.
E. Campus Hazing Transparency Report
As required by the Stop Campus Hazing Act, the College will publicly report, in summary form, findings concerning any recognized Student Organization found to be in violation of the Interim Anti-Hazing Policy.
F. Annual Security Report (ASR)
The College will include crime statistics about Hazing in the ASR and disclose prevention and awareness program information in the ASR beginning in the 2026 ASR, including information about this Policy and Procedure.
Policy Title: Anti-Hazing Policy
Policy Category: Student Affairs
Policy Owner: Vice President for Learner Support Services
Policy Administrator: Dean, Student Development
Contact Information: deanstudents@aacc.edu; 410-777-2634
Approval Date: June 16, 2025
Effective Date: June 16, 2025
History: N/A
Applies to: All College Employees and Students
Related Policies: N/A
Related Procedures: Interim Anti-Hazing Procedure
Forms/Guidelines: N/A
Relevant Laws: