This page details the ethics and UA guidelines surrounding hazing, reporting hazing and retaliation to a hazing report.

Ethics and UA/Federal Guidelines

Hazing Policy

The University of Alabama is committed to providing an environment for students, employees, and campus visitors that is free from all forms of hazing. Hazing violates both UA policy and law, and may lead to removal from school or termination of employment as well as personal liability—civil and criminal.

Prohibition on Hazing

For purposes of this Policy, the University adopts and incorporates herein the detailed definitions of hazing set forth in the University’s Code of Student Conduct and Alabama Code § 16-1-23. Simply defined, hazing includes any act that threatens or inflicts physical, emotional, or psychological pressure or injury on an individual or that purposely demeans, degrades, or disgraces an individual.

Reporting Hazing

All members of the campus community have a duty to promptly report good faith concerns about potential hazing impacting another member of the campus community.  Specifically, if any such individual holds firsthand knowledge about hazing, whether that hazing has already occurred or is set to occur in the future, they have a duty to make a reasonable effort to immediately report the hazing-related information as noted herein.

To report hazing, please provide specific information about the hazing incident to any of the following:

  • The University’s Hazing & Harassment Hotline 205-348-HALT (4258)
  • The University’s Hazing Prevention Website
  • The University’s Office of the Dean of Students 205-348-3326
  • The University’s Office of Student Conduct 205-348-8234 • student.conduct@sa.ua.edu)
  • The University of Alabama Police Department (UAPD) 205-348-5454
  • You may also report hazing online.

If the situation is an emergency and you or someone else needs immediate assistance, please contact The University of Alabama Police Department (UAPD) at 205-348-5454.

Prohibition on Retaliation

It is a violation of this Policy for a member of the campus community to retaliate against another individual who has made a good faith report of hazing.

Additional Information on Hazing

For more information on hazing prevention and reporting, please visit the Hazing Prevention website.

Ethics

Involvement at UA is a great opportunity to develop leadership skills and to make lifelong friends. The benefits of being involved are virtually immeasurable. At UA you can make your involvement experience your own through a variety of measures! As a leader of an organization, your attention to careful and ethical decision-making is also VERY important.

As students and faculty/staff begin their journey with their organization, we ask that they do the right thing by keeping all members informed, clarifying options, and considering the risk/benefits of all decisions. If actions of individuals or the organization might do more harm than good, then the ethicality of those actions should be considered.

Americans with Disabilities Act

In keeping with its mission and in accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, The University of Alabama is committed to providing persons with disabilities an equal opportunity to participate in and benefit from all programs and services conducted or sponsored by the University.

When planning your events or programs, we ask you to consider these guidelines and use locations that are open and accessible to all students. The Office of Disability Services (ODS) serves as the central contact point for students with disabilities. The goal of ODS is to provide a physically and educationally accessible University environment that ensures an individual is viewed on the basis of ability, not disability. ODS works individually with students to determine appropriate and reasonable academic accommodations and to ensure that students’ academic performance is evaluated apart from the limiting effects of disability. ODS also serves as a resource to faculty members and University departments, assisting them in accommodating the needs of individuals with disabilities in the classroom and other program settings.

While the University strives to accommodate the needs of people with disabilities as fully as possible, reasonable accommodations do not include measures which fundamentally alter the University’s programs and services or which place an undue administrative or financial burden on the University.

Ms. Gwendolyn Hood, University Compliance Officer, has been designated to serve as the ADA Coordinator for the campus. Inquiries concerning ADA requirements and compliance may be directed to Ms. Hood, 171 Rose Administration Building, Box 870300, Tuscaloosa, AL. To report an ADA accessibility problem on campus, you may call the ADA Hotline at 205-348-5882 and leave a message or e-mail facilities@fa.ua.edu.

What is Title IX?

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 is a comprehensive federal law that prohibits discrimination based on the gender of students and employees of educational institutions that receive federal financial assistance.

“No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.” 20 U.S.C. §1681

Title IX encompasses gender discrimination and sexual harassment, including sexual assault and sexual violence.

The United States Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is charged with enforcing compliance with Title IX. For more information on OCR, please visit Office for Civil Rights.

Responsibility to Report

As registered student organizations you are required to report any instances of any of the issues listed above that may arise. If you become aware of any such conduct within your organization, you should immediately report it to the Office of Student Involvement, the Office of Student Conduct, the Women and Gender Resource Center, or the University’s Title IX Coordinator.

Acceptable Use Policies

The University of Alabama provides access to computing and networking facilities and resources as a service primarily to faculty, staff, and students in support of their research, instructional, administrative, and other intellectual pursuits related to and in fulfillment of the University of Alabama’s mission and to the members of the local community, when possible. All users of the electronic resources located on UA’s campus have a responsibility to use these resources in an ethical and legal manner. For information on these policies, visit The Office of Information Technology.