Three recent scandals involving student organizations have brought hazing into the limelight at UF, but officials are hoping a new educational campaign will put a stop to the practice.
Jack Causseaux, associate director for Sorority and Fraternity Affairs, said UF is planning to create a coalition to find ways to educate students, faculty and staff about how to identify and avoid hazing.
The coalition will likely include members from the University Police Department, the University Athletic Association and Student Government, as well as representatives from UF's student groups and recreational sports programs, Causseaux said.
"Hazing is not a fraternity and sorority problem only," he said, adding it happens in major sports programs, club sports and even student groups.
Chris Loschiavo, director of UF's Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution, said he doesn't think many students realize how dangerous hazing can be and how to prevent it from happening to them.
Loschiavo said although the campaign has been in the works for years, three recent cases of hazing, which all happened within the span of a year, lent the initiative some urgency.
"It's now more important than ever," he said.
"We'd rather deal with it proactively than have to discipline organizations all the time for it," he said.
Causseaux said he hopes the coalition can be formed sometime this semester, but said things should be well under way by the end of the school year at the latest.
According to UF records, the last student organization found guilty of hazing was Sigma Lambda Gamma, an 18-member Latina-based sorority, which was shut down for five years by its national organization in April.
The group imposed restrictions on recruits that included no Facebook, make-up or fast food.
Other recent hazing cases include the Tau Epsilon Phi fraternity, which was suspended for one year in November after recruits were found shirtless and kneeling on the basement floor, and the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity, which was suspended for four years in July 2008 for activities that included wall sits and consuming large amounts of alcohol.
