A home without hazing: National award recognizes W&M’s leadership in hazing prevention

Two William & Mary administrators have been recognized with a national award for their efforts to sensitize students to the dangers of hazing and to train them to spot and stop it.

Jen Leung and Marc Sloan have won a national award for their work to prevent hazing. Photo by Heather Deere

Two William & Mary administrators have been recognized with a national award for their efforts to sensitize students to the dangers of hazing and to train them to spot and stop it.

Marc Sloan, assistant director for student accountability and restorative practices, and Jennifer Leung, associate director of student leadership development, were among this year's recipients of the Hank Nuwer Anti-Hazing Hero Award from the Hazing Prevention Network.

This national award honors individuals who do an outstanding job of educating students, schools and the public about hazing and who work to foster safe, inclusive campus environments. The award is named for Nuwer, a journalist who was instrumental in bringing attention to hazing's dangers with the establishment of a database that collects and records hazing deaths, accessible at HazingInfo.org

"I couldn't be more proud of Marc and Jennifer and the national recognition they have received. They are dynamic co-chairs of W&M's Hazing Prevention Coalition, guiding the university's data-driven, proactive approach to this critical work," said Ginger Ambler, senior vice president for student affairs & public safety.

"As our representatives in the national Hazing Prevention Consortium - a sustained, three-year engagement - they expertly champion a comprehensive approach for our campus that includes strategic planning, programming, training and education, partner outreach, resources, and assessment/evaluation. Together they are leading the charge to make W&M a 'Home Without Hazing' for all students. Their work is exceptional."

As co-chairs of W&M's Hazing Prevention Coalition, Sloan and Leung are charged with elevating awareness across campus and empowering community members to act, positioning William & Mary as a national leader in working to eliminate hazing in all its iterations.

"William & Mary has been doing the work of hazing prevention for a really long time," said Sloan, "but we want to be preeminent in this field."

In service of the overall goal and to mark National Hazing Prevention week, Sept. 22-27, the Hazing Prevention Coalition is leading a campuswide effort to get faculty, staff and students to sign the Hazing Prevention Pledge. Tables will be set up on Sadler Terrace from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 22, through Wednesday, Sept. 24. (Rain location in Sadler Atrium.)

"We hope thousands of William & Mary community members will take the pledge," said Anne H. Arseneau, director of student leadership development.

The impact of Adam's Law

Sloan and Leung's work comes at a moment when the state is doubling down on keeping students safe from campus "rites" that may actually be wrongs.

In 2022, the state legislature enacted "Adam's Law" to ensure that students understand the realities of hazing and that university officials provide mandatory in-person education on hazing to members of student organizations. It also calls for public online reporting of hazing incidents and a guarantee of disciplinary immunity for bystanders who report hazing incidents.

"Adam's Law codified a lot of the things we were already doing," said Sloan, "but we're really grateful for it because it's another push toward compliance and it reinforces the importance of what we've been doing."

Nearly 2,000 W&M students have already participated in hazing prevention training this fall, both online and in-person. Leung and Sloan's team met with every member of every varsity athletics team. All incoming members of Campus Recreation Club Sports completed an on-line training. In-person training is required for all student organizations with new members.

Data shows 55% of all students will experience some kind of hazing while at college, and no campus is exempt from misguided efforts that may result in harm, said Arseneau. "The quest to create a rite of passage in order to join a club or to belong to some organization can result in some experiences being funneled in the wrong direction."

Hazing rituals, she said, occur on a spectrum. Even harsh kidding or "playful" shaming can be toxic. "We need people to recognize all kinds of harassment when they see it, then name it and address it."

"That's the lightbulb moment for a lot of our students," said Sloan, "when they realize that even low-level hazing can be dangerous and problematic. We are working toward decreasing tolerance for that. No one should ever be demeaned in order to be part of campus life."

Susan Corbett, Communications Specialist

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