RARE
RECRUITMENT, ACCEPTANCE,
RETENTION AND EDUCATION
ENDING PLEDGING AS WE KNOW IT
Cornell Livestreaming Event: April 27, 2012
DRAFT ONLY - NOT APPROVED
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4/27/2012
Top Five, Strong, Well Regarded, and Historically Significant
66
4,253
30%
1,248
Chapters
Members
Undergrads that
are Greek
New Members
47
1,778
19,720
$176K
Houses
Housing
Capacity
Service &
Advocacy Hours
Funds for
Charity
Fraternity & Sorority Life @Cornell
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4/27/2012
2008 - Current Initiatives
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Call 2 Action
Recognition Policy
Four Quarter System
Dartmouth Collaborative = NCHIP
Recruitment, Acceptance, Retention and Education
(RARE)
Fraternity & Sorority Life @Cornell
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4/27/2012
RARE
Recruitment, Acceptance, Retention and Education
•Primary focus is hazing prevention
•WORKING DOCUMENT – DRAFT ONLY
•Cornell has not approved these recommendations
•No decisions made – now engaging the community
•Final approvals are expected in October
Thank you for participating!
Disclaimers
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4/27/2012
Hazing Research
Pledging vs Hazing
Changing Greek Culture
A Comprehensive Approach
DRAFT Recommendations
RARE Phases One to Four
Fraternity & Sorority Life
@Cornell
President Skorton’s Challenge
RARE Task Force
RARE’s Mandate
Definition of Hazing
Cornell’s History
Our Agenda
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4/27/2012
National call
Eliminate hazing
Hazing defined as….
“End pledging as we know it….”
Create a better Greek system
Not providing all the answers
Challenge to Students, Alumni, University
President Skorton’s Challenge
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4/27/2012
The question is
“What Should Greek
Life Look Like at
Cornell?”
Why focus on
Greeks? Sports
teams…even the
Band hazes new
members.
He’s not a
Greek…eliminating
pledging will
destroy tradition and
create “paper
members”
Students will drink
and hazing will
continue – as they
have for decades.
Pledging and
hazing are not
the same
thing!!
Take the right
step - eliminate
the Greek system
altogether.
President Skorton’s Challenge - Initial Reactions
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4/27/2012
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Launched in Fall 2011
24 members – a cross section of the community
13 of 24 members are undergraduates
Two year effort to eliminate hazing
RARE Task Force
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4/27/2012
Name
Recruitment, Acceptance, Retention and
Education (RARE)
Purpose
To deliver a unified response to President David Skorton’s
challenge to the Cornell Greek system to eliminate hazing
and “end pledging as we know it.”
Customer
Undergraduate and alumni members of the Cornell Greek
system
Key Objectives
• Develop alternatives that welcome new members free of
degradation, humiliation and all other forms of hazing
• Enable and provide resources to chapters to create
their own unique, safe, and effective new member
processes
RARE’s Mandate
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4/27/2012
Cornell Campus Code of Conduct (Article II.A.1.f) “To
haze another person, regardless of the person’s consent to participate.
…endangering the physical health of an individual or causing mental
distress…
President Skorton’s “A Call to Lead”, CDS,
8.29.2011 Hazing is any act that, as a condition for group
membership, humiliates, intimidates, abuses or endangers any person —
regardless of the person’s consent to participate.
New York State Law
§120.16 and §120.17 A person is guilty of hazing if…in the course
of initiation or affiliation with any organization…creates a substantial
risk of physical injury
Definition of Hazing
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4/27/2012
When were these statements on hazing made?
“Hazing
goes against all the ideals of fraternities:
cooperation, trust and brotherhood. Let‟s work
together to eliminate it.”
“We have strict rules against hazing.”
“Hazing is the one offense in Cornell University for
which students are expelled, sent away never to
return or to go to any other college.”
“Hazing is an immature, dangerous act that serves
no useful purpose…. Remember: hazing can kill”
Cornell’s History
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4/27/2012
When were these statements on hazing made?
“Hazing
1982
goes against all the ideals of fraternities:
cooperation, trust and brotherhood. Let‟s work
together to eliminate it.”
1874
“We have strict rules against hazing.”
1904
“Hazing is the one offense in Cornell University for
which students are expelled, sent away never to
return or to go to any other college.”
1981
“Hazing is an immature, dangerous act that serves
no useful purpose…. Remember: hazing can kill”
Cornell’s History
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4/27/2012
What available research tells us:
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Hazing begins early in life, well before college
More than half of participants experience hazing
Almost all hazing goes unreported
About three-quarters of Greeks experience hazing
Many believe it creates bonds and is an important rite of passage
Eighty percent of all hazing deaths involve alcohol
What available research does not tell us:
• Is hazing getting worse?
• Are hazing prevention strategies effective?
• Is this generation different?
Research
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4/27/2012
No Single Theory, But Many Elements Explain Hazing Behavior
Evolutionary
psychology
Shared coping
Identification with
aggressor
Lack of external
constraints
Cycles of abuse
Need for esteem
Conformity and
obedience to authority
Masculinity
beliefs
Symbolic
interactionism
Cognitive dissonance
Rites of passage
Need for intimacy
Groupthink (Janis)
Sociopathy
Misperceived norms
Expression of power
Perceived lack
of alternatives
Desire for solidarity
Excerpts from hazing.cornell.edu/hazing/issues/research.cfm
Research – Why People Haze
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4/27/2012
Why address the pledge period?
• Platform for hazing
• Alignment with values & mission
• Maintain relevance
Pledging vs Hazing
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4/27/2012
• Hazing integral to many rituals and traditions – a rite of passage
• Change must occur at the individual, interactional, and organizational
levels
• Hazing must be rejected as incompatible with the values of Greek life
• Fraternity and sorority members must:
• refrain from hazing;
• ensure peers do not haze;
• report hazing incidents; and,
• discipline hazers and silent bystanders.
• The bandwidth of solutions must be broad and engage all
stakeholders
Changing Greek Culture
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4/27/2012
• Hazing behavior is complex
• Diverse collection of individuals, chapters and councils
• Requires a comprehensive approach, which is supported by proven
models of cultural change
• We cannot transforms an entire culture, but we can transform certain
parts of the culture
• Build on shared values to change the norms surrounding hazing
• Changes at every level - individual, chapter, council, alumni,
university, and community – are required
• Real and lasting results, leading to a new national standard, will take
time and resources
A Comprehensive Approach
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Building One Cornell Greek Community
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Intensive character building, education and social programs built around
values common to the Cornell Greek community
Welcomes new members into one community, prior to chapters
Be a strong advocate for the vast majority who are individuals of character
Modifications to Existing New Member Process
•Eliminate the words “pledge”, “pledging”, and other derogatory terms meant
to separate new and active members
•Reduce new member intake process duration
•Written plan for new member process must be approved annually by national
and alumni reps
Recruitment
Acceptance
Retention
Education
Draft RARE Recommendations - Community
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4/27/2012
Focus on Academic Excellence
•New and existing members, and chapters, to maintain min. GPA
•Prospective members below minimum are deferred
•Greek “suspension” process for members or chapters below GPA
•Greek mentorship program to encourage members to excel
Chapter Defined Four Year Education Models
• New member education program for each chapter based on
national requirements
• Chapter-focused education for sophomores and juniors
• Professional and career development education for juniors and
seniors
Recruitment
Acceptance
Retention
Education
Draft RARE Recommendations - Community
DRAFT ONLY - NOT APPROVED
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4/27/2012
Live-In Advisors for New and “At Risk” Chapters
•“At risk” chapters – low tier ratings, failure to address audit findings
or other recommendations
•Minimum four year period for advisors
•Not required for high performing chapters
Expand Self-Governance Concept to Include Alumni
• Minimum of 3 active advisors per chapter
• Participate in risk management audits of chapters
• Serve on alumni advisory groups - AIFC, APAC & AMGLC
• Participate in interviews of new leaders and exit interviews
Recruitment
Acceptance
Retention
Education
Draft RARE Recommendations - Community
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4/27/2012
Hire Hazing Specialist for All Campus Organizations & Teams
•Promote National Hazing Hotline and national legislation
•Develop “Real Life, Real Hazing” film of Cornellians
•Create programs like a “Bystanders Group” – individual members to
train all chapter members to identify and intervene in hazing
Create a Risk Management Council (RMC)
• Alumni, Council Leaders, Chapter Leaders & OFSIL Reps (9)
• Review performance tier ratings, judicial reports, police reports,
housing and safety reports, financial status and recruitment
• Engage in honest, challenging conversations with at-risk chapters
and alumni advisors, before serious incidents occur
Recruitment
Acceptance
Retention
Education
Draft RARE Recommendations - Community
DRAFT ONLY - NOT APPROVED
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4/27/2012
University Standards Set for Greek Chapters
• Expand EOY ratings to four tiers based on shared values
• Quarterly reviews undertaken by chapter officers, alumni advisors
and council officers, and reported to OFSIL annually
• Underperforming chapters subjected to alumni advisor and RMC
audits
Provide Funding Necessary for Transformation
•Motivation can come from programs, resources, rewards/awards
Alternatives to hazing in new member processes requires program
development and funding – must be a priority
•Funding to be generated from university, alumni and current
members in a shared manner
Recruitment
Acceptance
Retention
Education
Draft RARE Recommendations - Community
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4/27/2012
One
• Recruit Members for Task Force
• Examine Research, Best Practice, History, Culture Change and
Communications – Using an Online Collaboration Platform
Two
• Develop Alternative Responses
• Assemble Best Ideas Into RARE Draft Recommendations
Three
Four
• Engage Key Stakeholders, Experts and Community
• Present to FSAC, Trustee Committee on Student Life, Alumni and
Student Greek Leadership Groups, and Other Stakeholders
• Reconstitute Task Force for Fall Outreach and Implementation
• Winter/Spring IMMR (Implement, Measure, Monitor and Refine)
Process
RARE Phases One to Four
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• Engaging Key Stakeholders and Experts in Process
• Undergraduate Greek Members and Leaders
• Parents
• Non-Greek Cornell community
• Key Partners - DOS, OFSIL, Gannett, CUPD, COE,
Residential Programs
• Inter/national organizations
• Alumni and alumni associations
• Subject matter experts
Phase Three
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4/27/2012
Academic Year 2012-2013
• Our focus changes from developing recommendations to
outreach and implementation
• Move from 2 co-chairs to a Steering Group, with
representatives from each of the tri-councils and an alum
• Assemble an Advisory Group with expertise relevant for
Year 2 (in addition to experts continuing from Year 1)
• In addition to replacing seniors, we may need more
members on specific initiatives.
Phase Three and Four
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4/27/2012
Today
Future
Individuals join chapters
Individuals join the Cornell Greek
Community, then join chapters
Live-in advisors in sororities and
small number of fraternities
Live-in advisors also in new and
“at risk” chapters
Hazing prevention undertaken by
existing staff
University-wide hazing specialist
hired to benefit all organizations
Membership intake periods
Are shorter
Education ends with pledging
Four year education model to
encourage participation and
retention
What Will Be Different
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4/27/2012
AS A REMINDER….
•DRAFT RECOMMENDATIONS ONLY
•Cornell has not approved these recommendations.
•RARE’s dialogue with key stakeholders, to review and refine
these recommendations, will continue until final approvals are
received in October.
•Thank you for participating in today’s event.
Disclaimers
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4/27/2012
“I believe that if our students could
know and feel the shame which
these things bring on the University
and on everyone who cares for its
honor, the practice of hazing would
be near its end.” Goldwin Smith,
Cornell Daily Sun, 1884
Our thanks to all of the members,
contributors and supporters of RARE!
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