UMaine to Host National Hazing Symposium

Contact: Joe Carr at (207) 581-3571, joecarr@maine.edu

ORONO — The University of Maine will further establish itself as a national hub of hazing-related research when it hosts the 6th annual National Hazing Symposium on Thursday Oct. 1 and Friday Oct. 2 at Memorial Union.

The program, expected to draw 50 hazing researchers and experts to Orono, will feature examination of research, theories and practical implications for addressing issues related to hazing.

Thursday’s program begins with a 6 p.m. dinner and a 6:30 p.m. keynote talk by UMaine professors Elizabeth Allan and Mary Madden.  National experts in this field, Allan and Madden have managed the largest survey that’s ever been conducted to measure the prevalence of hazing and related attitudes.  The data from that survey have provided new insights that experts are using to create research-based prevention strategies.

Friday’s program, which runs from 8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., will include a number of small group discussions and other interactions among the participants.

The symposium will also provide an opportunity to showcase a new UMaine venture called “The National Collaborative for Hazing Research and Prevention,” a joint effort of UMaine’s College of Education and Human Development and its Division of Student Affairs.  The collaborative derives from the survey conducted by Allan and Madden and it will provide a focal point for continued efforts to study hazing and develop effective prevention strategies.

The symposium was organized in conjunction with HazingPrevention.org and sponsors are the Association of Fraternity and Sorority Advisors; the Gordie Foundation; Sigma Kappa sorority; and Response Ability, an educational program about bystander behavior and intervention.