Trustees, SG follow up on hazing incident

October 12, 2017
Chair of the Board of Trustees Anti-hazing Task Force, Steven Preston, announced in an email to the Wheaton College community that the trustees will carry out an “extensive review” of Wheaton’s anti-hazing policy to be completed by the end of this calendar year. The review will examine Wheaton’s current anti-hazing policies, the campus culture, parts of the student handbook, annual training protocols and disciplinary processes and will compare them with anti-hazing policy best practices at other institutions of higher education.
The scope of the review includes a comprehensive examination of Wheaton’s anti-hazing policies and campus culture, relevant sections of the student handbook, annual training protocols and disciplinary processes in comparison to best practices in higher education.
After their student input event on Sept. 20, Student Government compiled a 57-page document which they presented to Preston, Provost Margaret Diddams, Director of Athletics Julie Davis, President Philip Ryken, Vice President of Student Development Paul Chelsen, Dean of Residence Life Justin Heth and Student Government Liaison on the Board of Trustees (BOT) Anti-Hazing Task Force Trustee Barbara Anderson. Members of student government also met with student demonstration organizers and football team captains to “affirm their voice[s] in the student body, listen to their perspective, and discuss how to move forward” according to SG’s email to the student body.