Understanding Your Options
If you have been hazed, have witnessed hazing, or suspect that someone you know has been hazed, you have options about how you can report to university officials:
- If you are still processing your experience and aren’t sure what you would like to do next, we encourage you to reach out to the Ombuds Office for Students & Postdoctoral Appointees. The Ombuds is a confidential office that can assist you with sorting through this situation and share more about what options are available for you. You can reach the Ombuds at 510-642-5754 to schedule an appointment or simply ask more about how they might be of assistance. Our resources page has a more comprehensive list of confidential and non-confidential resources.
- If you would like to report your experience to the Center for Student Conduct, you can submit an online report. Please reference the “What happens after your report is received” section below to learn more about the process.
While individuals may withhold their name or other identifying information when reporting hazing, the university’s ability to respond to reports without a named reporting party will be significantly limited. In all cases, the identity of all reporters will be kept private to the greatest extent possible.
Please note that all reporting options on this page do not trigger an immediate response. If you are in immediate danger, please call UCPD at (510) 642-3333 or 9-1-1
What to Include in Your Report
The University’s ability to investigate reports and enforce its policies depend on the accuracy and specificity of the information provided. You are encouraged to provide as much specific detail as possible so that appropriate action can be taken to address the reported behavior. As a starting point, we recommend including the following:
- Who: names of people and/or organizations involved
- When: dates and times that you can recall
- Where: location of the incident(s) (please be as specific as possible, including addresses, houses, areas of campus, etc.)
- What: a specific description of what you observed or experienced and any supporting documentation you would like to share, such as pictures, videos, emails or text messages.
What happens after your report is received?
If you indicated that you would be comfortable with a staff member following up with you, you can expect to receive outreach within a few days. We will set up a conversation around your schedule and any time constraints you might have. In this conversation, we hope to share information about possible next steps, how much you would like to be involved moving forward, and any questions or concerns that you have.
The university’s response to a report varies depending on the type of behavior reported, the severity of the behavior, and the immediate threat to the health and safety of other community members.
In order to ensure that we have the most holistic and meaningful response possible, a team of campus partners is brought together to assess next steps once a report is received. Some of these campus partners could include:
- Center for Student Conduct
- Organizational Advising & Student Involvement Services (OASIS)
- Dean of Students Office
- Center for Support and Intervention
- Haas School of Business
- Cal Athletics
- Berkeley Recreation & Wellbeing
- Berkeley Residential Life
- University Health Services
- PATH to Care
- Cal Greeks
You can learn more about policies and procedures related to hazing at the policies and procedures page. Navigate to the how to help someone experiencing hazing page and our resources page to learn more about how to help a friend or loved one experiencing hazing.