New regulations surrounding hazing at the University of Rhode Island have led to an increase in hazing reports throughout the fall semester, according to Dean of Students Dan Graney.
As of Nov. 3, five of URI’s 17 fraternities are on probation, according to the URI website. Four fraternities – Phi Gamma Delta, Pi Kappa Alpha, Sigma Chi and Theta Delta Chi – are on probation for violating the university’s hazing and alcohol policies.
The university defines hazing as “any intentional, knowing, or reckless act committed by a person, whether individually or in concert with others, against another person or persons” that is “undertaken in the course of initiation into, affiliation with, or maintenance of membership in a student organization” and “creates or causes a risk of physical or psychological injury,” according to the URI Hazing Policy.
The new policy took effect on June 16, drafted after the Stop Campus Hazing Act was passed by the federal government in December 2024, according to Graney.
“I think we are seeing more reports this semester than any time before because of the [Stop Campus Hazing Act] and things like that,” Graney said. “It’s become more easy for people to report.”
Probation for Greek life functions similarly to the criminal justice system, according to Graney.
“You’ve served your time; you’ve done your sanction,” Graney said. “And this is a period of time where, if anything else happens, if something else happens again, the sanctions might be more severe.”
A chapter is placed on probation following a disciplinary process through the university after receiving a report of misconduct, according to Graney. The chapter’s national organization may choose to be involved alongside the local chapter and university.
After an initial review of the report, the university notifies the local and national chapters of the student organization, according to Graney. An investigation would then take place. If sufficient information is found in the investigation, the chapter would then go through the conduct process.
Organizations, unlike individual students, can petition for a negotiated agreement instead of going through the conduct process, according to Graney. The agreement requires the chapter to admit to policy violations.
“They’re accepting responsibility is how we say it,” Graney said. “They’re accepting responsibility for the charges, and then we talk about what sanctions would be best.”
Chapters typically petition for a negotiation instead of undergoing the conduct hearings, according to Graney.
Theta Chi is set to be first off probation on Dec. 31 for a violation of the fire safety policy, according to the URI website.
“[A fire safety violation] could just be violating the fire safety codes, like you know, covering your smoke detector, having too many people in the basement,” Graney said. “It could be any number of things.”
Over a quarter of URI fraternities are on probation, a statistic that adds up due to the length of the sentence, according to Graney.
“You can be on probation for a couple years and not have any incidents within that time,” Graney said.
No chapters of sororities are on probation, according to the URI website.
Greek Life organizations are not alone in facing disciplinary action. The URI men’s rugby team was placed on probation for hazing in August, according to a statement from URI’s Director of Communications Dawn Bergantino. The team is barred from representing URI until September 2026.
Students can report hazing incidents using the Hazing Report Form. For more information on hazing and conduct policies, the URI Student Handbook is available online.
