At Greek University, we believe in the leadership of fraternity and sorority members. Since 2015, our award-winning speaking and consulting team has changed behavior in the long term and created safer campuses by leveraging the leadership in fraternities and sororities with an optimal balance of challenge and support. Our favorite moment? Watching all the ‘ahas’ go off in student’s minds as we help them solve problems with our campus keynote presentations, leadership conferences, workshops, research, and books. This form of student engagement correlates positively to student learning, student success, retention, and degree completion. To learn more, please visit greekuniversity.org.
Client Relationship Story:
Dr. Michael Ayalon and his team at Greek University are determined to help end hazing, among many other initiatives to help grow fraternity and sorority life and help to protect our members and guests over the next decade. In the first quarter of 2025, Dr. Ayalon took a new and more intimate approach to hazing prevention in the form of interactive chapter workshops versus the more traditional keynote presentations. Hazing prevention workshops included Alpha Delta Phi at the University of Chicago, Zeta Beta Tau at Penn State University, and Sigma Alpha Epsilon at Michigan State University. The chapters analyzed the origins of hazing, described why hazing happens, reviewed the progression of hazing-related media coverage over the last decade, summarized the new federal hazing laws covered in the Stop Campus Hazing Act, identified campus reporting mechanisms, practiced bystander intervention strategies, and produced substitute activities that promoted brotherhood.
Client Feedback:
“Dr. Michael Ayalon recently delivered a powerful and eye-opening hazing prevention workshop for the brothers of Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity at Michigan State University. Grounded in the findings of his recently defended dissertation, ‘The Early Warning Signs of Hazing in College Fraternities and Sororities,’ Dr. Ayalon’s presentation was both comprehensive and deeply engaging.
“The session offered critical historical context around hazing, explored its continued presence in campus culture, and—most importantly—equipped attendees with actionable strategies to drive meaningful change. Dr. Ayalon skillfully guided participants in identifying early warning signs of hazing, understanding key federal legislation such as the Stop Campus Hazing Act, and creating alternative chapter traditions that foster brotherhood without harm.
“The interactive nature of the workshop encouraged reflection and dialogue, allowing our members to assess what is working well within the chapter, what areas need improvement, and how Sigma Alpha Epsilon can take a leadership role in hazing prevention efforts at MSU in the coming year.
“We are incredibly grateful to Dr. Ayalon for sharing his time, knowledge, and encouragement with our chapter. His insights and practical guidance have already begun influencing positive cultural shifts among our members. The feedback from attendees was overwhelmingly positive — describing the session as valuable, relevant, actionable, inspiring, and engaging.
“We wholeheartedly recommend Dr. Ayalon to any organization or campus community seeking to make a lasting impact in the areas of hazing prevention, leadership development, and organizational culture change.”
– Steadman Boston, Director of Risk Management for Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity
Key Findings of Dr. Ayalon’s Research:
- Inconsistencies in hazing definitions, activities, and organizational values.
- The necessity of building trust and ensuring early intervention.
- Limited funding and capacity within Fraternity and Sorority Life offices.
- A lack of comprehensive data within the profession.
- The emotional burden placed on Student Affairs professionals.
- Hazing laws are being circumvented by outsourcing case resolutions.
Implications for Institutional Policy:
- Increased awareness of federal hazing laws.
- Encouraging students to report hazing incidents.
- Establishing hazing prevention task forces with campus-wide representation.
- Creating transparency in hazing reports across universities and national organizations.
- Developing a national database for fraternity/sorority members to advocate for change.
- Allocating more resources and staffing for Fraternity and Sorority Life offices.
- Implementing hazing prevention education in K-12 schools.
Benefits of Membership in Fraternities and Sororities:
- Significant, positive direct relationships with student engagement
- Strong positive indirect relationships with self-reports of learning
- Higher levels of interaction with people different from themselves
- Providing a proven student retention tool for institutions
- More likely to be engaged in community service
- More student-faculty interaction
Getting More Information on the Latest Research:
Greek University interviewed student affairs professionals from all over the country at both private and public institutions. Download “The Early Warning Signs of Hazing in College Fraternities and Sororities” here.
Making an Impact:
Sharing the latest research on hazing prevention with our members is important. Students don’t often understand the definitions of hazing, bystander intervention techniques for their campus, replacement activities, or why the hazing activity does not actually get them the solidarity they seek in their chapter. Our team of hazing prevention experts have done chapter workshops over the last six months for various fraternities that have changed their new member process as a result. One undergraduate member from Sigma Alpha Epsilon at Michigan State said, “He is a very passionate and engaging speaker. I think many brothers in our chapter where changed from the conversation.” Another undergraduate member from the same chapter said, “We learned many things about what’s actually happening which helped me open my eyes and realize it. We also were very interactive and we worked together.”
Our team of speakers and consultants are ready to help your members, whether that be at your conventions, leadership conferences, or even on a chapter level. Visit our website for more information: greekuniversity.org
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