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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>84569</law_id><section_number>23.1-819</section_number><catch_line>Definitions</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="23.1">Institutions of Higher Education; Other Educational and Cultural Institutions</unit><unit label="subtitle" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="II">Students and Campus</unit><unit label="chapter" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="8">Health and Campus Safety</unit><unit label="article" level="4" order_by="1" identifier="4">Campus Safety; Hazing.</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>For the purposes of this article, unless the context requires a different meaning:
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Bullying</span>&#x201D; means the same as that term is defined in &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/22.1-276.01/">22.1-276.01</a>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Hazing</span>&#x201D; means the same as that term is defined in &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Hazing unlawful; civil and criminal liability; duty of school, etc., officials; penalty" href="/18.2-56/">18.2-56</a>.
		&#x201C;Institution&#x201D; or &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">institution of higher education</span>&#x201D; means any <span class="dictionary">nonprofit <span class="dictionary">private <span class="dictionary">institution of higher education</span></span></span> and any <span class="dictionary">public <span class="dictionary">institution of higher education</span></span> as defined in &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/23.1-100/">23.1-100</a>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Local organization</span>&#x201D; means a group that is not chartered or recognized by an institution or a national organization but is composed of members who are students at such institution and the institution is aware of the <span class="dictionary">local organization</span>&#x2019;s existence or becomes aware of its existence after a <span class="dictionary">hazing</span> incident is reported to the institution.
		&#x201C;New member&#x201D; means an individual who has been offered an invitation for membership in a <span class="dictionary">student organization with new members</span> but has not yet been initiated and is not recognized as a full member of the organization.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">New member event</span>&#x201D; means an official event or gathering hosted by a <span class="dictionary">student organization with new members</span> prior to new members of such organization being initiated into the organization to which all new members and members of the student organization hosting the event are invited or are instructed to attend.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Potential new member</span>&#x201D; means an individual who has expressed interest in joining a <span class="dictionary">student organization with new members</span> by signing up to go through a recruitment process for such organization or organizations.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Student organization recognized by an <span class="dictionary">institution of higher education</span></span>&#x201D; means any group or organization on campus, including varsity intercollegiate and club athletic teams, recognized by an <span class="dictionary">institution of higher education</span>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Student organization with new members</span>&#x201D; means a student organization officially recognized by an <span class="dictionary">institution of higher education</span> structured in such a way that upon invitation for membership, individuals do not automatically become members of such organization and have a period of time between invitation for membership and being initiated into membership. &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Student organization with new members</span>&#x201D; does not include any varsity intercollegiate or club athletic team.</p></section></text><history>2022, cc. 693, 694; 2024, c. 405.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
