Apogee's National Awareness Campaign Boosts Success of National Hazing Prevention Week at 14 Universities

AUSTIN, TX--(Marketwired - Oct 26, 2017) - To combat hazing behaviors and promote healthy and respectful student relationships, 14 colleges and universities partnered with Apogee to use the Campus Life Channel to help get the word out during National Hazing Prevention Week (NHPW). NHPW is a week-long event in late September to raise awareness -- and promote prevention -- around the issue of hazing on college campuses across the country.

Campus Life Channel is an innovative digital platform that lets universities spotlight student issues on campus by collecting and curating all social media, videos and flyers, and then displaying them via a dedicated channel across cable TV, IPTV and digital signage. By using the Campus Life Channel, Apogee could communicate with students in meaningful ways since traditional methods of communicating through flyers, chalking, and even email have become antiquated.

Here are some highlights from the Apogee campaigns and from specific schools:

• A "campus celebrities against hazing" campaign, which leveraged social media conversations and spotlighted students who stood up against hazing as "campus celebrities." For example, Hartwick College in Oneonta, New York displayed social media posts using #besomeoneshero, the official college hazing prevention hashtag.
  
  
• An innovative and eye-catching video campaign to inform students at universities nationwide about common hazing behaviors. Facts like "9 of 10 students who experienced hazing don't think they've been hazed" stressed the concept that hazing is a nationwide epidemic, but one that can be combatted through innovative outreach effort. 
  
  For example, at Pace University, Apogee's video was displayed on digital signage across its three campuses -- in New York City, and two campuses in Westchester County, New York, in Pleasantville and White Plains. The campaign significantly increased visibility for important issues surrounding hazing prevention.
  
  
• A managed student engagement service to promote healthy conversations about hazing prevention with inclusion and student success as strategic initiatives. For example, Tarleton State University (a member of the Texas A&M system), in Stephenville, TX, used the Campus Life Channel to display approved, curated Instagram and Twitter posts using #TexansDoNotHaze.

In addition to Pace, Hartwick and Tarleton, the other schools who partnered with Apogee to get the word out about on-campus hazing prevention efforts included Bryant University, the University of New Hampshire, Michigan State University, Southwestern University, Emory University, George Mason University, SUNY Old Westbury, Manhattan College, Central College, Clemson University and Fayetteville State University.

"At Pace, we really appreciated Apogee's efforts to raise awareness for Hazing Prevention Week," said Katie Hartmann, Associate Director for Fraternity and Sorority Life at Pace Pleasantville. "And thanks to Apogee's help creating the video, our team was able to focus on Pace-specific hazing prevention campaigns. We look forward to working with Apogee for future campaigns!"

For Katie Hughes, Student Affairs Specialist at Bryant University, the Apogee-managed campaign hopefully can set a precedent for future hazing prevention efforts. "We were very happy with Apogee's video," said Hughes. "When asked if we wanted to run the video on our channel, it seemed like a no-brainer. The content was accurate, bright and professionally designed -- it was a great addition to our layered communication efforts on this topic. I can see us using it for years to come."

"Hazing is, unfortunately, an issue that institutions have faced for decades; how students converse about it is changing rapidly," said Sophie White, National Content Coordinator for Apogee's Campus Life Channel. "We constantly innovate around the student experience by keeping up with social media and communication trends, then use our insight to serve university partners. Student ambassadors tell us daily, using chalk messages to warn against hazing isn't as effective as a campus celebrity's Instagram post taking a stand to prevent it. Using the communication platforms students do will drive a positive student experience."

About Apogee
As higher education's largest provider of managed technology services, Apogee helps colleges and universities transition to and excel in today's digital era. Its comprehensive Managed Campus Suite includes ResNet and Administrative network solution that connect the campus to enhance learning outcomes, video that transforms the way students learn, and new digital engagement technologies that captivate students. Partnering with Apogee enables schools to derive greater return on their IT investments and increases student satisfaction while achieving budget stability and predictability. Find out why nine out of 10 schools that choose to outsource ResNet and video choose to partner with Apogee at www.apogee.us.