Code of Conduct

TL;DR

Everyone is welcome here …
… and to be themselves just the way they are …
… as long as they are not mean/toxic/jerks to others.

Introduction

I am committed to actively creating a teaching, learning, research, and collaboration environment that fosters diversity in all its forms, whether of race/ethnicity/ancestry, sex, gender (identity or expression), sexual orientation, national origin, etc. Inclusiveness and diversity strengthen science by providing additional perspectives that bring breadth and balance to our field as a whole, while the different imaginations born from those different perspectives give rise to new insight and ideas that can advance our field in ways and directions that would not otherwise be possible. I thus firmly hold the view that actively supporting and fostering inclusiveness and diversity are not just the right thing to do, but actually enrich the sciences in ways no other approach can, in addition to enriching our community and growing ourselves as individuals.

To this end, my goal is to maintain a safe, helpful, and friendly community for everyone, regardless of experience, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, personal appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, age, religion, nationality, or other defining characteristic. This code of conduct is meant to document and formalize this objective by clearly defining behaviors that support as well as behaviors that do not support achievement of this goal. This code and related procedures also apply to behaviors occurring outside the scope of immediate community activities by members, in all community venues — online and in-person – as well as in all one-on-one communications, and anywhere such behavior has the potential to affect the safety and well-being of other community members.

Expected Behavior (in Order of Priority)

Be kind.
Be considerate.
Be yourself.
Look out for each other.

Unacceptable Behavior

The following behaviors are considered harassment and are unacceptable within our community:

Violence, threats of violence or violent language directed against another person.
Sexist, racist, homophobic, transphobic, ableist, or otherwise discriminatory jokes and language.
Posting or displaying sexually explicit or violent material.
Posting or threatening to post other people’s personally identifying information (“doxing”).
Personal insults, particularly those related to gender, sexual orientation, race, religion, or disability.
Inappropriate photography or recording.
Inappropriate physical contact. You should have someone’s consent before touching them.
Unwelcome sexual attention. This includes, sexualized comments or jokes; inappropriate touching, groping, and unwelcomed sexual advances.
Deliberate intimidation, stalking or following (online or in person).
Advocating for, or encouraging, any of the above behavior.
Sustained disruption of community events, including talks and presentations.

Consequences of Unacceptable Behavior

Uacceptable behavior will not be tolerated.
Members asked to stop any harassing behavior are expected to comply immediately.
If violations occur, any action deemed appropriate for the infraction may be taken.
If you are the subject of, or witness to any violations of this Code of Conduct, please contact Jeet Sukumaran immediately through any channel that you feel comfortable with, including email, Slack, or phone. See here for details on how to reach him.
If Jeet Sukumaran is the cause of your concern, or you do not feel comfortable communicating with him, then you may contact any or all of the following instead (or in addition):
- Your graduate program coordinator or director (if applicable):
  - CMBMS – Scott Kelley
  - EBMS – Kevin Burns
  - EPAMS – Jeremy Long
  - CMBJDP – Ricardo Zayas
  - EBJDP – Liz Waters
  - EPAJDP – David Lipson
- The Biology Department Chair’s Office
- The Dean’s Office
- The Title IX Office
- The Office of the Ombudsman
You may also use this form to report instances of discrimination, harassment, or retaliation directly to the University.

Acknowledgements

Based on or otherwise adapted from:

License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License