Code of Conduct
The HuMetricsHSS Initiative is striving to cultivate an academy that’s inclusive, open, collaborative, and generous, one that builds community, promotes integrity, and where everyone feels represented. A scholarly life well-lived does not allow harassment in any form. This code of conduct governs the environment of the Values-Enacted Leadership Institute (VELI), interactions between facilitators and participants, and among participants themselves. It exists to remind us of our values as we interact with others.
We are committed to providing a welcoming and safe environment for people of all races and ethnic backgrounds, gender identities and expressions, sexual orientations, physical abilities, physical appearances, socioeconomic backgrounds, nationalities, ages, religions, and beliefs and a place where everyone feels free to speak, be included in conversations, and be heard.
Within VELI you will find yourself engaged in conversation, debate, and reflection. You’ll be exposed to a plurality of perspectives and be invited to share yours. The HuMetricsHSS team looks to provide an inclusive environment for VELI, but inclusivity doesn’t happen without the support of the entire community. In person (or online), you can help foster that environment by:
- Being kind
- Approaching conversations with an assumption of good faith and a willingness to listen as much as speak
- Avoiding interrupting others who are speaking
- Yielding the floor to those whose viewpoints may be underrepresented
- Welcoming the expertise of others, realizing that you may be unaware of it
- Accepting critique graciously and offering it constructively
- Giving credit where it is due
- Using welcoming language, for instance by honoring pronoun preferences and favoring gender-neutral collective nouns
- Avoiding sexual or discriminatory language and imagery at all times.
We also strive to provide an environment that’s free from all forms of harassment, including microaggressions. Harassment includes, but is not limited to:
- Verbal comments and nonverbal expressions that reinforce social structures of domination related to gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, employment status, physical appearance, body size, race, age, religion, marital status, political affiliation, or physical or cognitive ability
- Bullying behaviors
- Sexual images in public spaces
- Deliberate intimidation, stalking, or following
- Unwanted audio or visual recording
- Sustained disruption of talks or other events
- Inappropriate physical contact
- Unwelcome sexual attention
- Advocating for, or encouraging, any of the above behavior
Enforcement
Participants asked to stop any harassing behavior are expected to comply immediately. If a participant engages in behavior that contravenes this code of conduct, we retain the right to take any actions to keep the event and associated online interactions a welcoming environment for all participants. This includes warning the offender or asking them to leave the event. We will not tolerate any violation or circumvention of this code of conduct.
What to Do
If someone makes you or anyone else feel unsafe or unwelcome, please reach out to Xhercis Mendez as soon as possible to discuss the issue and assist in identifying pathways that would help resolve the problem. We invite you to access support sooner rather than later to minimize any unnecessary escalation of harm. You may DM Xhercis through discord or find her onsite by her name badge. While together we will explore all avenues available including but not limited to providing structured interpersonal mediation support, contacting venue security or local law enforcement, providing escorts, or otherwise helping you to feel as safe and supported as possible.
To report incidents after an in-person event or on-site but in the absence of a team member, please contact the team at team@humetricshss.org. All reports and inquiries will be handled in confidence.
If you or others are in imminent danger, please first phone emergency services at 911.
We value your participation in the VELI and thank you for your attention to the physical and mental safety and well-being of fellow participants.
Confidentiality and safe space
Unless otherwise stated or without explicit consent of the parties involved, please assume that any conversation and content shared during the activities at VELI is operates under Chatham House rules: if you share remarks by others at the Institute, you may not share identifying information, including institutional affiliation
Online interactions and social media posting
We encourage posting about your project, but only with the explicit consent of your project team members.
We encourage you to share general observations about the process and the experience at VELI, but we ask that you do not post about other projects or attribute statements to others without their explicit consent.