Code of Conduct

ICAR Code of Conduct

Summary of ICAR Code Expectations and Consequences of Violations
(1) Expected Behavior

All participants in our events and communications are expected to show respect and courtesy to others.
All interactions should be professional regardless of platform: either online (including via social media) or in-person.
Be respectful of different viewpoints and experiences.
Use welcoming and inclusive behavior.
Show courtesy and respect towards other participants, including but not limited to: conference attendees, speakers, staff and all University personnel, including staff, students, etc.

(2) Examples of inappropriate conduct and behavior prohibited by the ICAR Code

Identity-based discrimination: written or verbal comments which have the effect of excluding people on the basis of membership of any specific group such as race, gender, sexual orientation, gender presentation, etc., as described in the Code.
Causing someone to fear for their safety, such as through stalking, following, or intimidation
Violent threats or language directed against another person.
Sexual harassment or misconduct: unwelcome sexual attention; nonconsensual or unwelcome physical contact, offensive or degrading remarks, sexist slurs, or demeaning comments.
The display of sexual or violent images.
Incivility: Sustained disruption of talks, events or communication; insults or put downs; sexist, racist, homophobic, transphobic, ableist, or exclusionary jokes; excessive swearing.
Continuing to initiate interaction (including photography or recording) after being asked to stop.
Publication of private communication (text, verbal, images) without consent.

(3) Consequences of Unacceptable Behavior/ Violations of ICAR Code
Following review as described in the ICAR Code, the consequences of violations will include one or more of the following actions:

Warned/asked to stop
Removed from meeting without warning or refund
Prohibited from attending future ICARs
Employer notified
Reported to law enforcement

Retaliation for reporting harassment is also a violation of this policy. This provision extends to bystanders.

October 2019: Developed by the NAASC Diversity and Inclusion Task Force drawing heavily from existing efforts; references, re-use and acknowledgement policy at bottom of this Code.

ICAR Code of Conduct ("ICAR Code")
By participating in ICAR 2024 all participants agree to abide by the ICAR Code and the procedures by which Code violations are addressed and resolved.

The North American Arabidopsis Steering Committee (NAASC) is organizing the 34th International Conference on Arabidopsis Research (ICAR). We are committed to ensuring that the meeting is a welcoming and inclusive space for community engagement, the sharing of ideas, knowledge exchange, and for developing networks and collaborative opportunities for all who participate.

To achieve this, NAASC will, to the best of our abilities, provide a safe and productive environment that promotes equal opportunity and treatment of all participants that is free of harassment, coercion, and discrimination.

We will require all registered conference participants (including speakers, exhibitors, staff, contractors, volunteers and guests) to agree to abide by the following Code of Conduct ("Code").
The Code applies to all conference participants regardless of seniority, level of authority, or celebrity.
This Code applies within the ICAR conference virtual venue and associated events where ICAR delegates are present, including but not limited to sessions, social events, and pre/post event gatherings (as applicable).

What is a Code of Conduct and What are the Desired Outcomes?

A code of conduct provides clear guidelines for ethical behavior. [2], [3] "Codes guide productive and acceptable behavior when followed [4] and create an inclusive environment that welcomes all voices, especially those who are historically marginalized."
"Creating codes that outline behavior to ensure safe, inclusive, and equitable environments is one important avenue to discourage discrimination and harassment and promote an inclusive environment." [2], [3]
Propagating inclusive and positive standards of behavior in off-campus contexts such as conferences will improve the effectiveness of efforts made within organizations to increase diversity and retention of marginalized groups in STEM. [5]

Why is a Conference Code of Conduct Necessary?
Rationale

It is unjust to treat people differently in ways that deny to some of them significant social and professional benefits. Such treatment is demoralizing and diminishes recruitment, retention, and advancement prospects of minorities and marginalized groups in our scientific community.
Differentials of power at academic conferences contribute to the exclusion and marginalization of members of the professional community. [6] E.g., "Discrimination and harassment at conferences negatively impact marginalized researchers’ participation in science." [5], [7], [8] "However, recognizing and remedying these problems in academia is challenging for reasons that are deeply entrenched in the culture of science, and in how institutions have long operated, ... Scientists pride themselves on objectivity, and may therefore be slow to see how unconscious biases alter their judgement and actions." [5] [9]
Empirical evidence indicates that power differentials historically have harmed our colleagues who are women, people of color, and LGBTQ, among other identity groups. E.g., "Women disproportionately experience sexual harassment at conferences, including gender harassment, unwanted sexual advances, and inappropriate remarks." [5], [6], [10] Productive conference networking occurs during evening conversations that often involve alcohol, and/or occur at locations removed from the conference venues, events which increase liability and potentially compromise the safety of participants. [2] Such treatment is one of several contributing factors unrelated to ability that contributes to gender inequality in science careers. [11] Evidence also indicates that academic and research excellence premised on inclusivity and equity benefits the profession as a whole as well as improves the professional lives and experiences of all members of the community. [11]
As a community we strive to mitigate the unintended but detrimental effects of discrimination and exclusion. We desire to preserve the integrity and quality of research while improving the success rates of marginalized scientists.
Therefore, conferences organized and sponsored/supported by this organization should expect to implement more inclusive behavior at all levels of participation.

ICAR Code of Conduct ("ICAR Code")
By participating in ICAR 2024 participants agree to abide by the ICAR Code and the procedures by which Code violations are addressed and resolved. Any form of behavior to exclude, intimidate, or cause discomfort is a violation of the ICAR Code. We do not tolerate behavior that is disrespectful to ICAR participants or to any associated personnel. We do not tolerate discrimination based on characteristics that include, but are not limited to, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, citizenship, nationality, ethnic or social origin, pregnancy, familial status, veteran status, genetic information, religion or belief (or lack thereof), age, education, socio-economic status, and experience level. [12]

Expected Behavior [12]
All participants in our events and communications are expected to show respect and courtesy to others. All interactions should be professional regardless of platform: either online (including via social media) or in-person. In order to foster a positive and professional environment, we encourage the following behaviors in all interactions or events associated with ICAR, both onsite and offsite:

Be respectful of different viewpoints and experiences
Use welcoming and inclusive behavior
Show courtesy and respect towards other participants, including but not limited to: conference attendees, speakers, and staff.
When possible, we encourage "bystander intervention" of any code violations that are witnessed. (Table 1)

Examples of inappropriate conduct and behavior prohibited by the ICAR Code [6], [12]

Identity-based discrimination: written or verbal comments which have the effect of excluding people on the basis of membership of any specific group such as race, gender, sexual orientation, gender presentation, etc., as described above
Causing someone to fear for their safety, such as through stalking, following, or intimidation
Violent threats or language directed against another person
Sexual harassment or misconduct: unwelcome sexual attention; nonconsensual or unwelcome physical contact, offensive or degrading remarks, sexist slurs, or demeaning comments
The display of sexual or violent images
Incivility: Sustained disruption of talks, events or communication; insults or put downs; sexist, racist, homophobic, transphobic, ableist, or exclusionary jokes; excessive swearing
Continuing to initiate interaction (including photography or recording) after being asked to stop
Publication of private communication (text, verbal, images) without consent

Keep in Mind

Behavior that is acceptable to one person may not be acceptable to another, so we ask that you use discretion to be sure that respect is communicated. Harassment intended in a joking manner nevertheless constitutes unacceptable behavior. [21]
Participants who are asked to stop any inappropriate behavior are expected to comply immediately. This applies to ICAR events and platforms, in-person, or online. [12]

ICAR Code Violation Reporting and Review Mechanisms at ICAR 2024
Any code violation, whether experienced directly or witnessed, should be reported in one or more of the following ways. NAASC will provide anonymous, and non-anonymous modes of reporting. Each individual should decide the appropriate approach for them.

Reporting Options

in-person: Immediate response needed: If the situation feels or seems imminently unsafe, please contact a member of the virtual conference staff via the meeting platform. All complaints will be taken seriously and responded to as promptly as possible by members of the ICAR Incident Response Team (IRT*). Confidentiality will be maintained to the extent that it does not compromise the rights of others. [21]
For non-immediate responses:
- Anonymous messages may be sent to the IRT* which will be checked at least twice a day (morning and evening).
- You may email your report to the general conference email address. Please, include as much detail as possible. This address will be monitored on a daily basis during ICAR by Joanna Friesner, ICAR Lead Organizer/NAASC Executive Director: arabidopsisconference@gmail.com
- You may report to one or more individual members of the IRT*
Note: if you want IRT* member(s) to follow-up with you please, provide your contact information.
Retaliation for reporting harassment is also a violation of this policy; this extends to bystanders.

Review and Resolution Process [21]
Once we have received a report of an ICAR Code violation, a minimum of two IRT* members will meet to review the report and determine if more information is needed. If more information is needed, it will be requested from the complainant (the "reporter".)

At least two members of the IRT* will meet privately with the reporter to discuss the situation. This meeting will help the IRT* and reporter determine what additional action is appropriate. [Note: if the complaint is made anonymously, the IRT* will contact the named offender(s)/reportee(s). We encourage anonymous reporters to name any witnesses to the offense for the IRT* to consult as well.]
If additional action is deemed appropriate, at least two members of the IRT* will request a meeting with the named offender(s)/reportee(s), outline the ICAR Code violation report, and ask for a response.
After collection and review of information, members of the IRT* will meet to discuss a resolution which may include consulting the list of Consequences for Unacceptable Behavior/ Violations of ICAR Code (outlined below.) The IRT* must agree on a resolution by a majority of all members investigating the incident. If the IRT* cannot reach a majority decision, they will take the matter to all organizing committee members present at ICAR. The IRT* and organizing committee will not publicly discuss the details of an incident unless the full committee agrees to make a public statement.
IRT* member(s) will consult with both the reporter and reportee(s) before taking action/seeking resolution.
If appropriate, the IRT* will notify appropriate authorities for legal action.
ICAR organizers/NAASC, IRT* reserve the right to implement the consequences detailed below.

Conflicts of Interest [12]

In the event of any conflict of interest, the IRT* member must immediately notify the other members and recuse themselves if necessary.
In the case that an IRT* or member of the ICAR organizing committee is involved in a report, the member will be asked to recuse themselves from ongoing conversations, and they will not have access to reports after the enforcement decision has been made.

Consequences of Unacceptable Behavior/ Violations of ICAR Code
Based on IRT* review and discussion as described above, the consequences of ICAR Code violations will include one or more of the following actions: [6]

Warned/asked to stop
Removed from meeting without warning or refund
Prohibited from attending future ICARs
Employer notified
Reported to law enforcement

Retaliation for reporting harassment is also a violation of this policy. This provision extends to bystanders.

For questions or comments about the ICAR Code of Conduct, contact Joanna Friesner (NAASC Executive Director: arabidopsisconference@gmail.com)
*IRT: Incident Response Team: to be confirmed

ICAR 2024 Lead Organizer: Joanna Friesner (Email: arabidopsisconference@gmail.com)
Others from NAASC and ICAR Organizing Committee

ICAR 2024 Code of Conduct References, Re-use and Acknowledgement Policy
NAASC developed this Conference Code of Conduct ("ICAR Code") for the 31st International Conference on Arabidopsis Research (ICAR); July 6-10, 2020 at the University of Washington, Seattle which was rescheduled to June 21-25, 2021 due to the global Covid pandemic.

NAASC drew on existing resources to develop the Code and have endeavored to properly cite and reference all sources gathered herein. NAASC contacted the author/ designated staff liaison for the primary sources used to develop the Code to clarify re-use and acknowledgement protocols ([6], [12], [21]). Text in this Code that appears in quotations marks are verbatim quotes from the indicated reference; in-line references lacking quotation marks indicate information/ideas that are based on the indicated reference(s). It is not our intent to represent this Code as original work; it is a compilation of existing sources and original text, organized to meet our needs.

You may re-use and adapt this code of conduct for your use as long as you maintain the indicated references and acknowledgements, as indicated.

Note: Carpentries Code of Conduct content is released under the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). This license lets others distribute, remix, tweak, and build upon your work, even commercially, as long as they credit you for the original creation.This is the most accommodating of licenses offered. Recommended for maximum dissemination and use of licensed materials.