SWFS Meetings and Events Code of Conduct
ABOUT THE CODE OF CONDUCT
Society for Wildlife Forensic Science convenes events and meetings that are welcoming, respectful, inclusive, and collaborative. SWFS Meetings and Events Code of Conduct applies to all SWFS-sponsored events, as well as affiliated events connected with an SWFS meeting or event, whether in public or private facilities.
Expected behavior
- Treat everyone with respect.
- Respect your fellow participants by using good practices for intercultural collaborations.
- Be mindful of your surroundings and of your fellow participants.
- Provide your true professional identity, affiliation, and, where appropriate, contact information, at registration, and during attendance and participatory sessions, as required.
- Respect the rules and policies of the meeting venue, hotels, SWFS contracted facility, online platform, or any other venue.
- Be Accountable: When we as organizers or participants fail to meet these guidelines, work together to identify problems and adjust policy and practice together.
Anyone not meeting expected, collaborative, respectful behavior can be immediately removed from the current online or physical meeting and may be banned from future SWFS meetings or other sanctions, depending on the specifics of the unwelcomed disruptive behavior.
Examples of unacceptable behavior
- Promoting or participating in harassment, bullying, discrimination, or intimidation on-site, online, and/or on social media.
- Verbal, written, or other forms of abuse of any attendee, speaker, volunteer, exhibitor, staff member, service provider, or other guest.
- Examples of abuse include, but are not limited to, verbal comments related to gender, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, religion, national origin, inappropriate use of nudity and/or sexual images in public spaces or in presentations.
- Threatening or stalking in-person or online.
- Disruption or disallowing participation by others.
- Criminal offenses.
- Failure to follow meeting protocol.
- Physical or verbal abuse, including attacks on ideas vs. respectful, disagreeing dialogue.
- Use of social or mainstream media to target individual actions of participants in a way that could harm their privacy or professional status or open them to slander or libel.
- Knowingly violating copyright, or copying presenter information without obtaining permission, if necessary.
Consequences and reporting unacceptable behavior
Anyone requested to stop unacceptable behavior is expected to comply immediately. Anyone violating the Code of Conduct may be removed from the current meeting. Egregious behavior may result in bans from future SWFS meetings or other sanctions, depending on the specifics, as set forth in our Scientific Integrity and Professional Ethics Policy, as applicable.
As part of registration for an SWFS event, all attendees are expected to provide their true professional name and primary affiliation and contact information including an email address and phone number.
SWFS attendees should be aware that SWFS staff members monitor and moderate attendee posts mentioning SWFS and using hashtags associated with a meeting. Failure to follow the above guidelines may result in posts being blocked or other consequences.
If you experience or witness behavior that constitutes an immediate or serious threat to public safety at an on-site meeting, contact 911 or if in a convention center, locate a house phone and ask for security. Please report other incidents or suspected incidents to SWFS staff, leadership, or security.
Acknowledgement and agreement to abide by the SWFS Meetings and Events Code of Conduct is required at registration for any online or on-site event.
By registering for the meeting, you agree to follow the SWFS Meetings and Events Code of Conduct