Event Code of Conduct

Purpose

HBHL is dedicated to providing inclusive, accessible and harassment-free events. We value the participation of every member of our community and wish to ensure that every participant has a fulfilling experience at our events. To that end, we provide this Code of Conduct as an explicit statement of the behaviour we expect of HBHL event participants and organizers.

Scope

This Code of Conduct applies to all participants and organizers of:

  • Activities and events organized or co-organized by HBHL, including but not limited to: the annual HBHL Symposium, annual HBHL Strategic Planning Retreat, all offerings in the HBHL-SKILLSETS program, all HBHL-related meetings;
  • Activities and events organized by the HBHL Trainee Committee, including but not limited to: the annual HBHL Trainee Research Day, HBHL Trainee Get-Togethers, HBHL Trainee Committee meetings; and
  • Activities and events supported through the HBHL Knowledge Mobilization grant program.

By participating in any of these activities or events, you agree to abide by this Code of Conduct.

Expected Behaviour

Members of the McGill community are expected to conduct themselves in accordance with all McGill codes, regulations and policies at all times, including but not limited to:

We are confident that participants will build a supportive and collaborative atmosphere at our events. The following points explicitly describe appropriate behaviour at our events. All participants agree to:

  • Contribute to creating a welcoming, inclusive and accessible environment for everyone. Participants may vary in race, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, civil status, age, religion, political conviction, ethnic or national origin, ability and more. Be respectful of different viewpoints and experiences and be considerate of how the words you choose may impact others. Be patient and respectful of the fact that English and/or French may be second (or third, fourth, etc.) languages for some participants.
  • Adhere to personal boundaries. Ensure that consent for physical contact is explicit, conscious, and continuous—not implied. Be mindful of individuals who may need time alone, or who are not comfortable discussing particular topics. If you are unsure whether your behaviour towards another person is welcome, ask them. If someone tells you to stop, do so.
  • Respect the privacy and safety of others. If you would like to take photos, videos or audio recordings of others (including speakers), obtain their consent first. If you would like to share others’ personal experiences or identifying information, obtain their consent first.
  • Be considerate of others’ participation. Everyone should have an opportunity to be heard. Please keep comments, questions and discussion contributions succinct to allow maximum engagement by all participants. Do not interrupt or speak over others—wait to be recognized by the speaker/moderator if applicable.
  • Speak up for community members. If you see something inappropriate happening, speak up. If you don't feel comfortable intervening but feel someone should, please feel free to ask a member of the HBHL staff or HBHL Trainee Committee for support.
  • As an overriding general rule, please be intentional in your actions and humble in your mistakes. Please be generous when others admit to their own mistakes.

Unacceptable Behaviour

Examples of unacceptable behaviours at HBHL events include but are not limited to:

  • Any action, behaviour, communication, or decision based on race, colour, sex, gender identity, pregnancy, sexual orientation, civil status, age (except as provided by law), religion, political conviction, language, ethnic or national origin, social condition, a disability or the use of any means to palliate a disability, which results in the exclusion or preference of an individual or group.
  • Insults or put-downs.
  • Unwelcome sexual attention and/or physical contact.
  • Sustained disruption of talks, events, or communications.
  • Incitement of violence or self-harm, or displaying violent images.
  • Causing someone to fear for their safety, such as through stalking, following, intimidation, or violent threats.
  • Taking photos of or recording others (including speakers) without permission.
  • Continuing interactions (including photography or recording) with someone after being asked to stop.
  • Sharing of private communication, others’ personal experiences or others’ identifying information without consent.
  • Any other communications or actions that have the effect of excluding any participants, disrupting the event, or making any attendees feel unsafe to participate fully in the event.

Consequences of Unacceptable Behaviour

Participants who are asked to stop any inappropriate behaviour by any other participant or organizer are expected to comply immediately. If a participant engages in behaviour that violates this Code of Conduct, any member of the HBHL staff may warn the offender, ask them to leave the event, restrict attendance at future HBHL events, or impose any other appropriate sanctions in the context of HBHL activities. In addition, members of the HBHL Trainee Committee may warn the offender or ask them to leave the event if the violation takes place at a Trainee Get-Together or Research Day. The HBHL Trainee Committee will report any violations of the Code of Conduct and actions taken at trainee events to the HBHL staff within two days of the event or report, and the HBHL staff may take additional action as needed. Consequences may be imposed at events, or by phone or email up to one week following an event.

Violations of McGill codes, regulations and policies can be handled through McGill disciplinary procedures. If you file a report that indicates a violation of any McGill code, regulation or policy that may warrant disciplinary action outside of HBHL events, a member of the HBHL team can provide information and support in taking the report to appropriate McGill channel(s). The individual who submitted the initial report holds the right to choose whether to pursue any further disciplinary procedures outside of HBHL events.

Reporting of Unacceptable Behaviour

If you believe someone is violating the Code of Conduct and you wish to report it, please contact HBHL through one of the following methods:

In your report, please include as much of the following information as you are able and comfortable with:

  • Names of any individuals involved, including if there were other witnesses,
  • When and where the incident occurred,
  • Your account of what occurred,
  • Whether you believe this incident is ongoing, and
  • Any additional context or other information you believe we should have.

If you are unsure whether the incident is a violation, or whether the space where it happened is covered by this Code of Conduct, we still encourage you to report it. Knowing about incidents that are not violations, or happen outside our spaces, can also help us improve the Code of Conduct or the processes surrounding it.

If your report concerns a current member of the HBHL staff or HBHL Trainee Committee you may not feel comfortable submitting your report using the online form, as all members may see the report. In that case, you can make a report directly by email to any of the individual HBHL staff or Trainee Committee members listed above.


Feedback

You are invited to make suggestions for updates or clarifications related to this Code of Conduct by contacting hbhl [at] mcgill.ca.

Acknowledgements

This code is adapted from the Turing Way Code of Conduct, which was adapted from the Carpentries Code of Conduct with sections from the Alan Turing Institute Data Study Group Code of Conduct, and the Django Code of Conduct, which was based on the Ada Initiative template and the PyCon 2013 Procedure for Handling Harassment Incidents. Referenced sections are used under the Creative Commons Attribution license.

The Carpentries Code of Conduct was adapted from guidelines written by the Django Project, which was itself based on the Ada Initiative template and the PyCon 2013 Procedure for Handling Harassment Incidents.

The Turing Institute Data Study Group Code of Conduct was heavily adapted from the Citizen Lab Summer Institute 2017 Code of Conduct and used under a CC BY 2.5 CA license. Citizen Lab based their Code of Conduct on the xvzf Code of Conduct, the Contributor Covenant, the Django Code of Conduct and Reporting Guide and used this guidance from Ada Initiative.

This Code of Conduct is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0 CA).

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