Code of Conduct

We are committed to providing a safe, inclusive, and harassment-free experience to everyone, including lab members and visitors. This code of conduct will be enforced as needed and applies to both the Ernest Lab and the White Lab.

Philosophy

The philosophy of Weecology is to enable and support good science by creating a harassment and discrimination-free experience for everyone. Safe, inclusive, and harassment-free environments don’t just happen. They are created by the day-to-day interactions we all have with each other. Thus, it is the responsibility of all members of the lab to help create and maintain a safe, inclusive, harassment-free environment so that we may all benefit from it. Discrimination or harassment based on racial or ethnic background, citizenship status, religion (or lack thereof), political affiliation, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, dis/ability status, appearance or body size will not be tolerated. We do not tolerate harassment or discrimination by and/or of members of our community in any form.

We are also committed to supporting and training a diverse scientific workforce. Current and former group members encompass a variety of racial and ethnic backgrounds from the U.S. and other countries, members of the LGBTQ community, military veterans, people with chronic illnesses, and first-generation college students.

General Guidelines

  • All communication - online and in person - should be appropriate for a diverse audience, including people of many different backgrounds. Sexual or discriminatory language and imagery is not appropriate at any time.
  • Be kind to others. Do not insult or put down other contributors.
  • In general, assume that others are acting in good faith; for example, when they make suggestions or give criticism.
  • Remember that harassment and sexist, racist, or exclusionary jokes are not appropriate.
  • Please make an effort to make an inclusive environment for everyone. Give everyone a chance to talk and an opportunity to contribute.
  • Be aware that your actions can be hurtful to others or contribute to a negative environment even if you had no intent of harm. Listen. Offer a genuine apology. Commit to learning and doing better.
  • NOTE: lab members are expected to abide by these policies at all lab-related work events, such as conferences, workshops, etc.

Enforcement and Reporting Mechanisms

Unacceptable behavior includes, but is not limited to, offensive verbal comments related to gender, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, religion, sexual images in public spaces, deliberate intimidation, stalking, following, harassing photography or recording, sustained disruption of discussions, inappropriate physical contact, and unwelcome sexual attention.

Participants asked to stop any harassing or discriminatory behavior are expected to comply immediately.

If you are being harassed, notice that someone else is being harassed, or have any concerns about potential violations, please contact Morgan or Ethan immediately. If Ethan or Morgan is the cause of your concern (or you are uncomfortable talking to them directly for any reason), Kate Thibault (mailto:kthibault@battelleecology.org) is a good informal point of contact; she was one of the first weecologists, does not work for us or the University of Florida, and because of her career path does not rely on Ethan or Morgan in any way. She has agreed to mediate and discuss issues confidentially if desired. Concerns can also be directed to the UFL Ombuds Office.

If inappropriate behavior persists, the issue will be escalated according to UFL policies; for more information please see the UFL Institutional Equity & Diversity page.

License & Acknowledgments

This work is licensed under CC BY 4.0.

Material in this code of conduct derives from the Whitaker Lab Code of Conduct (used under the MIT License), the Bahlai Lab Code of Conduct (used under the CC BY 4.0 License), and the Brown Lab Code of Conduct (used under the CC BY 3.0 License).

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