At the Wilson Ornithological Society, we strive to ensure that all WOS 2027 Joint Meeting participants feel safe and welcome, and that WOS 2027 is a positive experience for all. Together with our partner societies, we welcome everyone to WOS 2027 and celebrate diversity in all its forms.
We are dedicated to providing an inclusive environment that is collaborative, supportive, and engaging for everyone involved, and that is free of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. We expect all participants to support this mission by being respectful and considerate of each other, offering supportive critique, and embracing the multitude of opinions on offer.
Our Code of Conduct is intended to set clear behavioral expectations for the event.
Meeting Scope
WOS 2027 is intended to foster open and honest communication in ornithological science and to promote equal opportunity and treatment for all participants. Effective communication requires courteous interactions and respect for our colleagues’ intellectual property. We represent the field of ornithology, and we must behave as professionals toward all conference participants, including, but not limited to, conference delegates, society employees, conference volunteers, sponsors, and exhibitors.
All forms of communication among WOS 2027 participants during the meeting are considered within the scope of the WOS 2027 meeting and thus fall under the jurisdiction of the Code of Conduct. These include public and private communications, social media posts and direct messages, phone calls, and other forms of written, verbal, and non-verbal (including visual) communication.
Additionally, communication that occurs before or after the WOS 2027 meeting but pertains to content associated with the meeting and/or relies on contact information of a meeting participant that was procured before or during the meeting may also fall under the purview of this Code of Conduct.
Expectations of Participants
Harassment between WOS 2027 participants will not be tolerated in any form. We understand that you can engage in harassment without intending to. However, participants must stop any harassing behavior when asked to do so, regardless of intent.
Harassment includes any communication with or behavior towards another participant that involves:
- offensive gestures
- verbal and written comments
- posts on the internet and social media
- deliberate intimidation
- stalking
- harassing photography or recording
- sustained disruption of talks or other events
- inappropriate physical or electronic contact
- microaggressions
- unwelcome attention
Use of Media Associated with the Meeting
By registering for and attending this meeting, participants agree to allow WOS 2027 to use photos, videos, or audio recordings taken of them during the Meeting in publications, promotions, and on the websites and social media pages of the participating societies.
Only WOS may take/make or distribute audio or video recordings of the Meeting or participants, and distribute them (via social media or other means).
Participants wishing to share information from the event and/or post photos via social media, whether of their own material or that of others, must adhere to individual social media platforms’ stated rules and policies. We ask that presenters and hosts of events at the Meeting that do not want content or information shared via social media clearly communicate this to members of the audience and that members of the audience adhere to such requests.
Reporting an Incident
Report potential violations of the Meeting Code of Conduct promptly to the WOS 2027 Safe Meeting Committee at: WOS.CoC.Reports@gmail.com
Any individual covered by the Code of Conduct who believes they have been subjected to harassment, notices that someone else is being harassed, or has any other concerns about an individual’s behavior should report the incident immediately. Please also report any breaches of the Code associated with media use immediately.
The Safe Meeting Committee will treat all complaints seriously and review them promptly. Complaints may then be investigated. Bad faith reporting under the Code of Conduct will be considered a violation of the Code of Conduct. Bad faith reporting is defined as intentionally false and/or malicious reporting of Code of Conduct violations against another attendee.
Disciplinary Action
Individuals found to have engaged in behavior prohibited by this policy, as well as those making allegations of a breach of the Code in bad faith, will be subject to disciplinary action. The WOS 2027 Safe Meeting Committee may take any action it deems appropriate, ranging from a verbal warning to ejection/prohibition from the specific activity in question (e.g., workshop, symposium, or even the entire conference), banning them from future conferences run or jointly run by the partner societies, revoking membership in one or more of the partner societies, and/or the reporting of their behavior to their employer and research funders.
Retaliation Is Prohibited
WOS 2027 will not tolerate any form of retaliation against individuals who file a complaint, assist in an investigation, or are suspected of doing so. Retaliation is a serious violation of this policy and, like any breach of the Code itself, will be subject to disciplinary action. Retaliation includes seeking to violate the confidentiality of a reporting individual.
Questions & Appeal
Please direct any questions about this policy to the WOS 2027 Safe Meeting Committee (email above). In the event that an individual involved in any reported incident is dissatisfied with the disciplinary action, they may appeal to a committee made up of the collective members of the executive committees from partnering societies.
