Code of Conduct

The following code of conduct governs the ecosystem at the GI and all its members (staff, students, faculty, and community). As guests in our physical facility and virtual spaces, conference attendees are expected to read and uphold our values and expected behaviours.  

The GI community created this guide to articulate our collective values and commitment to the exceptional level of respect at the GI. This code of conduct provides a window into our culture so that we can continually improve our understanding and appreciation of diversity, support each other in our endeavours, and address all challenges in an open and transparent manner. 

Values and Culture: 

Respect all disciplinary perspectives and discursive approaches. All are valid and crucial to research.  

Treat others as you would like to be treated and, when problems arise, focus on the situation, issues, or behaviour—not the person.  

The GI respects people of all ethnic, religious, and socio-economic backgrounds and all personal expressions of culture, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical and mental ability. Differences bring new perspectives and facilitate a holistic appreciation of diversity.  

Recognize that everyone holds biases—be mindful of your own. Be open and flexible to receiving new information and show a willingness to view contexts from multiple perspectives. 

Expected Behaviours:  

Some normalized behaviours are cultural, and what may be normal for you can be offensive to someone else. Respect all backgrounds as well as personal and professional boundaries.  

We are committed to disseminating knowledge and making research accessible to various audiences. We encourage members to share research and achievements continually. 

All GI facilities and equipment are a shareable resource. We work to accommodate the needs of others and broaden knowledge through interdisciplinary discussions and collaborations. Approach all research groups with integrity and respect. 

Support the community by volunteering for activities, participating in community events, supporting interdisciplinary conversations by attending events outside of your discipline, and generally being proactive and involved. 

Official GI communication is conducted via email. GI administrative staff are available via multiple online communication platforms (Slack, MS Teams) and in person when at the office. 

The GI is a communal facility that supports and promotes the University of Waterloo’s sustainable efforts. Generally, leave the space cleaner than you found it. 

If behaviour is observed that is contrary to this code of conduct, bring your concerns to the attention of the Executive and/or Associate Directors. The focus of the Executive and administrative team is always to support the GI community and its members. 

Additional Conference Etiquette:  

Harassment and sexist, racist, or exclusionary comments or “jokes” are not appropriate at any time (including social events). Harassment includes verbal or physical abuse, disparaging and offensive comments, sustained disruption of talks or other events, sexual attention or innuendo, deliberate intimidation, or stalking. 

Participants should be courteous with the opinions of others and be mindful not to exclude anyone from discussions or work-related activities. Especially in the digital spaces, that are often lonelier and harder to integrate into.  

All communication should be appropriate for a professional audience including people of many different backgrounds. Sexual, sexist, or other pejorative and exclusionary language and imagery is not appropriate. Conference attendees must ensure that they conduct safe, professional, and appropriate online behaviour.  

The diversity of our colleagues’ backgrounds is an asset. We’re all here to learn, share, and contribute. Fresh perspectives should be valued along with the voices of experience. No discipline has more validity than another; no methodology carries more value than another. Scholarly debate is encouraged – disciplinary discrimination is out of bounds. In fact, interdisciplinary inquiries are often the best way of approaching challenging topics.  

Responsibility for the Code of Conduct 

All conference participants are responsible for ensuring the collective wellbeing of our community. If you see something, say something. Inaction and/or quiet dismissal of inappropriate behaviour may be as harmful as the behaviour itself.  

Individuals asked to stop any behaviour deemed inappropriate by the conference organizers are expected to stop and comply immediately with any corrective action. Anyone violating these rules may be asked to leave the event at the discretion of the organizers and may be excluded from ICGaN completely with no refunds of registration fees.