GW Primate Life History Lab - Code of Conduct
GOALS for our LABORATORY COMMUNITY:
To foster a thriving intellectual community that recognizes and values diverse backgrounds, experiences and perspectives; is safe, free of discrimination, harassment, and abuse; and that is supportive of health and well-being;
To foster a community where individual members are supported in developing strong and independent science/professional identities:
by providing opportunities to engage in the research process as a way of seeking answers to questions of interest;
by establishing a mutually supportive space in which to exchange ideas, engage in constructive feedback, and establish mentoring and collaborative relationships, to promote growth;
by helping members set realistic and healthy goals related to their research and professional trajectories, and build the expertise and confidence to pursue them;
by supporting all members of our community in recognizing their individual strengths and the value of their contributions to our field;
by facilitating opportunities for professional development, to establish connections with scholars outside our group, to support developing independence and pursuit of longer-term research, professional and/or career goals.
EXPECTATIONS FOR ETHICAL AND PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT:
All members of our lab are expected to act according to the highest standards of respectful, ethical and professional conduct, and demonstrate a commitment to the following:
to foster an inclusive intellectual community that recognizes and values diverse backgrounds, perspectives and experiences;
to foster a supportive environment for research and learning that promotes thoughtful dialogue and collaboration, where all members are treated with courtesy and respect at all times and their contributions are appropriately recognized, and where all members feel valued intellectually, academically, and professionally as members of our team;
to foster a community that is safe and supportive of physical and mental health and well-being, and that is free of bias and discrimination, sexual and/or gender-based harassment, intimidation, violence, academic bullying, and other disrespectful, invalidating or otherwise harmful behaviors that create an unsupportive or hostile environment;
to communicate information about access to resources and reporting mechanisms to address misconduct, to take reports of misconduct seriously, and to foster an environment where targets and/or observers of misconduct feel supported in coming forward to report such incidents and/or offer assistance to their peers in seeking out resources for support; and
to act at all times in compliance with The George Washington University’s (GW’s) Code of Conduct policies, including:
Statement of Ethical Principles (https://compliance.gwu.edu/statement-ethical-principles)
Sexual and Gender-based Harassment and Interpersonal Violence Policy (https://my.gwu.edu/files/policies/SexualHarassmentFINAL.pdf)
Threats and Acts of Violence Policy (https://studentconduct.gwu.edu/sites/studentconduct.gwu.edu/files/downloads/Threats%26ViolenceFINAL.pdf)
Non-Retaliation Policy (http://my.gwu.edu/files/policies/NonRetaliationFINAL.pdf), which protects members of the community who report misconduct.
Code of Student Conduct and Statement on Student Rights and Responsibilities (https://studentconduct.gwu.edu/)
Employee Handbook (for non-faculty employees; https://hr.gwu.edu/employee-handbook)
Faculty Handbook (https://provost.gwu.edu/sites/g/files/zaxdzs626/f/downloads/Resources/GW_Faculty_Handbook-Final-Approved20150410.pdf)
We have a zero tolerance policy for discrimination, sex or gender-based harassment and sexual assault, intimidation, violence, academic bullying and other forms of misconduct that jeopardize a safe, supportive and inclusive working environment for all persons. Such misconduct includes, but is not limited to, the following (as also outlined in the above GW policy statements):
Jokes, disparaging or degrading comments, singling out for less favorable treatment, or other bias-related acts (https://diversity.gwu.edu/bias-incident-response) directed in any form (e.g., verbal, written, social media) towards an individual on the basis of age, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, color, personal appearance, race, religion, ethnicity, political affiliation, disability, or other such characteristics;
Unwanted sexual advances, sexual contact, or repeated propositions; comments about an individual’s body or sexual activity; references to sexual conduct, or displays of sexually suggestive objects or images; use of one’s authority or power over another individual to solicit sexual favors, or to coerce (whether subtly or directly) that individual to engage in activities of a sexual nature;
Other comments, acts or behaviors that are demeaning, intimidating, humiliating, harassing, threatening, or otherwise abusive;
Threats of violence, property damage or personal injury.
We encourage all members of our community to report any acts that do not comply with the above expectations, regardless of whether they wish to file a formal complaint or choose to remain anonymous, so actions can be taken to address and prevent such behaviors. Resources for reporting misconduct, and other campus resources, are provided in the list of Campus Resources below.
All complaints of misconduct will be taken seriously and addressed as per GW university procedures, and may result in possible disciplinary action including immediate termination of participation in our community. Retaliation against reporters of misconduct will not be tolerated.
In developing this statement, a number of online references and resources have been particularly helpful:
GW policy guidelines referenced above, and online resources and statements made available through GW’s Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Community Engagement (https://diversity.gwu.edu/) and GW Haven (https://haven.gwu.edu/)
Resources and recommendations provided by:
Special Issue: How to grow healthy labs. 2018. Nature 557(7705). https://www.nature.com/collections/pmlcrkkyyq
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2019. The Science of Effective Mentorship in STEMM. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/25568
Yale University Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning. https://poorvucenter.yale.edu/Resources-Publications