Las Cumbres Observatory is pleased to welcome you to the TOM Toolkit Workshop. As organizers of the workshop, we are taking steps to create an environment where inclusiveness is encouraged and embraced and harassment and bullying are explicitly disallowed. To this end, we have drafted a code of conduct that guides acceptable and unacceptable behavior at the event.
The code guides the expected, professional, behavior of delegates:
- Treat everyone with respect and consideration;
- Communicate openly and thoughtfully with others and be considerate of the multitude of views and opinions that are different than your own;
- Be respectful and mindful in your critique of ideas;
- Be mindful of your surroundings and of your fellow participants.
These behaviors are considered to be unacceptable:
- Harassment and intimidation, including any verbal, written, or physical conduct designed to threaten, intimidate, or coerce another delegate, conference organizers, or staff;
- Discrimination based on gender or gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, religion, national origin, or culture;
- Physical or verbal abuse of any attendee, speaker, volunteer, exhibitor, staff member, service provider, or other meeting guest;
- Disrespectful disruption of presentations;
- Sexual harassment of any kind.
The following examples of inappropriate behavior are intended to be guidelines and are not exclusive when determining whether there has been a violation of this policy:
- Verbal harassment includes comments that are offensive or unwelcome regarding a person's nationality, origin, race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, body, disability or appearance, including epithets, slurs, and negative stereotyping.
- Nonverbal harassment includes distribution, display, or discussion of any written or graphic material that ridicules, denigrates, insults, belittles, or shows hostility, aversion, or disrespect toward an individual or group because of national origin, race, color, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, pregnancy, appearance, disability, sexual identity, marital or other protected status.
Anyone requested to stop unacceptable behavior is expected to comply immediately.
- Conference attendees who experience unacceptable behavior may contact the conference organizers Rachel Street (rstreet@lco.global) or Sandy Seale (sseale@lco.global) in person or by email to report the offense. Complaints will be handled with discretion.
- Offenders may be asked to leave the workshop and those who are found to have violated the code of conduct will be ineligible for the proposal opportunity associated with this Workshop.
- Conference organizers may contact the host institution of the offender to report the behavior.
- In a situation presenting an immediate risk of physical harm, appropriate actions will be taken to remove participants. The primary responsibility of conference organizers is the safety of the delegates.
If delegates consider our code of conduct to be too stringent, then they need not attend our event. We are transparent with our expectations and feel that they reflect the best-practice recommendations for creating inclusive environments.
Thank you for helping to make the TOM Toolkit Workshop welcoming for all.