Code of Conduct

The GAPS Chairs and SOC are dedicated to providing a harassment-free, safe, inclusive, and productive environment for everyone attending our conference, regardless of ethnicity, religion, disability, physical appearance, gender, age, or sexual orientation. It is important to please remember: a scientific community where people feel uncomfortable or threatened is neither healthy nor productive. Consequently, GAPS 2021 prohibits intimidating, threatening, or harassing conduct during our conference. This policy applies to all participants. 
GAPS 2021 participants are expected to behave professionally, following the code of conduct here outlined, and conference participants violating these rules may be expelled from the conference. 

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Harassment and Safety:

Harassment of GAPS 2021 participants will not be tolerated in any form. Harassment includes but is not limited to: offensive gestures or verbal comments during and in all the conference virtual spaces (Slack, Gathertown, Zoom), deliberate intimidation, stalking, inappropriate use of material, sustained disruption of talks, and unwelcome attention. Participants asked to stop any harassing behavior are expected to comply immediately.

Expected Behavior:

- Treat all participants and communicate with kindness, respect, inclusivity, and consideration, valuing a diversity of views and opinions (including those you may not share). 
- Avoid personal attacks directed toward other attendees.

Unacceptable Behavior:

It is important that our GAPS 2021 meeting be a place where no attendee is ever belittled, harassed, or made to feel unsafe. Harassment and exclusionary comments or jokes are not condoned, and harassment intended in a joking manner still constitutes unacceptable behavior. The following behavior are not tolerated:

- Bullying or belittling behavior.
- Harassment, intimidation, or discrimination in any form.
- Written, or verbal abuse of any attendee and speakers.
- Unwelcome or offensive verbal comments related to: gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, mental illness, physical or cognitive ability, physical appearance, body size, age, race, religion, national origin, political affiliation, employment or military status, marital status.
- Off-topic and inappropriate use of sexual images and/or nudity in the conference virtual spaces or in presentations.
- Threatening or stalking any participant.
- Verbal abuse of any participant.
- Unwanted sexual attention.
- Use of sexual or discriminatory images in virtual public spaces or in presentations.
- Deliberate intimidation, stalking, or following.
- Harassing photography or recording.
- Sustained disruption of talks or other events.
- Retaliation for reporting unacceptable behavior.

 

As GAPS 2021 is organized by the International Astronomical Union's Working Group on Red Giants and Supergiants under the auspices of Commission G3 "Stellar Evolution", we refer to the IAU code of conduct for further reading.  

Any violation of these guidelines can be reported in confidence to the chairs via gaps2021.conference@gmail.com, and/or anonymously to the IAU Division G Ombud. Participants are expected to comply to the code of conduct, and inappropriate behavior are not accepted. In serious cases, participants might be asked to leave.