Code Of Conduct

This code of conduct is heavily inspired by Chris Jackson’s document.

Overview

We value the participation of every member of our community and want to ensure everyone has an enjoyable and fulfilling experience, both professionally and personally. Accordingly, all members of the Research Group are expected to show respect and courtesy to others at all times. We create our culture and our culture is inclusive.

Please note that this code of conduct is not a legal document, supplementing, but not trumping, Department- and/or College-level policies for your level of employment or study.

Inclusivity and diversity

Enjoyable, high-quality research can only be conducted when you feel safe, secure, and supported. All group members are thus dedicated to a harassment-free experience for everyone, regardless of gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, age, and/or religion. We do not tolerate harassment by and/or of members of our group in any form, and we ask all members of the community to conform to the following Code of Conduct:

• All communication, be it online or in person, should be appropriate for a professional audience, and be considerate of people from different cultural backgrounds. Sexual language and imagery is not appropriate at any time.
• Be kind to others and do not insult or put down other group members.
• Behave professionally. Remember that harassment and sexist, racist, or exclusionary jokes are not appropriate.
• Harassment includes offensive verbal comments related to gender, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, religion, sexual images in public spaces, deliberate intimidation, stalking, following, harassing photography or recording, sustained disruption of discussions, inappropriate physical contact, and unwelcome sexual attention.
• Participants asked to stop any harassing behavior are expected to comply immediately.
• Contribute to discussions in meetings with a constructive, positive approach
• Be mindful of talking over others when discussing in groups, and be willing to hear out the ideas of others.

In addition to making group members feel safe and secure, diversity and inclusivity has numerous benefits to us all. Put simply, the greater the mix of people in our group, the greater the mix of skills, experiences, perspectives, and ideas we can collectively draw on. But the benefits of diversity and equality cannot be fully achieved without creating an inclusive environment.

Micaela will discuss the Code of Conduct with lab members who violate these rules, no matter how much they contribute to the group, or how specialised or needed their skill set. If inappropriate behaviour persists after this initial discussion, formal processes, in line with King’s work policies, will commence. To report an issue, please contact Micaela; all communication will be treated as confidential. If you do not feel comfortable contacting Micaela directly, please feel free to contact a member of the Postgraduate Research Committee or the DEI committee.