The Center for Cosmology and AstroParticle Physics (CCAPP) strives for a work environment that meets the highest standards of professionalism and is one in which everyone (faculty, staff, students, and visitors) feel welcome and respected. We commit to the following Code of Conduct:
Foster a welcoming and respectful environment
- Be courteous in your interactions, and avoid any inappropriate actions or statements based on individual characteristics such as age, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, nationality, political affiliation, ability status, educational background, or any other characteristic protected by law.
- Do not use vulgar language.
- Respect professional, physical, and personal boundaries.
- Allow others the opportunity to voice their thoughts.
- Work to ensure that all members have equal access to opportunities, including networking that happens in a social context.
- Any criticism should be constructive, professional, and aim for a positive outcome.
- Do not judge, discriminate, make unwelcome jokes or disparaging remarks, bully or harass others. Harassment includes but is not limited to inappropriate or intimidating behavior and language, unwelcome jokes or comments, unwanted touching or attention, offensive images, photography without permission, and stalking.
- Respect the pronouns that individuals use to identify themselves and make others aware of your own pronouns. This can be done in email signatures or conference ID badges.
- Support those who report violations of departmental or university policy.
- Be aware of power differentials between academic stages (undergraduate, graduate, postdoc, staff, faculty) and act to protect and empower academically younger individuals.
Conduct research and collaboration in an ethical manner
- Members involved in a research project are responsible for their methods and results.
- Plagiarism, misinformation, and reproduction of other work without attribution is not tolerated.
- Do not engage in misleading or deceptive falsification, fabrication, or selective reporting of data.
- Be sure to credit all who make contributions to a work, including all sources of data and software used, being mindful of the importance of contribution from younger researchers and students.
- Conflicts of Interest must be disclosed in accordance with university policy.
- Members who participate in peer review must do so in accordance with professional guidelines (see the APS and AAS codes of ethics).
Educate yourself
- Be receptive to ways to improve the work environment and work relationships.
- Challenge your assumptions about people and the sources of those assumptions.
- Take the initiative to eliminate the particular challenges or barriers that may be faced by members of underrepresented groups.
- Seek opportunities for education/training on diversity, inclusivity, reporting, and bystander intervention techniques, and encourage others to do so.
- Recognize personal biases (explicit and implicit) including and not limited to age, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, nationality, political affiliation, ability status, educational background, or any other characteristic protected by law.
- Acquaint yourself with OSU policy on sexual misconduct.
Take initiative
- If you feel safe doing so, intervene when you witness behavior that is inconsistent with this Code of Conduct. Be considerate of all parties when intervening.
- If you feel safe doing so, speak up if you witness such behavior, even if it is directed toward people who are not present.
- NOTE: Faculty and all department members with supervisory roles must report instances of sexual misconduct within five business days of becoming aware of such information.
- NOTE: All employees, except those exempted by legal privilege, have an obligation to immediately report incidents of sexual assault. Only those employees expressly identified as a confidential reporter are exempt from the duty to report.
Violations
- Violations of this Code may be confidentially addressed in a number of ways:
- Contact the OSU ombudsperson’s office.
- Contact (with the option for anonymous reporting) the members of the physics Climate and Diversity committee.
- Here is the C&D anonymous reporting form.
- Contact the Director of CCAPP, the Chair of the CCAPP Science Board, CCAPP Program Coordinator, or department Chairs/Vice-Chairs of Physics or Astronomy.
- Sanctions may range from verbal warning to notifying appropriate authorities.
- Retaliation for complaints of inappropriate conduct will not be tolerated.
Further Information and Links:
- The Office of Institutional Equity will help with all forms of harassment and discrimination.
- The Physics department Climate and Diversity committee.
- APS-IDEA at the department of Physics strives to increase equity in physics education.
- Report any sexual misconduct: Office of University Compliance and Integrity, Title IX coordinator.
- The Ohio State Sexual Misconduct Policy.
- Additional resources for sexual misconduct involving students.
- Here is a University plagiarism checker.
Contacts
The Ohio State University ombuds office
OSU Physics Climate and Diversity Committee and anonymous reporting form
Director of CCAPP John Beacom
Chair of CCAPP Science Board and APS-IDEA member Annika Peter
CCAPP Program Coordinator Lisa Colarosa
Department of Physics Chair Michael Poirier
Department of Astronomy Chair David Weinberg
(These principles were adapted from The Ohio State University Department of Astronomy code of conduct, The Ohio State University Department of Physics expectations for professional conduct, the AAS code of ethics, and the APS code of conduct.)