Meetings Code of Conduct
About the code of conduct
American Geophysical Union (AGU) convenes events and meetings that are welcoming, respectful, inclusive, and collaborative. AGU's Meetings and Events Code of Conduct applies to all AGU-sponsored events, as well as affiliated events connected with an AGU meeting or event, whether in public or private facilities.
AGU's Ethics Policy
AGU members and authors of AGU publications must adhere to the AGU Scientific Integrity and Professional Ethics Policy.
VIEW THE POLICYExpected behavior
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1Treat everyone with respect.
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2Respect your fellow participants by using good practices for intercultural collaborations.
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3Be mindful of your surroundings and of your fellow participants.
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4Provide your true professional identity, affiliation, and, where appropriate, contact information, at registration, and during attendance and participatory sessions, as required.
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5
Respect copying and use of presented materials and ideas as indicated by AGU's Guidelines on Photography and Social Media, including knowing when you may need to obtain permission regarding copying materials.
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6Respect the rules and policies of the meeting venue, hotels, AGU contracted facility, online platform, or any other venue.
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7Be Accountable: When we as organizers or participants fail to meet these guidelines, work together to identify problems and adjust policy and practice together.
Anyone not meeting expected, collaborative, respectful behavior can be immediately removed from the current online or physical meeting and may be banned from future AGU meetings or other sanctions, depending on the specifics of the unwelcomed disruptive behavior.
Examples of unacceptable behavior
- Promoting or participating in harassment, bullying, discrimination, or intimidation on-site, online, and/or on social media.
- Physical, verbal, written, or other forms of abuse of any attendee, speaker, volunteer, exhibitor, staff member, service provider, or other guest.
- Examples of abuse include, but are not limited to, verbal comments related to gender, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, religion, national origin, or socioeconomic class; inappropriate use of nudity and/or sexual images in public spaces or in presentations.
- Threatening or stalking in-person or online.
- Disruption or disallowing participation by others.
- Criminal offenses.
- Failure to follow meeting protocol.
- Physical or verbal abuse, including attacks on ideas vs. respectful, disagreeing dialogue.
- Use of social or mainstream media to target individual actions of participants in a way that could harm their privacy or professional status or open them to slander or libel.
- Knowingly violating copyright, or copying presenter information without obtaining permission, if necessary, as outlined in AGU's Guidelines on Photography and Social Media.
Consequences and reporting unacceptable behavior
- Anyone requested to stop unacceptable behavior is expected to comply immediately.
- AGU staff (or their designee) or security may take any action deemed necessary and appropriate, including, but not limited to, immediate removal from the meeting without warning or refund.
- When AGU staff finds that a Meetings Code of Conduct violation has occurred, they have the responsibility and authority to take all necessary actions to ensure the continued safety of meeting participants, to avoid further disruptions, and to prevent further harm.
- AGU reserves the right to prohibit attendance at any future meeting.
- Other consequences as set forth in the AGU Scientific Integrity and Professional Ethics Policy, as applicable.
As part of registration for an AGU event, all attendees are expected to provide their true professional name and primary affiliation, and contact information including an email address and phone number.
AGU attendees should be aware that AGU staff and designates monitor and moderate attendee posts mentioning AGU and using hashtags associated with a meeting. Failure to follow the above guidelines may result in posts being blocked or other consequences. For more information on photography and social media practices, review AGU's Guidelines on Photography and Social Media.
If you experience or witness behavior that constitutes an immediate or serious threat to public safety at an on-site meeting, contact 911 or if in a convention center, locate a house phone and ask for security. Please report other incidents or suspected incidents to AGU staff, leadership, or security. At many events, AGU staff and representatives will be wearing a "safe AGU" button.
Acknowledgement and agreement to abide by the AGU Meetings and Events Code of Conduct is required at registration for any online or on-site event.
