About

The Water Science Conference is open to members of AGU, CUAHSI, and the water community. AGU and CUAHSI, the co-sponsoring societies, are committed to convening events and meetings that are welcoming, respectful, inclusive, and collaborative. The WaterSciCon Meetings and Events Code of Conduct applies to all WaterSciCon-sponsored meetings and events, as well as affiliated events connected with WaterSciCon, whether in public or private facilities.

Expected behavior

1. Treat everyone with respect.
2. Respect your fellow participants by using good practices for intercultural collaborations.
3. Be mindful of your surroundings and of your fellow participants.
4. Provide your true professional identity, affiliation, and where appropriate, contact information, at registration, and during attendance and participatory sessions, as required.
5. Respect copying and use of presented materials and ideas as indicated by WaterSciCon’s Guidelines on Photography and Social Media, including knowing when you may need to obtain permission regarding copying materials.
6. Respect the rules and policies of the meeting venue, hotels, WaterSciCon contracted facility, online platform, or any other venue.
7. Be 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 immediately be removed from the current online or physical meeting and may be banned from future WaterSciCon meetings or other sanctions, depending on the specifics of the unwelcome 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, 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 WaterSciCon’s Guidelines on Photography and Social Media.

Consequences and reporting unacceptable behavior

• Anyone requested to stop unacceptable behavior is expected to comply immediately.
• AGU or CUAHSI staff (or their designee) may take any action deemed necessary and appropriate, including, but not limited to, immediate removal from the meeting without warning or refund.
• When WaterSciCon staff finds that a Meeting 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.
• WaterSciCon 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 WaterSciCon, all attendees are expected to provide their true professional name and primary affiliation, and contact information including an email address and phone number.

WaterSciCon attendees should be aware that WaterSciCon staff and designates monitor and moderate attendee posts mentioning WaterSciCon and using hashtags associated with the 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 the WaterSciCon 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 WaterSciCon staff, leadership, or security. At many events, WaterSciCon staff and representatives will be wearing a "SAFE WaterSciCon" button.

Acknowledgement and agreement to abide by the WaterSciCon Code of Conduct is required at registration for any online or on-site event.