The goal of the CG Society is to organize scientific events in a safe and inclusive manner. All members of the CG Society are bound by its Code of Conduct. The Code of Conduct covers all activities pertaining to the organization of and participation in CG Society events. This includes satellite events, events and activities organized by the local organizers of CG Society events, and all private gatherings of participants of CG Society events in the local area. It also includes PC work and actions by members of the CG Society committees during their tenure.
The CG Society is dedicated to providing a safe and inclusive environment for its members, regardless of background and identity. This includes, but is not limited to, members of any race, ethnicity, culture, nationality, color, social and economic class, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, age, body size, civil status, religion, belief, and disability or chronic illness. We ask our members to be respectful and considerate of others. Spirited discussions and passionate arguments are an integral part of (scientific) discourse; naturally not everybody will always feel comfortable with everything they hear. But we must (learn to) recognize when a boundary has been crossed and act accordingly. In general, if somebody asks you to stop, then stop. We will not tolerate any form of harassment, bullying, discrimination, or retaliation.
During an event. If you are being harassed, bullied, discriminated against, are the victim of retaliation, or you notice that either of these are happening to somebody else, or you have any other concerns about the environment at an event of the CG Society, please contact one of the SafeTOC advocates or any member of the CG Society board. We will be happy to listen, to intervene, to act as go-between, but also to contact hotel/venue security or local law enforcement, provide escorts, or otherwise assist those experiencing harassment, bullying, discrimination, or retaliation to feel safe for the duration of the event. Members of the CG Society that are being asked to stop a certain behavior due to code of conduct violations are expected to comply immediately. The local organizers of a CG Society event may take any action they deem appropriate, including expulsion of the offender from the event with no refund.
Sanctions. The Code of Conduct committee (CCC) of the Society adjudicates cases of potential Code of Conduct violations. Based on the findings of the CCC, the board of the CG Society can suspend or terminate membership for members found guilty of Code of Conduct violations. Section 8 of the Bylaws lays out the procedures in detail.
Harassment is any form of behavior which (1) the person being harassed does not want, (2) offends, humiliates, or intimidates, and (3) creates a hostile environment. Harassment may be an ongoing pattern of behavior, or it may be just a single act.
Critical technical feedback or negative paper reviews are part of our academic profession and do not constitute harassment. However, sexual images in public spaces, stalking, following, harassing photography or recording, inappropriate physical contact, and unwelcome sexual attention all constitute harassment. In general, any form of offensive verbal comments, as well as sustained behavior, that has been indicated not to be welcome, constitute harassment.
Bullying is a form of harassment, which carries a particularly aggressive connotation. It includes physical aggression, violent threats, and personal insults, especially those using racist or sexist terms. Another form of bullying is sustained disruption of conversations, presentations, or other events. Bullying often occurs in the context of an imbalance of power or authority. Advocating for, or encouraging bullying (e.g., by being part of a group that is encouraging the main perpetrator) also constitutes bullying.
Discrimination. The CG Society is incorporated in the Netherlands and hence the Dutch law on Equal Treatment applies: in situations involving equal circumstances all people have to be treated the same way and it is forbidden to discriminate. Grounds for discrimination are race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, political opinion, religion, belief, disability or chronic illness, civil status, age, or nationality.
Retaliation is a form of power abuse. In academia, in addition to the standard forms of power relations, there is a form of “expert power”: a (small) number of people (the experts in a field) have significant power over the trajectory of a career in their field, for example, by granting or withholding invitations to special events, or positive or negative reviews for papers, proposals, or tenure applications.
These are the SafeToC advocates for the CG Society:
Feel free to contact any SafeToC advocate when you need help during, before, or after a CG Society event. You can also contact any member of the CG Society Board or the CG Week Steering Committee.
The Code of Conduct committee is in the process of being formed. In the meantime, please contact the CG Society Board.
Version: December 18, 2024
This Code of Conduct is an adaptation of the prior Code of Conduct of CG Week. Inspired by: JSConf & The Ada Initiative, NeurIPS Code of Conduct, Harassment by the NSW Government, and the FreeBSD Code of Conduct.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.