Final version approved by the Board on 2/14/20     Download PDF

The Western Aquatic Plant Management Society commits to promoting a welcoming environment while fulfilling our mission of providing a forum for members in Western North America to share interdisciplinary information related to aquatic plant and algae identification, detection, management and control. We intend to do this during daily operations, which includes the WAPMS Annual Meeting, by fostering environments that are safe, collaborative, supportive, and productive for all members and attendees, including sponsors, exhibitors, guests of members, invited speakers, students, guests and members of the media. We intend to conduct our business in a fair, honest, and ethical manner that values the diversity of views, expertise, opinions, backgrounds, and experiences reflected among our membership and all conference and event attendees.

All attendees, speakers, sponsors, guests and volunteers at our conference are required to abide by the following Code of Conduct. Organizers will be available for those that need to report an incident or concern. We expect cooperation from all participants to help ensure a safe, welcoming and inclusive environment for everyone. This Code of Conduct is not intended to be a comprehensive rulebook and cannot address every situation. Always use good judgment and treat others with dignity.

Expected Behavior

• Treat everyone with respect.
• Communicate openly and thoughtfully and be considerate of varying views, opinions, levels of experience, and backgrounds.
• Be respectful in your critique of ideas and avoid personal attacks directed toward other attendees, participants, WAPMS staff, sponsors, and vendors.
• Respect the rules and policies of the symposium venue, hotels, WAPMS contracted facilities, or any other venue.
• Be mindful of your surroundings and fellow participants. Alert a WAPMS board or committee member or designated contact person if you notice unacceptable or offensive behavior, a dangerous situation or someone in distress.

Unacceptable Behavior

• Harassment and intimidation, including any verbal, written, or physical conduct designed to threaten, intimidate, or coerce another attendee, speaker, volunteer, student, exhibitor, WAPMS board or committee member, service provider or other meeting guest.
• Discrimination based on sex, pregnancy, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, religion, national origin, culture, or any other protected characteristic under federal, state, or local laws.
• Physical or verbal abuse of any attendee, speaker, volunteer, student, exhibitor, WAPMS board or committee member, service provider or other meeting guest.
• Excessive alcohol consumption.
• Examples of unacceptable behavior also include but are not limited to: inappropriate use of nudity and/or sexual images in public spaces or in presentations; threatening or stalking any WAPMS meeting participant; or sexually harassing any WAPMS meeting participant or guest.
• Disruption of talks at oral or poster sessions, in the exhibit hall or at other events organized by WAPMS at the meeting venue, hotels, or other WAPMS contracted facilities is not allowed.
• Retaliation against a person who, in good faith, reports a violation of this Code of Conduct.

Consequences  

• Anyone requested to stop unacceptable behavior is expected to comply immediately.
• The WAPMS Board (or their designee) or security may take any action deemed necessary and appropriate, including immediate removal from the meeting without warning and potentially without refund.
• WAPMS reserves the right to prohibit attendance at any future meeting.

Reporting Unacceptable Behavior

• If you are the subject of unacceptable behavior or have witnessed any such behavior, please immediately notify a WAPMS board member, organizer. or other designated contact person.
• Notification should be done by contacting a WAPMS board member, organizer, or other designated contact person on-site or by e-mailing your concern to one of the designated contact persons.
• Anyone experiencing or witnessing behavior that constitutes an immediate or serious threat to public safety at the symposium location or other WAPMS event is advised to either tell a security guard or locate a house phone and ask for security.
• Reporting should never be done via social media.

Administration  

• Any reports of unacceptable behavior will be handled on a case-by-case basis by one or more of the designated contact persons.
• The Code of Conduct, including contact information for the designated contact persons, will be made available to all members and conference attendees as follows: inserted into the conference program, posted to the WAPMS website, and included in the WAPMS Strategic Plan.
• WAPMS Board Members and designated contact persons will be introduced at the beginning of the conference and will make every effort to be visible and available to attendees at the annual symposium.
• The list of designated contact persons will be updated annually prior to publication in the conference program.

This Code of Conduct is not a contract.  WAPMS reserves the right to amend or supplement this Code of Conduct without prior notice, at any time.

Code of conduct adapted from North American Lake Management Society, International Marine Conservation Congress (IMCC), and the Ecological Society of America (ESA).