SSERVI MEETINGS CODE OF CONDUCT

The Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI) is at the intersection of government, industry, academia, and international partnerships, and is inherently interdisciplinary and diverse. Being comprised of and serving such a broad community, we are dedicated to creating an inclusive environment for all members. 

SSERVI is committed to providing a safe and welcoming environment for discussing issues related to human exploration and space science. All participants, attendees, speakers, volunteers, exhibitors, NASA/SSERVI staff, service providers, and others are expected to abide by the SSERVI Meetings Code of Conduct. The Code of Conduct rules apply to all SSERVI hosted events, including in-person events and online spaces, conference-related social events, and our websites, social platforms, wikis, and any other spaces that SSERVI hosts. Some facilities may have additional rules in place, which will be made clearly available to participants. Participants are responsible for knowing and abiding by these guidelines.

All SSERVI meetings are intended to be safe spaces and we ask participants to be guided by the following:

• Treat all participants, attendees, SSERVI staff, and vendors with respect and consideration, valuing a diversity of views and opinions.
• Listen actively, be considerate and collaborative.
• Act fairly, honestly, and in good faith with other participants. 
• Be respectful of others views even when you disagree.
• Avoid personal attacks directed toward other attendees, participants, SSERVI staff, and suppliers/vendors; handle disagreement constructively by critiquing ideas rather than individuals.
• Be mindful of your surroundings and of your fellow participants. Alert SSERVI staff if you notice a dangerous situation or someone in distress.
• Respect any additional rules and policies of the meeting venue, hotels, NASA/SSERVI contracted facility, or other venue, including those sponsored by organizations other than SSERVI.

The SSERVI Community, comprised of members of the institute, all SSERVI staff and team, and its larger network of U.S. and international partners must adhere to NASA's Standards of Ethical Conduct (https://www.nasa.gov/offices/ogc/general_law/ethicsrules.html). All event participants are expected to behave according to professional standards and in accordance with their employer's policies on appropriate workplace behavior. In addition, NASA officers and employees will comply with Federal and Agency ethics laws, regulations, executive orders, and directives as set forth in NPD 1900.9D Ethics Program Management.

SSERVI STATEMENT ON DIVERSITY

SSERVI celebrates our differences and is dedicated to providing an equal-opportunity experience for participants regardless of gender, age, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, race, religion, or other protected status. We make every attempt to accommodate all people, make everyone feel comfortable participating, and do whatever we can to enable people to participate fully-- providing special accommodations for those in different geographical locations, those with physical disabilities, women and new mothers, or those most comfortable using gender neutral restrooms.

We expect the members of the SSERVI community to treat one another with respect and to acknowledge that everyone can make a valuable contribution. We may not always agree, but the space and conversation must always have openness to positions that may not be aligned or in agreement. Frustration cannot turn into a personal attack. It's important to remember that a community where people feel uncomfortable or threatened is not a productive one, and that the meeting conduct and ground rules are anchored in the SSERVI values we have all committed to uphold. It is our collective responsibility to ensure that we create a safe, creative, productive and welcoming space that can hold us in all of our diversity.

SSERVI STATEMENT ON HARASSMENT

It is vital that discussions not only include and acknowledge a diversity of opinions and experiences, but that the community ensures harassment of any kind, is not tolerated. 

The SSERVI Community, comprised of members of the institute, all SSERVI staff and team members, as well as its larger network of U.S. and international partners, will not tolerate harassment of participants in any form.

Harassment includes, but is not limited to:

• Offensive comments related to gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, mental illness, neuro(a)typicality, physical appearance, body size, race, or religion.
• Physical contact and simulated physical contact without consent or after a request to stop.
• Deliberate intimidation.
• Sustained disruption of discussion.
• Unwelcome sexual attention, or gratuitous or off-topic sexual images or behavior.
• Continued one-on-one communication after requests to stop.

The following behaviors are not tolerated at SSERVI meetings or events, whether in-person or online:

1. Harassment, bullying, intimidation, or discrimination in any form;
2. Physical or verbal abuse of any attendee, speaker, volunteer, exhibitor, SSERVI staff member, service provider, or other meeting guest; and
3. Disruption of talks at oral or poster sessions, in the exhibit hall, or at other events organized by SSERVI at the meeting venue, hotels, or other NASA/SSERVI-contracted facilities.

REPORTING UNACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOR 

SSERVI will take every appropriate action in response to harassment and will respond to any participant who has experienced harassment or inappropriate behavior. Any complaint or incident that breaches this code will be confidentially reviewed and addressed promptly. If a participant engages in harassing behavior, SSERVI may take any action deemed appropriate, including immediate removal from the meeting without warning (or refund if applicable). Participants who are asked to stop any kind of harassing behavior are expected to comply immediately. SSERVI reserves the right to prohibit attendance at any future meeting due to past behaviors. Repeated or severe violations will be addressed by SSERVI leadership and can lead to disciplinary actions up to removal of membership and notification of a member’s host institution. In addition, individuals found to be in violation of this code of conduct may be subject to other consequences as set forth in [NPD 1900.9D] NASA's Ethics Program Management, as applicable.

Participants may contact any SSERVI staff member with questions or concerns at any point throughout the duration of a SSERVI event. We will make every effort to maintain confidentiality to the fullest extent possible and will stay in clear communication with anyone who reports a problem. If you are subject to discrimination or harassment, or witness unacceptable behavior, please immediately notify a SSERVI staff member. Additionally, for incidents that can be settled with a brief conversation, you may want to contact the individual in question and address the issue directly to resolve smaller issues before they become persistent or escalate. If you are uncomfortable communicating directly, anonymous complaints can be submitted via email to SSERVI Chief of Staff Yvonne Ibarra (yvonne.ibarra@nasa.gov). If you experience or witness behavior that constitutes an immediate or serious threat to public safety, contact 911 and locate a house phone and ask for security.

UPDATES

SSERVI realizes that society is undergoing rapid change both from the COVID-19 pandemic, and the resultant major move to online communities, and from the societal awakening to major issues of racial discrimination.  As such, SSERVI is open to suggestions and recommendations for updates to this Code of Conduct at all times.  Please send comments, suggestions and update recommendations to SSERVI Director Greg Schmidt (gregory.k.schmidt@nasa.gov) and/or SSERVI Chief of Staff Yvonne Ibarra (yvonne.ibarra@nasa.gov).

This code of conduct and ground rules draws on several sources including the The Lunar Surface Innovation Consortium (LSIC), American Geophysical Union (AGU), Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (LPSC), Lunar Exploration Analysis Group (LEAG), and the Association for Progressive Communications (APC): https://www.agu.org/Plan-for-a-Meeting/AGUMeetings/Meetings-Resources/Meetings-code-of-conduct; https://www.agu.org/-/media/Files/AGU-Scientific-Integrity-and-Professional-Ethics-Policy.pdf; https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/leag2019/; https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2019/#harassment; https://www.apc.org/en/code-conduct-and-ground-rules-apc-meeting; https://adainitiative.org/2014/02/18/howto-design-a-code-of-conduct-for-your-community/; https://geekfeminism.org/about/code-of-conduct/; http://confcodeofconduct.com/; https://www.internetfreedomfestival.org/wiki/index.php/Code_of_Conduct; https://www.internetfreedomfestival.org/wiki/index.php/Guide_to_Communication; https://www.rightscon.org/code-of-conduct/; Ubuntu Code of Conduct.