EPS email list-serve code of conduct

This policy was written by Mike Oskin as chair of EPS with my input.

EPS email list-serves are important means of communication among our community members. We are dedicated to promoting open communication opportunities that respect the diversity of our community. We also need to allow individuals the opportunity to choose how they engage with the EPS community. All community members need access to send and receive administrative announcements (e.g. gel-internal), whereas it is inappropriate to require individuals to be engaged in non-administrative discussions that may include sensitive topics. Thus, non-administrative contributions are prohibited from the gel-internal, gel-users, gel-seminar, gel-students, etc., list-serves. Appropriate administrative items include news, events, funding opportunities, and coordination of department activities. Gel-discussion is the appropriate list-serve for non-administrative items, which may include any topic of interest and relevance to the EPS community.

This list-serve code of conduct has two requirements. Individuals will maintain their posting rights to EPS email list-serves as long as their contributions: 1) are appropriate to the purpose of the specific list-serve, and 2) demonstrate a constructive attitude to discussion consistent with the UCD Code of Conduct. Inappropriate posts include (but are not limited to) those that:

• have the effect of excluding people on the basis of identity or beliefs. The list-serves need to be available to all community members irregardless of gender, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, nationality, sex, color, ethnic or social origin, pregnancy, citizenship, familial status, veteran status, genetic information, religion or belief, political or any other opinion, membership of a national minority, property, birth, or age.
• cause someone to fear for their safety, for example by including threats or sexual or violent images
• discuss sexual topics that are outside of issues related to harassment, discrimination, or other topics of professional interest
• incite violence, suicide, or self-harm
• pursue an argument or interaction with someone after being asked to stop
• extensively criticize actions or statements by other members of the community without respecting disagreement
• reveal private communication without consent

Discussion of controversial topics is explicitly allowed as long as the exchanges remain consistent with the UCD Code of Conduct. The CAO, Chair, and Vice-chairs will serve as moderators with respect to both appropriate list-serve posts and Code of Conduct violations. Community members asked to change their behavior are expected to comply immediately, and enforcement of the Code of Conduct will be respectfully implemented as necessary. Egregious behavior will result in an immediate ban (from gel-discussion) or revocation of send privilege (from gel-internal). A pattern of lesser violations will result in two warnings, followed by either a ban or revocation of send privilege.