By attending or participating in an NSGC event, meeting, conference, gathering, activity, webinar, virtual offering, committee, task force, planning session, community, discussion, or other offering (whether in-person, virtual, public or private) (each an “Offering”), you agree to abide by this Participant Code of Conduct (“Code of Conduct”) at all times during the Offering and any Offering-related gathering or activity.
The National Society of Genetic Counselors (“NSGC”) is committed to providing a safe, productive, welcoming, vibrant and inclusive environment for its members, speakers, presenters, guests, sponsors, volunteers, exhibitors, service providers, attendees, NSGC staff and others participating in or attending an NSGC Offering (collectively referred to as “Participants”).
We require our Offerings to be respectful, harassment-free environments for Participants of all ages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, abilities, nationalities, ethnicities, socioeconomic statuses, and beliefs. We have zero-tolerance for any form of discrimination, harassment (including but not limited to sexual harassment), or bullying in any form at, during or in connection with NSGC’s Offerings for any reason, including on account of a person’s age, ancestry, color, disability or handicap, national origin, socioeconomic status, country of origin, race, religion, gender, sexual or affectional orientation, gender identity, spiritual beliefs, health history, language, legal status, appearance, matriculation, political affiliation, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by U.S. law (each a, “Protected Characteristic”). Participants are required to adhere to these principles and respect the rights of others.
Participants are expected to exercise consideration and respect in their speech, dress, and actions.
- Keep conversations professional, respectful and consider other parties’ points of view. In short, don’t assume a personal affront. Passionate conversations are part of solving problems. Disagreements happen all the time and are necessary to consider difficult questions.
- Remember that the boundaries of good taste, humor, personal space and physical interaction differ from person to person; if you sense someone feels uncomfortable—whether they explicitly state it or not—be respectful of those boundaries.
Unacceptable behavior includes, without limitation:
- Sexist, racist, homophobic, transphobic or otherwise discriminatory or harassing jokes, language or posts.
- Posting or displaying sexually explicit or violent material (if a part of an educational presentation, you must receive advance NSGC staff approval and direction).
- Any behavior that impedes delivery of education or derails discussion or progress related to the stated outcomes of the meeting, activity or Offering.
- Physical assault, physical intimidation, or stalking.
- Unwelcome sexual attention (including sexualized comments or jokes; inappropriate touching, groping and unwelcomed sexual advances).
- Advocating for, or encouraging, any of the above behavior.
- Other behavior, actions or activities deemed unacceptable or contrary to the best interests of NSGC, the Offering, or other Participants as determined by NSGC in its sole and absolute discretion.
In addition, the following rules apply to all NSGC Offerings:
- Presentations, postings, comments, actions, and messages may not contain demagogic statements, promotional materials, special offers, job offers, product announcements, or solicitation for services unrelated to the objectives of the Offering. NSGC reserves the right to remove such messages and potentially ban the source(s) of such solicitations from its meetings.
- Participants may not record, copy, photograph or take screenshots of presenter slides which have not otherwise been made available, either at in-person Offerings or in virtual spaces.
- All Participants must comply with the instructions of the moderator and any NSGC event staff.
- All Participants must comply with the policies of NSGC and the policies and regulations of the venue in which an Offering is held
NSGC reserves the right to take disciplinary or any other action it deems necessary and appropriate, including immediate removal from an Offering without warning or refund, in response to any incident of unacceptable behavior or other violation of this Participant Code of Conduct. NSGC reserves the right to prohibit attendance or participation in any future NSGC Offering.