Day of DH Code of Conduct

At the Carleton College Day of DH, we want everyone to feel welcome, included, and safe throughout the event. This Code of Conduct sets expectations for all participants, provides steps to report violations of the Code, and lists possible consequences for would-be-violators. The Carleton College Day of DH does not tolerate harassment and discrimination in any form.

The Carleton College Day of DH sets a tone of encouragement for mutual respect and growth. In this spirit, participation in the Day of DH is grounded in the following Community Agreements:

  • We encourage discussions that focus on the work, not the person.
  • We practice active listening and engagement.
  • We assume good intentions, but own negative effects.
  • We give credit where credit is due.
  • We value transparency.
  • We support one another’s work and welcome support for our own.
  • We value fair and transparent labor relationships, and we work actively to counter exploitation.

These agreements build on our commitment to abiding by the Carleton College Statement of Non-Discrimination and Policy Against Sexual Misconduct.

Behaviors not tolerated

Discrimination and harassment include, but are not limited to:

  • Comments or actions that create a hostile environment for marginalized groups
  • Comments or actions that minimize a person’s experiences, identity, or safety
  • Deliberate microaggressions
  • Deliberate misgendering 
  • Deliberate revealing of a person’s experiences or identity without their consent
  • Deliberate use of a person’s non-preferred name
  • Sustained disruption during sessions or other events or gatherings
  • Deliberate intimidation or stalking of any kind
  • Deliberately contacting a person after they have requested contact to stop
  • Unwelcome sexual attention
  • Distribution of harassing photography or recordings without explicit consent (including screen capture of Zoom meetings)
  • Threats or acts of violence
  • Advocating for, or encouraging, any of the above behavior

Discrimination/harassment is not…

  • Feeling singled out or persecuted for your social privilege
  • Reasonable communication of boundaries, such as “leave me alone,” “go away,” or “I’m not discussing this with you”
  • Refusal to explain or debate social justice issues when the person being asked is put in a defensive position based on their experience, personal identity, or safety
  • Communication in a tone you don’t find congenial
  • Discussion of sensitive topics
  • Criticism of racist, sexist, cissexist, or otherwise oppressive behavior or assumptions
  • “Reverse” -isms, including “reverse racism,” “reverse sexism,” and “cisphobia”

How to report a violation of the code of conduct*

If you have been involved in or witnessed an incident before, during, or after Day of DH that you believe violates this Code of Conduct, you can report it in two ways:

Consequences for a violation of the code of conduct

The Day of DH Organizers will quickly and confidentially examine all incidents reported before, during, and after the Day of DH. We reserve the right to take actions we deem necessary at any time to remedy disruptive behavior that renders the conference experience unsafe for participants. Anyone found to be in violation of this Code of Conduct may be subject to sanctions, including without limitation:

  • Require immediate compliance with the Committee’s decision
  • Immediate cessation of harassing or disruptive behavior
  • Removal of or declining to post a presenter’s talk online (if violation occurred during a presentation) 
  • Immediate removal from the Day of DH 
  • Temporary or permanent ban from any future Day of DH events, including participation, attendance, reviewing, and/or planning

* Since the Organizers are mandatory reporters under Clery Act and Title IX, we are required to follow the policies of Carleton College for documenting and reporting instances of harassment that occur at Carleton College.

This code of conduct is a living document, drafted by the Carleton College Day of DH Organizers on May 26, 2023, and is subject to change.

This Code of Conduct was inspired by and references codes of conduct drafted by the Global Digital Humanities Symposium, which was in turn inspired by the Museum Computer Network, The Digital Library Federation, Digital Frontiers, and the University of Kansas Institute for Digital Research in the Humanities.