Code of Conduct

Summary

High Impact Engineers (HI-Eng) is a network of people who are willing to help one another and collectively work towards a better world. Our members are from all walks of life and have a wide range of personal beliefs – what unites us is our desire to be more effective in how we do good. This code of conduct exists to ensure that people can collaborate in a positive and successful way. To that end, we have a few ground rules to which we ask people to adhere.

This Code of Conduct is not legal or prescriptive in nature. It is a guide to make it easier to enrich all of us and the communities in which we participate. This Code of Conduct applies to all participants in spaces managed by HI-Eng, which includes online spaces, in person events, and any forum that the community uses for communication. Participants agree to follow the HI-Eng Code of Conduct and all applicable rules and procedures of the event they attend, including health protocols, such as COVID-related prevention measures. In addition, violations of this Code outside these spaces may affect a person's ability to participate within them.

If you believe someone, whether they are a student, speaker, judge, sponsor, volunteer or organiser, is violating the code of conduct, we ask that you report it by emailing team@highimpactengineers.org or reporting it (anonymously) to Jess’s or Sean’s admonymous. Possible responses of event organisers to inappropriate behaviour include giving a warning to the individual, requiring them to not interact with another person or asking them to leave the event.

We strive to:

  • Be empathetic

  • Be friendly and patient

  • Be welcoming

  • Be considerate

  • Be respectful

  • Not all of us will agree all the time, but disagreement is no excuse for poor behaviour and poor manners. We might all experience some frustration now and then, but we shouldn’t allow that frustration to turn into personal attacks.

  • Be careful in the words that we choose

  • Be kind to others.

  • Do not insult or put down other participants. Harassment and other exclusionary behaviour aren't acceptable. This includes, but is not limited to:

    1. Violent threats or hateful language directed against another person.

      1. Discriminatory jokes and language.

      2. Posting sexually explicit or violent material.

      3. Personal insults.

      4. Unwelcome sexual attention.

      5. Repeated harassment of others. If someone asks you to stop, then stop.

      6. Advocating for, or encouraging, any of the above behaviour.

  • When we disagree, try to understand why

  • Disagreements happen all the time and it is important that we resolve differing views constructively. We understand that human interaction can be complex and confusing. Please give each other the benefit of explaining behaviour you find offensive or unwelcome.

    1. However, people asked to stop any prohibited conduct are expected to comply immediately.

Full Policy

Harassment is any improper or unwelcome conduct that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence, intimidation, or humiliation to another person. Harassment in any form because of gender, gender identity and expression, age, sexual orientation, physical ability, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, national origin, political affiliation, religion, or any other reason is prohibited in HI-Eng spaces. Examples of harassment include, but are not limited to:

  • Making derogatory or demeaning comments about someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity;

  • Name-calling or using slurs with a gender/sexual connotation;

  • Making sexual comments about appearance, clothing or body parts;

  • Rating a person’s sexuality;

  • Repeatedly asking a person for dates or asking for sex;

  • Staring in a sexually suggestive manner;

  • Unwelcome touching, including pinching, patting, rubbing or purposefully brushing up against a person;

  • Making inappropriate sexual gestures, such as pelvic thrusts;

  • Sharing sexual or lewd anecdotes or jokes;

  • Sending sexually suggestive communications in any format;

  • Sharing or displaying sexually inappropriate images or videos in any format;

  • Attempted or actual sexual assault, including rape.

  • Deliberate intimidation, stalking, following, harassing photography or recording;

  • Sustained disruption of talks or other events.

Participants asked to stop any harassing behaviour are expected to comply immediately.

If a participant engages in harassing behaviour, the organisers may take any action they deem appropriate, including warning the offender or expulsion from the event. If you are being harassed, notice that someone else is being harassed, or have any other concerns, please follow the reporting procedures at the bottom of this document and report the incident immediately.

Events

In the case of events, all the above notes apply. Event staff will be happy to help participants contact venue security or local law enforcement, provide escorts, or otherwise assist those experiencing harassment to feel safe for the duration of the event. We value your attendance.

We expect participants to follow these rules at all official HI-Eng events, programs, and related social events.

Photographs and Videos

By participating in a program hosted through High Impact Engineers, attendees grant the right to have photographs and videos taken of them in connection with the program. HI-Eng is authorised to copyright, use, and publish these images in print and/or electronically for any and all media or promotional purposes.

HI-Eng may use such photographs for any lawful purpose, including for example such purposes as publicity, illustration, advertising, and Web content.

Complaint Process and Reporting Procedures

If you feel uncomfortable or think there may be a potential violation of the Code of Conduct, please report it to the organiser of the HI-Eng event or relevant security authority. All reporters have the right to remain anonymous. You can email us at team@highimpactengineers.org or fill out Jess’s or Sean’s anonymous reporting form.

The organiser of the HI-Eng event or manager of the HI-Eng space will be expected to take appropriate action in accordance with its applicable policies, regulations and rules.

Examples of appropriate action may include, but are not limited to:

  • Undertaking a fact-finding exercise;

  • Requesting the perpetrator to immediately stop the offending behaviour;

  • Suspending or terminating the perpetrator’s access to the HI-Eng event or refusing registration at future HI-Eng events, or both;

  • Conveying the complaint to any investigative or disciplinary authority with jurisdiction over the person accused of harassment;

  • Conveying a report to the employer or entity with jurisdiction over the person accused of harassment for appropriate follow-up action;

  • Conveying a report to the CEA Community Health team for appropriate follow-up action

The victim of alleged harassment may also seek help from other relevant authorities, such as the police, bearing in mind the applicable legal framework.

A participant should never knowingly make a false or misleading claim about prohibited conduct.

Prohibition of retaliation

Threats, intimidation or any other form of retaliation against a participant who has made a complaint or provided information in support of a complaint are prohibited.

HI-Eng will take any reasonable appropriate action needed to prevent and respond to retaliation, in accordance with its applicable policy, regulations and rules.

If you have any questions about the code of conduct, please reach out to us at team@highimpactengineers.org.

Credit for this Code of Conduct goes to The Ada Initiative, with the original source here. You can find their unmodified Code of Conduct at http://confcodeofconduct.com. Parts of this Code of Conduct are heavily inspired by those from EA NYC, EA UK, and the UNFCCC.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.

DEI Policy 2023

To honour our commitment to Diversity, Equality and Inclusion (DEI), we at High Impact Engineers commit our organisation to the following actions and improvement plan:

  1. Centring the perspectives and experiences of marginalised communities, particularly those who have been historically and currently impacted by racism, sexism, ableism, and other forms of oppression.

  2. Creating a safe and inclusive community for individuals from marginalised, under-represented and under-served communities to share their experiences and perspectives.

  3. Encouraging active listening, humility, and openness to feedback from marginalised communities.

  4. Investing in ongoing education and training for all members of the HI-Eng team on issues related to racism and other forms of oppression, and sharing relevant resources with the wider community. The first step is for the HI-Eng team to undergo Organisational Leadership Training in DEI.

  5. Holding members and participants in the HI-Eng community accountable for discriminatory attitudes and actions, and implementing consequences for those who do not take them seriously.

  6. Building partnerships and alliances with organisations and movements led by and serving marginalised, under-represented and under-served communities.

  7. Incorporating an intersectional lens in all aspects of the community, recognising that racism is not separate from other forms of oppression such as classism, ableism, and sexism.

  8. Continually reflecting on and annually reassessing the community’s practices and policies to ensure they are inclusive.

  9. Recognising that anti-racism is an ongoing process, not a one-time event and committing to a long-term journey.