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Values and Code of Conduct

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Values Statement

As members of the Department of Physics, the University of Washington, and the global scientific enterprise, we, the faculty, postdocs, staff, and students, share a collective responsibility to create a supportive working and learning environment that fosters academic and scientific progress.

We each commit to doing our part to create an environment that:

  • upholds the highest standard of scientific conduct;
  • is collegial, considerate, inclusive, respectful; and
  • is welcoming to individuals of diverse identities and characteristics, which include but are not limited to race, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical appearance, manner of speech, age, family background, religion, and marital, parental, veteran, or ability status.

To do this, we agree to:

  • conduct scientific research with integrity, including giving appropriate credit in publications, presentations, and proposals;
  • engage in the work needed to understand the effects our actions have on others, including maintaining an awareness of the inherent power differentials among department members;
  • conduct ourselves in a professional manner that is free from any form of discrimination, abuse of positions of authority, harassment, bullying, retaliation, or other harmful behavior; and
  • strive to stop misconduct when it occurs and to support those affected by it.

These efforts are integral to our positions as members of our Departmental community. Creating a welcoming and supportive community for all members involves efforts and expectations beyond the University Codes of Conduct. These additional expectations are detailed below.

Expectations beyond the UW-wide Codes of Conduct

The expectations described in this section do not introduce any additional legalistic rules, consequences, or reporting structures; they instead give guidance about how to act to bring about the positive vision of Department culture described in the above Values Statement. This guidance will help in cases where inappropriate behaviors do not unambiguously fall under the list of actions prohibited by the UW-wide Codes of Conduct, but are nonetheless harmful to the people experiencing and witnessing them as well as to the Physics Department's climate and scientific productivity.
These include:

  • mocking, ad hominem attacks, or put-downs that express contempt or ridicule toward a person rather than disagreement with an idea;
  • bullying, in which one person targets another for harm, intimidation, or exclusion; and
  • stereotyping, in which someone is judged or treated unequally based on assumptions about their identity group(s) rather than on their own actions, abilities, experiences, and drive.

These types of conduct are a major contributor to attrition, particularly among people who are members of underrepresented groups. They create an environment of fear that both harms people and interferes with the free discussion and debate of ideas that is crucial to the intellectual strength of our Department.

The Physics Department unequivocally condemns such behavior; we are expected to both refrain from engaging in harmful conduct and strive to prevent it in the spaces in which we work or study.

Members of the Department in positions of power are encouraged to work to maintain awareness of power disparities and their effects, and are particularly expected to proactively model, foster and uphold environments free of harmful conduct.

The Department is engaged in ongoing efforts to create a safe, welcoming community for all. Members are expected to listen to feedback about their own actions and engage constructively and in good faith during discussions about climate issues. Members are also encouraged to engage with the resources and activities described in Department Activities promoting a Respectful Climate, e.g., by participating in relevant workshops, lectures, and trainings.

Department members are encouraged, when they feel safe doing so, to intervene directly if they witness unprofessional or inappropriate actions or comments. Anyone who experiences or observes inappropriate conduct is encouraged to reach out to the Climate and Diversity Committee for support, and/or to pursue other avenues of help listed on the Resources page (coming soon).

Visitors to the UW Physics Department

Visitors to the UW Physics Department are expected to help promote a safe and supportive environment for all members of the Department, inclusive of: students, staff, post-docs, faculty, and other visitors. We expect that all visitors, participants, and volunteers at Department sanctioned events will encourage a culture that is free of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. Throughout their stay, visitors agree to follow the Departmental values and expectations outlined in this document, the University Codes of Conduct, as well as adhere to any Codes of Conduct of their own institutions. Both event sponsors and other, relevant Department members will enforce these codes, which may result in expulsion from the event, restricting invitations to future UW events, and/or notification of the visitor’s home institution.

v2023-03-28

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