Harassment¶
Overview¶
This policy on harassment is a non-negotiable part of our commitment to creating an inclusive, diverse, and equitable environment. All members of the research group are required to read and abide by the following policy and contribute to collective enforcement of the guidelines.
Please Contribute!
If you feel that these guidelines could be strengthened in any way, please submit a pull request with your suggested changes.
These guidelines are only slightly modified from those provided by the Ada Initiative, and additional language was borrowed from or is heavily influenced by the Doss-Gollin group lab guide.
The Short Version
The Srikrishnan Research Group is committed to creating a harassment-free space for everyone, regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, age, or religion. We do not tolerate harassment of group members, other colleagues, or anyone else in any form. Sexual language and imagery is not appropriate for any professional setting, including talks, workshops, parties, Zulip, or any online media. Research group members violating these rules will be sanctioned or expelled at the discretion of Vivek Srikrishnan.
All Cornell employees and students must understand and comply with the University's policies and procedures regarding harassment and discrimination, including but not limited to the policy on prohibited bias, discrimination, harassment, and sexual and related misconduct. In addition to these formal guidelines, or group adopts additional informal guidelines on conduct which may go beyond the University's policies.
Definition¶
Harassment includes, but is not limited to:
- Verbal comments that reinforce social structures of domination, e.g. related to gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, age, religion, or other related topics;
- Sexual imagery in public spaces;
- Deliberate intimidation, stalking, or following;
- Harassing photography or recording;
- Sustained disruption of communication or the research environment;
- Inappropriate physical contact;
- Unwelcome sexual attention;
- Creation of an otherwise sexualized or discriminatory environment;
- Advocating for, or encouraging, any of the above behaviors.
Expectations of Group Members
We expect all group members to follow these rules in all professional settings, including the office, conferences, workshop venues, and group-related social events. We additionally expect members to treat each other professionally with respect to their work and workspaces with constructive criticism, without dismissive behavior, and without disruption of shared working spaces.
Group members asked to stop harassing behavior are expected to comply immediately.
Enforcement¶
If a member engages in harassing behavior, other group members and Vivek Srikrishnan may take any action they deem appropriate to stop this behavior, including warning the offender, expelling the behavior from the group, and sanction through official Cornell University channels.
Reporting¶
If you are being harassed, notice that someone else is being harassed, or have any other concerns, contact Vivek Srikrishnan immediately. Vivek is available around the clock to help group members contact security or local law enforcement, navigate official University reporting channels, or otherwise assist those experiencing harassment to feel safe in the research environment.
If Vivek is the cause of your concern or you would prefer he not be involved, official concerns can be directed to the Diversity and Inclusion office or the Title IX Coordinator.