Code of Conduct and Related Policies
The purpose of the Columbia School Linguistic Society (henceforth the Society) is to advance, promote and disseminate linguistic research within the framework of the theoretical lines first established in the teachings and writings of William Diver. The Society furthers this goal by sponsoring scholarships and fellowships, as well as activities such as seminars, conferences, institutes, publications, and general scholarly interchange.
This document contains the following information:
Code of Conduct
The Columbia School Linguistic Society, Inc. aims to be an inclusive organization that requires all participants - defined as the Executive Committee, members, employees, fellows, and volunteers - to maintain professional integrity and respectfulness in their relationships and interactions with each other.
Policies alone cannot ensure appropriate conduct. Accordingly, this Code of Conduct includes an expectation that all participants proactively work to establish a culture of respect in which everyone feels welcomed and valued.
Inclusive and Respectful Behavior
The Society encourages its participants to engage in inclusive and respectful behavior, including but not limited to:
acknowledging the opinions, skills, and contributions of others;
communicating respectfully, and giving honest feedback in a considerate manner;
advocating for others when they are unable to advocate for themselves, or in instances of prejudice or discrimination;
providing encouragement, help, support, or mentorship to colleagues when needed.
This Code of Conduct prohibits harassment, which includes but is not limited to:
Verbal comments that are insulting, abusive or demeaning;
Deliberate intimidation of any kind;
Harassing photography or recording;
Inappropriate physical contact;
Unwelcome sexual attention;
Advocating for, encouraging, or condoning any of the above behavior.
Conferences organized by the Society should refer to REIL’s conference guidelines .
Sharing and Distribution
One of the goals of the Society is to support the free discussion and development of ideas. Participants should be free to share ideas without concern that their words will reach a wider public. Individual ideas do not necessarily represent the views of the Society.
Handouts and other unpublished work may not be distributed without permission of the author;
Seminar and other working group videos are for internal use only, and no portion may be shared or distributed;
The Society’s logo will not be used for any work without prior consent of the Executive Committee; similarly, no one will claim to represent the Society without approval of the Executive Committee.
Reporting
Harassment and other violations of this Code of Conduct reduce the value of our Society for everyone. If you experience or witness what you experience as unacceptable behavior, please report it as soon as possible to any member(s) of the Executive Committee and/or to the Society’s Administrative Manager.
Enforcement
Participants who are reasonably asked by another participant to stop engaging in abusive or objectionable behavior should comply immediately.
The Society will take action to redress any behavior designed to, or with the clear impact of, creating a hostile environment for any participants.
Conflict of Interest Policy
Conflicts of interest refers to any behavior or interest, financial or other, which conflicts with the service of an individual or group of individuals. Conflicts of interest can significantly impair an individual's objectivity or could create unfair advantage.
This policy holds the Executive Committee and those representing the Society to standards of ethical conduct that require placing the best interest of the Society first in decision making.
The Society’s Executive Committee and others making decisions on behalf of the Society:
Will not publicize confidential information obtained from their position;
Will disclose any potential conflicting interest before votes;
Committee members, individually and collectively, will use their best judgment to determine whether or not a conflict of interest requires recusal from votes;
Potential conflicts of interest will be reported in the Executive Committee meeting minutes.
Failure to disclose a known conflict will be treated as a breach of conduct.
Whistleblower Policy
The Society encourages its employees and members to report improper activities that the reporter believes violates any state or federal law; violates or amounts to noncompliance with a state or federal rule or regulation; or violates fiduciary responsibilities by a nonprofit corporation. With this goal in mind, no one who, in good faith, reports a concern shall be subject to retaliation or, in the case of an employee or contractor, adverse employment consequences.
An employee, contractor, or member who suspects a problem with legal compliance should report the situation(s) to the Society’s Administrative Manager, a member of the Executive Committee, to the Society’s accounting firm,* or to an appropriate government or law enforcement agency.
Anyone reporting a concern must act in good faith and have reasonable grounds for believing the information disclosed indicates an improper practice or a violation of laws or regulations.
Reports of concerns and investigations will be kept confidential to the extent possible, consistent with the need to conduct an adequate investigation.
*Society’s accounting firm:
JTS Associates CPAs, P.C.
Attn: Patricia Giunta, CPA
1400 Old Country Road, Suite 403N
Westbury, NY 11590-5119
Document Retention Policy
The purposes of this document retention policy are for The Columbia School Linguistic Society to enhance compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and to promote the proper treatment of corporate records of the Society.
If anyone associated with the Society becomes aware of any investigation, the Society shall be notified immediately so that document purging will cease and all relevant documents will be appropriately identified and protected.
Definitions:
“Document” refers to any item listed in the table below, in either hard copy, or electronic form. Electronic files also include those in audio/visual or emailed forms.
“Administrative” refers to documents pertinent to the day-to-day operations of the Society.
“Historic” refers to documents that are valuable for maintaining knowledge of the history of the Society and its work.
“Legal” refers to any document that is a contract or agreement between parties, that contains financial information relevant to IRS filings, or that must be maintained to comply with laws and regulations.
“Recycle/scrap paper” includes disposal by normal recycling methods or reuse as scrap paper for internal printing or note-taking.
“Shred” means using a shredder machine to properly shred and dispose of documents.
“Delete” means to delete an electronic file.
References and Adaptations
The code of conduct has been created with resources from REIL, and the Gender Equity in Linguistic website that is run by the Committee on Gender Equity in Linguistics (COGEL, formerly known as COSWL) of the Linguistics Society of America.
Other resources:
Linguistic Society of America. May 2007. Code of Conduct. Retrieved from https://www.linguisticsociety.org/sites/default/files/Code_of_Conduct_COI_Form.pdf
American Studies Association. 2000. Conflict of Interest Statement. Adapted from https://www.theasa.net/about/advocacy/resolutions-actions/actions/conflict-interest-statement
Winston & Strawn LLP DC Bar Pro Bono Program. Document Retention Policies: What Every Nonprofit Should Know. Retrieved from https://www.pbpatl.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/documentretention1.pdf
The Watershed Institute. November 2011. Document Retention and Destruction Policies for Nonprofit Organizations. Retrived from https://www.nypap.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/watershed_institute._document_policies_for_nonprofits.pdf