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Code of Conduct

We believe the advancement of WordPress in higher education is most powerful when its voices are diverse.

We, therefore, seek to provide a friendly, safe environment in which all participants can engage in productive dialogue, sharing, and learning with each other in an atmosphere of mutual respect.

We are committed to providing a harassment-free environment for all regardless of gender, gender identity or expression, age, sexual orientation, disability, diet, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, religion (or lack thereof), technology choices, etc.

In order to attain such an environment, we require all participants to adhere to the following code of conduct. This code of conduct outlines our expectations for behavior during all WPCampus interactions and events, what to do if you witness or are subject to unacceptable behavior, and how organizers will respond.

Our code of conduct also exists to support our community’s statement on diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Expected Behavior

  • Treat other participants with respect. Consider, as a part of that respect, that others will have reasons that lead them to make different decisions than you. Before judging, seek to understand.
  • Critical dialogue and debate are important and useful but should be constructive and collaborative.
  • Consider how your words will impact other participants; this is an open community with many different people and your comments in-person or in Slack may spread beyond your immediate intended audience.
  • Be aware of what is happening around you—including online—and if you see anyone in distress, or witness unacceptable behavior, please contact event organizers or community leadership.

Unacceptable Behavior

  • WPCampus does not tolerate trolling, intimidating, harassing, abusive, discriminatory, derogatory, or demeaning conduct by any participants in WPCampus interactions and events.
  • Examples of unacceptable behavior include, but are not limited to:
    • demeaning communication related to gender, gender identity or expression, age, sexual orientation, disability, diet, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, religion (or lack thereof), or technology choices
    • inappropriate use of nudity and/or sexual images, activities, or other sexual material
    • intimidation such as stalking or following
    • harassing photography or recording
    • sustained disruption of talks, meetings, or other events
    • inappropriate or unwanted physical contact
    • unwelcome sexual attention
    • advocating for, concealing, or encouraging any of the above behavior
  • To clarify, critical examination of beliefs and viewpoints does not, by itself, constitute hostile conduct or harassment. Similarly, the use of sexual imagery or language in the context of a professional discussion might not constitute hostile conduct or harassment.

What to do if you witness or are subject to unacceptable behavior

If you witness or are subject to unacceptable behavior, please contact an event organizer or one of our Slack administrators, use our contact form, or submit a report online, which allows for anonymity.

Submit a code of conduct report

Anonymous report

You can submit an anonymous conduct report. This form includes fields for identifying information, but they are not required. We can’t follow up on an anonymous report with you directly, but we will fully investigate and take whatever action is necessary to prevent a recurrence.

Personal report

You can submit a conduct report with identifying information. You may include only partial identifying information.

You can find an organizer at in-person events. They are listed in the program and can be identified by their name badges. You can connect with an organizer at an online event. All organizers are listed on the website and can be contacted via Slack or the event website’s contact form.

You can message WPCampus staff via email or direct message in Slack

When taking a personal report, organizers will ensure you are safe and cannot be overheard. They may involve other organizers to ensure your report is addressed properly. Once safe, we’ll ask you to tell us about what happened. This can be upsetting, but we’ll handle it respectfully. You are welcome to bring someone to support you. You won’t be required to confront anyone and we won’t tell anyone who you are.

Consequences of unacceptable behavior

Those found to be engaging in unacceptable behavior will be asked to stop immediately and shall comply. Depending on the severity of the behavior and the need to protect participants’ safety, those who violate this policy may be expelled from the community along with any social interactions and events.

Attribution and license

This Code of Conduct was inspired by several others, including:

Last reviewed: September 15, 2023
Last modified: July 22, 2020, by Rachel Cherry
Previous versions: May 23, 2019, October 11, 2016

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