Expectations for Conduct at NAM2025
The National Astronomy Meeting (NAM) is a community conference intended for networking and collaboration in the astronomy, astrophysics, solar physics, geophysics, space and planetary science community. We value the participation of each member of the community and want all attendees to have an enjoyable and fulfilling experience. Accordingly, all attendees are expected to show respect and courtesy to other attendees throughout the conference and at all conference events.
Although the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS) has a Code of Conduct for RAS meetings, this is primarily aimed at meetings held at the Society's Burlington House Headquarters, or other meetings run by RAS staff. At NAM2025, all delegates, attendees, speakers, exhibitors, organisers and volunteers at any NAM event are required to conform to the following Code of Conduct. This is aligned with the RAS Code of Conduct, but is expanded and tailored to a NAM event run under the auspices of another organisation, in this case Durham University. The organisers are committed to enforcing this code throughout the event, and any decision taken by the organisors in respect of it is final.
Code of Conduct
The organisors of NAM2025 are dedicated to providing a harassment-free conference for everyone, regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, age, religion or nationality. We will not tolerate harassment of conference participants in any form.
All communication should be appropriate for a professional audience including people of many different backgrounds. In particular, sexual language and imagery is not appropriate during any conference activity, including during any informal social gatherings outside the official programme.
Conference participants violating these rules may be sanctioned or expelled from the conference without a refund at the discretion of the conference organizers.
Harassment includes, but is not limited to:
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Written or verbal comments which have the effect of excluding people on the basis of membership of any specific group, such as (but not limited to) gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, age, religion or nationality. This includes sexist, racist, homophobic, transphobic, ableist, or exclusionary jokes.
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Comments made, either through speech or chat on any meeting-related online platform (including social media), that are exclusionary, derogatory, or threatening toward another participant or community.
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Sexual language and imagery.
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Violent threats or language directed against another person, including incitement to violence, suicide, or self-harm.
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Deliberate intimidation, stalking, or following.
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Harassing photography or recording.
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Continuing to initiate interaction (including photography or recording) with someone after being asked to stop.
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Sustained disruption of talks or other events.
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Unwelcome sexual attention.
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Advocating for, or encouraging, any of the above behaviour.
Enforcement
All NAM2025 participants, including exhibitors and guests, are subject to the anti-harassment policy. If an individual is made aware that they are contravening these guidelines or making participants uncomfortable, they are expected to desist immediately.
The NAM2025 organisers retain the right to take any actions to maintain a welcoming environment for all participants. This includes warning the offender, at the sole discretion of the organisers, or expulsion from the conference with no refund.
The NAM2025 organisers may take action to redress anything designed to, or with the clear impact of, disrupting the event or making the environment hostile for any participants.
We expect participants to follow these rules at all event venues and social activities, whether organised by the conference or informally by other participants.
Reporting Violations of the Code of Conduct
To report a violation of the NAM2025 Code of Conduct you can:
- Speak to a member of the LOC, who are identifiable from their badges. Note, for serious violations please approach one of the LOC members listed below.
- Email the LOC at nam2025@durham.ac.uk and ensure your email subject line contains the phrase 'code violation' to help expedite a response.
- Report the incident at the NAM registration desk.
- Fill out this form to anonymously report the incident. Note, only those listed below for the serious violations will see the form.
For serious violations please contact one of the following members of the NAM organising committee using any of the methods listed above:
- David Alexander (LOC chair)
- Paula Chadwick (LOC deputy chair)
- Alastair Edge (Durham head of astronomy)
- Mathilde Jauzac (SOC co chair)
- Claire Greenwell (IDEA lead)
- Zoe Le Conte (social activities lead)
- Tim Roberts (LOC deputy chair)
- Peter Wyper (SOC co chair)
We will monitor the reporting channels and aim to respond to any issues as quickly as possible.
