MAC Code of ConductThe Midwest Archives Conference (MAC) is committed to advancing the archival profession and community. Further, MAC's organizational commitment reflects the accountability, stewardship, transparency, fairness, professionalism, and balance that make up an individual archivist's core values. MAC’s values are clearly manifested in its meeting planning, programming, and publishing processes. MAC members and individuals who participate in MAC events, whether in-person or online, agree to abide by the Code of Conduct. Expected BehaviorAll participants in MAC programming (including without limitation MAC members, guests, speakers, exhibitors, vendors, staff and service providers) are expected to conduct themselves in a way that develops and maintains a welcoming, inclusive, and respectful environment—one that will strengthen collaboration, promote intellectual freedom, and support honest discourse and debate. The following are some behaviors that help to promote such environments:
Unacceptable Behavior
MAC does not tolerate harassment in any form. MAC is committed to providing a harassment-free environment for its members and others who participate in its events, activities, and online spaces regardless of age, color, creed, disability, family relationship, gender identity and expression, individual lifestyle, marital status, national origin, political or ideological association, physical appearance, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status. Unacceptable behavior may include, but is not limited to:
Sensitive Content
It is understood that content presented at MAC events or within publications or other online forums may, at times, deal with sensitive and/or harmful subject matter, ranging from visually sensitive historical material (such as images related to acts of genocide) to sexually explicit language or images (such as in archival letters, nude photographs, or film or audio recordings). This policy is not intended to constrain scholarly or professional presentation, discourse, or debate, as long as these exchanges are conducted in a respectful manner. Members who are presenting or writing about such topics are asked to provide public notice, in advance of their presentation, that their work contains potentially distressing or harmful material. Health GuidelinesTo ensure in-person events are safe and welcoming for all members of our community, MAC Council may institute event-specific health guidelines, such as requirements for face-coverings or social distancing. We expect all attendees to adhere to these guidelines while attending events, along with any relevant local and national health guidance in effect at the time. Violations of the health guidelines policy will be addressed as a violation of the code of conduct. Code of Conduct Violations and Reporting Procedures for in-person and online events
At an in-person meeting or event
If you are harassed or witness another person being harassed, report the incident to a Designated Contact as soon as you're able. If you are uncomfortable asking the harasser to stop, please seek a Designated Contact for assistance. Designated Contacts include:
If a report is made to a Designated Contact, MAC will assist affected participants by taking incident reports, providing escorts as needed, or otherwise helping those experiencing harassment to feel safe for the duration of the event. The Designated Contact will also refer the incident to EIC, MAC officers, or another designated individual. Anyone who violates the Code of Conduct at a MAC in-person event may be expelled from the event by an officer of MAC, a chair of the event's Program or Local Arrangements committees, or another individual designated in advance of the event. If you would like to report an incident but do not require an immediate response during and in-person event, or to report incidents after an in-person event, submit the Code of Conduct Reporting Form. After an in-person eventAfter an in-person event, anyone subject to witnessing an incident can submit a Code of Conduct Reporting Form. If a report is made directly to a Designated Contact, that Contact will either fill out the Code of Conduct Reporting Form, or submit a report to the Ethics and Inclusion Committee, including the name(s) of the parties involved (if known), a detailed narrative of what happened, and any supporting documentation. The Ethics and Inclusion Committee will convene to review the report of a Designated Contact and/or a report submitted through the Code of Conduct Reporting Form. The Ethics and Inclusion Committee will determine if any consequences are warranted, based on the severity of the reported conduct and any repeated Code of Conduct violations. Consequences may include, but are not limited to:
Decisions will be made within 2 weeks. The MAC President and involved parties (when possible) will be informed of the decision. In an online spaceIf you are harassed or witness another person being harassed in an online space, including the MAC website, forums, social media channels, or email, please submit the Code of Conduct Reporting Form. If the incident occurs during a live event and requires an immediate response, please notify a Designated Contact, or the event organizer, facilitator, or administrator. Anyone who violates the Code of Conduct during an online event may be expelled or denied access to the online space by an officer of MAC, the event organizers or administrators, or another individual designated in advance of the event. Following the event, the event organizer or administrator will either fill out the Code of Conduct Reporting Form or submit a report to the Ethics and Inclusion Committee, including the name(s) of the parties involved (if known), a detailed narrative of what happened, and any supporting documentation. When a Code of Conduct Reporting Form is submitted, the Ethics and Inclusion Committee will convene to investigate the violation(s) and determine if any consequences are warranted. Consequences may include, but are not limited to:
Decisions will be made within 2 weeks. The MAC President and involved parties (when possible) will be informed of the decision. The Ethics and Inclusion Committee will work with the MAC public Information Officer and/or the Webmaster as necessary to implement any consequences. AppealsIf a party to a conduct case would like to appeal a decision of the Ethics and Inclusion Committee, an email may be sent to the MAC President and copied to the Ethics and Inclusion Committee ([email protected]). The President will convene the MAC Council and the Ethics and Inclusion Committee to examine the appeal. The outcome will be decided by majority vote of the Council, and the decision is final. If the party to a conduct case is a member of MAC Executive Leadership, Council, or Ethics and Inclusion Committee, they will be excluded from the appeal review and decision making processes. ConfidentialityReports may be made anonymously. Please note that anonymous reporting may limit MAC's ability to fully respond to Code of Conduct violations. Any reports made, whether to a Designated Contact at an in-person event or through the Code of Conduct violation form, will be handled as confidentially as possible, but MAC cannot guarantee complete confidentiality. Reports and appeals may be addressed or reviewed by the following individuals:
Ethics and Inclusion Committee (EIC)
For more information about the MAC Ethics and Inclusion Committee (EIC), please visit the Committee and Positions page of the Midwest Archives website. Review and UpdatesThe MAC Code of Conduct will be reviewed by the Ethics and Inclusion Committee every three years. The Ethics and Inclusion Committee may also elect to update the Code of Conduct int he interim as deemed necessary. If the Ethics and Inclusion Committee deems that revisions of the Code of Conduct are necessary, the committee chair will submit a report to MAC Council for consideration at a council meeting. AcknowledgementsThis Code of Conduct has been modeled and adapted, in part, from other professional codes of conduct, including those of the American Library Association, Association of Research Libraries, Digital Library Federation, Library Publishing Coalition, Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Conference, New England Archivists, and Society of American Archivists Resources
Approved by MAC Council: May 12, 2021 Revised: Approved by MAC Council May 14, 2026 |