Code of Conduct and Community Guidelines

General Expectations (for all)

1.) Communicate openely. If you are running late, sick, stressed, unhappy, upset with something, or need to reschedule or cancel something and you are comfortable telling folks, please do so. You are never under any obligation to reveal any personal details if you are not comfortable doing so. We trust you. If you need to change plans please let the relevant folks know (this will likely always include Justin but may also include other students who are working in the lab).

2.) If you are sick, hurting, or otherwise out of commission -- please stay home. Notify the necessary folks and take care of yourself. We don't want you to make things worse for yourself or to make others sick. If you are going to miss things, communicate with us and potentially work to reschedule as needed.

3.) Show up and be on time! Respect the time and energy of your peers and show up when you agree to be in the lab, classroom, meeting, etc. It is importat! When you commit to something it is important to follow through. If you are struggling to keep up with your committement please seek assistance. Justin is happy to help with balancing priorities, coming up with strategies to organize, and with helping you learn to say 'no' to things (though he is still working on that last one himself--it's a long journey!). *A note on 'on time'- This often really means arrive a little early so you can prepare. As always, if you are running late please inform someone.

4.) Hours - No one is expected to be in the lab, the building, or even on campus all the time. This includes being available for email or other digital communication (text, slack, etc). You are not expected to respond to lab communications or be in the lab outside of normal work hours (9am-5pm ish on weekdays). You are not expected to work weekends or be in communication on weekends. *Exceptions may be made for field or lab work that requires time outside of normal hours- this will not occur frequently and will be clearly communicated and agreed on

5.) Be careful! Our lab spaces contain chemicals and other hazards, such as electical equipment that is placed in water. Make sure you have the proper trainings to work on your experiments or tasks and if you are uncomfrotable, please seek assistance. In addition, don't rush your work! Take your time. Take notes. This goes for all lab tasks as well as data entry, programming, and analysis. We all make mistakes, it is part of learning. But if we are careful and document our work well it can help us figure them out!

6.) Ask for help! Anytime you aren't sure what to do, you think a mistake was made, or you just need some clarity, an extra set of hands, etc please seek assistance! Justin is usually available (either via slack, text, or in person) to give quick feedback. You will also likely be working in the lab with other students. Rely on and trust one another for feedback and help! That is how a community works - we rely on one another!

7.) Support your lab mates. If they need help with tasks or experiments, help them if you can! If they are presenting or writing something up, give them feedback or show up to support them at the presentation. If they need to vent, let them (and feel free to vent when you need it). Science is collaborative, not competitive.

8.) If you are struggling, tell someone. Your health and happiness come first. Science can wait. There are always more important things. Justin is availalbe if you are comfortable coming to him. Alternatively, your lab mates are also around and there are institutional resources to help you as well. Reach out and we can work things out.

9.) If there is tension or hostilty in the lab it should be addressed sooner rather than later. This includes if you are having issues with Justin. If you are comfortable bringing your concerns to Justin he is happy to help facilitiate a solution, even if they are issues with him. You can also try to work things out amongst yourselves or seek feedback and guidance from others, including the department chair or other trusted folks. Working through problems quickly before they become worse is a key way to minimze harm. We cannot thrive in an environment we aren't comfortable in and we will not tolerate disrespect, rudeness, harassment, or any form of discrimination in our lab.

10.) Keep the lab(s) tidy! Our lab spaces are organized. We have labelled places for almost all of our gear and we are always in the process of improving our organization. Please respect this process and return things to their rightful places, even if you did not find them there. Please clean up after yourselves as well. If you make a mess, clean it up. This includes cleaning and maintaining tanks and experiments as well as tear down and cleaning after experiments end. No one like to inherit dirty and/or broken equipment. Take a look around before you leave each day and clean/tidy as needed. Don't forget to turn off lights and close doors!