Kinsman-Costello Lab Code of Conduct
This draft includes the core components of our lab code of conduct. Further details, including mechanisms for reporting and consequences for behaviors that do not align with our code of conduct are in development.
Our Values
Members of the Costello and Kinsman-Costello Research Groups are committed to and motivated by the mission and values outlined in the KSU BSCI Mission and Values Statement. All members of our research team have the following values:
This code of conduct reflects and does not supersede Kent State University (KSU) and Biological Sciences Department (BSCI) policies and Codes of Conduct, including but not limited to:
Code of Conduct
We value the participation of every member of our community and want to ensure that every lab member, collaborator, affiliate, and volunteer has a positive and enriching experience unhindered by unnecessary challenges caused by non-inclusive behavior. Accordingly, everyone who participates in any Kinsman-Costello or Costello Research Group project is expected to show respect and courtesy to other community members at all times.
Discrimination or harassment based on racial or ethnic background, citizenship status, religion (or lack thereof), political affiliation, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, dis/ability status, appearance, veteran status, or body size will not be tolerated. We do not tolerate harassment or discrimination by and/or of members of our community in any form.
Encouraged Behaviors
To cultivate a culture of inclusion and safety where the well-being and success of all community members is supported and assured, all community members are encouraged to display the following behaviors:
Discouraged Behaviors That Violate the Code of Conduct
The following are examples of behaviors that are in violation of our Code of Conduct and are emphatically discouraged:
Key Resources
Please read these resources, embedded within this Code of Conduct, specifically:
KSU BSCI Mission and Values Statement
The Department of Biological Sciences (BSCI) at Kent State University is committed to providing a welcoming learning environment to support education and discovery for all. As an academic unit at a public university, our core mission is to provide education, research and innovation in service to our community. As biologists, we strive to understand living systems and enhance quality of life for humans and other organisms with which we share this planet. We are committed to a sustainable future and to improving the social, economic, and environmental well being of the local, regional, and global community. Our core goals are to: educate through teaching and fostering intellectual flexibility and critical thinking of all our members; mentor new scholars and leaders in our field; build fundamental and applied understanding to both advance knowledge and to solve complex problems in biological systems; and create an environment to support all individuals in reaching their fullest potential. We value academic freedom as a foundation leading to academic excellence and the common good; this implies that pedagogy, research, and intellectual debate can be conducted without fear of bias, censorship, or retaliation. We recognize that learning and teaching about the science of life is, fundamentally, a human pursuit. Thus, including a wide variety of viewpoints, experiences and knowledge in our work is critical to equity (in participation and application), and to gaining a holistic understanding of living systems. The department recognizes and values the contributions of all faculty, staff, and students towards meeting this mission.
As guided by our mission and values, BSCI is committed to building and maintaining a community that: recognizes and values the inherent worth and dignity of every person; fosters sensitivity, understanding, and mutual respect among its members; views the diversity of thought and experience as a strength and a benefit; and supports all individuals in reaching their potential. In pursuit of our goal of academic excellence, we seek to develop and nurture diversity, believing that it enriches individual lives and campus life, expands opportunity, stimulates creativity, strengthens our programs, and promotes the exchange of ideas. We are dedicated to providing an environment free from discrimination on the basis of identity, including but not limited to race, ethnicity, color, national origin or ancestry, immigration or citizenship status, primary language, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital or parental status, socio-economic status, dis/ability status, appearance or body size, veteran status, political ideology, or any other variables based on an individual’s self-identification.
Our Values
Members of the Costello and Kinsman-Costello Research Groups are committed to and motivated by the mission and values outlined in the KSU BSCI Mission and Values Statement. All members of our research team have the following values:
- We value a research group and broader scientific community that is inclusive, safe, and welcoming, diverse in thought and experience, and provides equitable opportunities to all individuals.
- We will maintain a working and learning environment that is kind, caring, respectful, and open. Establishing this environment will create a space where people belong, feel safe, and can thrive and grow.
- We understand that science is a collaborative enterprise. We will work together and support each other to form a dynamic and resilient group that can achieve more as a team than individually.
- We value “geeking out” and getting excited about the work we are doing. For the perpetually curious, the scientific process provides endless opportunities for discovery, making the invisible visible, and working to piece together infinite scientific puzzles.
- We value the complexity of the systems we study and the similarly complex network of individuals making sense of that complexity. Every individual’s contributions are critical to the broader effort to break new ground.
This code of conduct reflects and does not supersede Kent State University (KSU) and Biological Sciences Department (BSCI) policies and Codes of Conduct, including but not limited to:
- KSU Code of Student Conduct - applicable to all enrolled KSU students
- KSU Expectations for Graduate Education - applicable to graduate students, graduate program faculty, academic departments and programs, and Graduate Studies across all the university’s campuses.
- KSU Policy Regarding Faculty Code of Professional Ethics - which describes faculty members’ responsibilities to students, the university, and their profession.
- KSU University Policy Regarding Employment - which articulates the Employee Code of Conduct that any university employee must adhere to.
- all members of the Kinsman-Costello and Costello Research Groups, including:
- The principal investigators (PIs) Lauren and Dave
- Staff and post-doctoral researchers supervised by the PIs
- Graduate students whose primary advisor is either of the PIs
- Undergraduate students who are
- enrolled in Individual Investigation credits with either of the PIs as the primary instructor
- Working for pay from a grant account managed by either of the PIs or any graduate students or staff advised by the PIs.
- Volunteering under the supervision of any lab member (note: prior to volunteering, any individual must sign a Hold Harmless form)
- Any individual who is not a research group member
- using or occupying one or more the Kinsman-Costello or Costello lab spaces routinely
- participating in travel or field trips organized and led by a member of the Kinsman-Costello or Costello labs
- who signs up and participates in outreach and engagement activities organized and led by a lab member
Code of Conduct
We value the participation of every member of our community and want to ensure that every lab member, collaborator, affiliate, and volunteer has a positive and enriching experience unhindered by unnecessary challenges caused by non-inclusive behavior. Accordingly, everyone who participates in any Kinsman-Costello or Costello Research Group project is expected to show respect and courtesy to other community members at all times.
Discrimination or harassment based on racial or ethnic background, citizenship status, religion (or lack thereof), political affiliation, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, dis/ability status, appearance, veteran status, or body size will not be tolerated. We do not tolerate harassment or discrimination by and/or of members of our community in any form.
Encouraged Behaviors
To cultivate a culture of inclusion and safety where the well-being and success of all community members is supported and assured, all community members are encouraged to display the following behaviors:
- Avoid and be aware of microaggressions. Your actions can be hurtful to others or contribute to a negative environment even if you had no intent of harm. In interpersonal interactions, the impact is what matters, not the intention. Listen. Offer a genuine apology. Commit to learning and doing better. Educate yourself about what microaggressions are, how to recognize common microaggressions, and how best to respond, learn and grow in response to instances of microaggressions.
- All communication - online and in person - should be appropriate for a professional audience including people of many different backgrounds.
- Be kind. Criticism is essential in science, but it must be constructive if we're going to make progress in a supportive, inclusive way. Constructive criticism focuses on ideas and objects, not individuals or personal experiences.
- To ensure inclusive, productive, and respectful interactions follow generally accepted Ground Rules for Respectful Discussion, particularly when discussing personal experiences and potentially harmful or controversial topics.
- Proactive self-education about issues related to inclusivity, equity, and diversity in STEM and beyond, including justice and systematic discrimination against marginalized communities. The PIs will proactively share opportunities for education through readings, workshops offered by the university and academic societies, and other resources, and expect lab members to maintain a culture of self-education.
- Listen to and uplift voices, especially those of persons excluded because of their ethnicity or race (PEERs), even when they challenge our assumptions or make us uncomfortable.
- Speak out and push for change when we see microaggressions or institutional policies that disadvantage marginalized communities – both within our lab and within the larger campus community.
- Make space and time for our community members to heal, take care of their peers, or fight for justice, and continue to provide financial, career, and other support while they do so.
Discouraged Behaviors That Violate the Code of Conduct
The following are examples of behaviors that are in violation of our Code of Conduct and are emphatically discouraged:
- Any instance of harassment or discrimination.
- Discrimination is when a person is treated differently than others based on their age, color, dis/ability status, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, citizenship status, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, veteran status, and/or body size.
- Harrassment is defined as discrimination that occurs when verbal, physical, electronic, or other behavior based on a person’s identity or identities interferes with that individual’s participation in lab activities and/or creates an environment that is hostile, intimidating, abusive, or unsafe.
- Include jokes, innuendos, racial slurs, offensive or derogatory remarks based on a person’s color or perceived race that creates a hostile, intimidating, or abusive environment.
- Include physical conduct (e.g., excessive monitoring) based on a person’s color or perceived race that creates a hostile, intimidating, or abusive environment.
- Include electronic conduct (e.g., the creation, display, or distribution of racially offensive text, symbols or images) based on a person’s color or perceived race that creates a hostile, intimidating, or abusive environment.
- Include harassment for displaying what is perceived as a stereotypical characteristic for one’s race or for failing to conform to stereotypical notions of race, regardless of the actual or perceived race of the person(s) involved.
- Include unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors and other verbal, physical, or electronic conduct of a sexual nature that creates a hostile, intimidating, or abusive environment
- Involve verbal, physical, or electronic conduct based on a person’s sex, gender, sexual orientation, or sex-stereotyping that creates a hostile, intimidating, or abusive environment (even if acts do not involve conduct of a sexual nature)
- Include harassment for displaying what is perceived as a stereotypical characteristic for one’s sex or for failing to conform to stereotypical notions of masculinity and femininity, regardless of the actual or perceived sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression of the person(s) involved.
- Intentionally and repeatedly ignoring someone’s preferred pronouns.
Key Resources
Please read these resources, embedded within this Code of Conduct, specifically:
- How to be receptive when approached about insensitive language or behavior
- Responding to experiences of harassment or discrimination
- Bystander interventions and speaking up on behalf of someone else
KSU BSCI Mission and Values Statement
The Department of Biological Sciences (BSCI) at Kent State University is committed to providing a welcoming learning environment to support education and discovery for all. As an academic unit at a public university, our core mission is to provide education, research and innovation in service to our community. As biologists, we strive to understand living systems and enhance quality of life for humans and other organisms with which we share this planet. We are committed to a sustainable future and to improving the social, economic, and environmental well being of the local, regional, and global community. Our core goals are to: educate through teaching and fostering intellectual flexibility and critical thinking of all our members; mentor new scholars and leaders in our field; build fundamental and applied understanding to both advance knowledge and to solve complex problems in biological systems; and create an environment to support all individuals in reaching their fullest potential. We value academic freedom as a foundation leading to academic excellence and the common good; this implies that pedagogy, research, and intellectual debate can be conducted without fear of bias, censorship, or retaliation. We recognize that learning and teaching about the science of life is, fundamentally, a human pursuit. Thus, including a wide variety of viewpoints, experiences and knowledge in our work is critical to equity (in participation and application), and to gaining a holistic understanding of living systems. The department recognizes and values the contributions of all faculty, staff, and students towards meeting this mission.
As guided by our mission and values, BSCI is committed to building and maintaining a community that: recognizes and values the inherent worth and dignity of every person; fosters sensitivity, understanding, and mutual respect among its members; views the diversity of thought and experience as a strength and a benefit; and supports all individuals in reaching their potential. In pursuit of our goal of academic excellence, we seek to develop and nurture diversity, believing that it enriches individual lives and campus life, expands opportunity, stimulates creativity, strengthens our programs, and promotes the exchange of ideas. We are dedicated to providing an environment free from discrimination on the basis of identity, including but not limited to race, ethnicity, color, national origin or ancestry, immigration or citizenship status, primary language, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital or parental status, socio-economic status, dis/ability status, appearance or body size, veteran status, political ideology, or any other variables based on an individual’s self-identification.