1. Have respect for yourself and one another:

Practice collegiality, compassion, integrity, transparency, timeliness, and tolerance.

• We are a community that values and respects every member and their opinion. We actively listen to one other. Respectful disagreement is beneficial as a diverse set of views helps to build a stronger department, but in a debate, no voice should dominate the conversation.
• We act and communicate with transparency when appropriate, to allow all voices to be heard. We answer emails and requests promptly.
• Respecting each other is respecting ourselves. We strive to act with integrity and respect the principles of our community.

2. Become aware of and actively compensate for implicit and explicit biases:

Recognize the importance of diversity. Practice equity, inclusion, and accommodation.

• We will improve awareness of the inequities and biases that exist in our society and in our community. We strive to actively compensate for, and eventually eliminate, these biases in
  our everyday work.
• We will value diversity in recruiting, hiring, teaching, and evaluation processes.
• We will work on making our department a community where everyone feels welcomed and accepted.

3. Do your job well:

Practice service, engagement, scholarship, and teaching, take initiative, and be environmentally conscious.

• As students, faculty, and staff we strive to do our job as best as we can. We aim to be impactful researchers, mentors, mentees, collaborators, and advisors. We serve our department, our local community, and the broader society.
• Specifically, as faculty and teaching GEs (Graduate Employees), we answer respectfully all the questions about the material taught in a class, work to anticipate the needs of every student, and ultimately build a safe and inclusive learning environment where we identify and support students in need. We stay up to date with effective pedagogical techniques and relevant chemistry curriculum.
• In research we strive to achieve the highest quality in the science we produce, while obeying the principles of ethical conduct in research (Global Chemists’ Code of Ethics).

4. Help one another to succeed:

Practice collaboration, growth, accountability, and honest communication.

• As members of the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department, we value the work that our students, staff, and faculty perform. When we make mistakes, we accept responsibility. When we disagree, we communicate honestly and respect others’ opinions.
• We recognize that the success of our students, faculty, and colleagues makes our community more successful and benefits all its members. Therefore, we strive to help each other grow professionally by creating opportunities for advancing scholarship and involvement.
• Collaboration, rather than competition, is the foundation of our success.

The principles above strengthen our community by acknowledging our shared values, providing a framework for guiding our actions and decision-making, and holding ourselves accountable, giving us common ground to start a conversation when conflicts arise.

Updated January 2022