In keeping with the AAR values of professional responsibility, diversity, inclusion, respect, free inquiry, critical examination, transparency, and academic excellence, the AAR and its members expect professional conduct in scholarship and research, in teaching and advising, in service responsibilities to the guild, and in all AAR programs and activities, including activities in conjunction with AAR programming. This policy is applicable for AAR programs and activities.

Definitions and Descriptions

Unprofessional Conduct

Unprofessional conduct involves any violation of the AAR Professional Conduct Policy such as discrimination, harassment, the abuse of power for professional or personal advantage, exploitation, intimidation, threats, or violence. Unprofessional conduct can include capricious or arbitrary decisions affecting working conditions, professional status, or academic freedom; misuse of confidential information; plagiarizing the work of others; and practicing deceit or fraud on the academic community or the public. Physical or verbal abuse or harassment of any attendee, speaker, volunteer, exhibitor, staff member, service provider, or other activity or program guest, also will not be tolerated.

Harassment is defined as verbal, non-verbal, written, visual, or physical conduct based on an individual's actual or perceived sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, race, creed, color, place of birth, ancestry, ethnicity, religion, national origin, age, disability, marital status, or other characteristics as defined and protected by law in the location where a particular program is operating, that has the purpose or effect, from the point of view of a reasonable person, of objectively and substantially:

1. undermining and detracting from or interfering with an individual's educational or work performance while participating in activities in conjunction with AAR programming.
2. creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment while participating in activities in conjunction with AAR programming.

Harassment may include repeated slurs, or taunts in the guise of jokes, or disparaging references to others, use of epithets, stereotypes, comments, gestures, threats, graffiti, display or circulation of written or visual materials, taunts on manner of speech, giving diminishing nicknames, and negative reference to customs when such conduct is based on or motivated by one or more of the protected characteristics identified above, or other characteristics as defined and protected by applicable law.

Harassment (including sexual harassment) in the context of the AAR could include: intimidation, stalking, or following; harassing photography or recording; sustained disruption of talks or other events; inappropriate physical contact; unwelcome sexual attention; or advocating for, or encouraging, any of the above behavior.

Further examples of unacceptable behavior include, but are not limited to, offensive verbal comments related to gender, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, religion, national origin, or socioeconomic class; or threatening any attendee, speaker, volunteer, exhibitor, AAR staff member, service provider, or other meeting guest.

Sexual Harassment

Harassment may also include so-called quid pro quo sexual harassment, meaning unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal, written, visual or physical conduct of a sexual nature when:

1. submission to that conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of collegiality while conducting AAR business or participating in activities in conjunction with AAR programming.
2. submission to or rejection of such conduct is used as a component of or as the basis for AAR-related decisions affecting an individual.

Other examples of sexual harassment include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. touching or grabbing a sexual part of a member’s body;
2. touching or grabbing any part of a member’s body after that person has indicated, or it is known or reasonably should be known by the context, that such physical contact was inappropriate, unwelcome, or both;
3. continuing to ask a member to socialize on or off-duty when that person has already indicated no interest;
4. displaying or transmitting sexually suggestive pictures, objects, cartoons, or posters if it is known or reasonably should be known by the context that the behavior is outside the bounds of workplace expectations;
5. continuing to write sexually suggestive notes or letters if it is known or reasonably should be known by the context that the behavior is inappropriate or that the person does not welcome such behavior;
6. referring to or calling a person a sexualized name if it is known or reasonably should be known by the context that the behavior is inappropriate or that the person does not welcome such behavior;
7. regularly telling sexual jokes or using sexually vulgar or explicit language in the presence of a person if it is known or reasonably should be known by the context that the behavior is inappropriate or that the person does not welcome such behavior;
8. derogatory or provoking remarks about or relating to a member’s sex, gender, or sexual orientation;
9. harassing acts or behavior directed against a person on the basis of sex, gender or sexual orientation.

Discrimination

The AAR shall tolerate no discrimination on the basis of race, ancestry, place of origin, color, ethnicity, citizenship, immigration status, sex, gender expression or identification, sexual orientation, disability, religion, culture, political convictions, socioeconomic status, age, health conditions or marital, domestic, or parental status, or any other applicable basis proscribed by law.

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