Frontiers Fellowship Code of Conduct

At Wisdom Partners, we aim to foster an environment that respects individual Fellows' values and supports their personal and professional development. Our goal is to maintain a space where everyone is treated with dignity, decency, and respect, enabling each Fellow to maximize serendipity, learning, and development in the program.

Wisdom Partners strictly prohibits unlawful discrimination and harassment against staff, guests, and Fellows. The policies outlined in the Code of Conduct may be applicable to incidents outside Wisdom Partners that impact the community, such as in-person meet-ups or on social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter, before or after official Wisdom Partners programming.

Given our online program's diverse locations and reliance on technology, this Code of Conduct addresses behavior occurring in-person, in writing, or online across various public or private forums. Some conduct may breach both the Code of Conduct and the law. Wisdom Partners reserves the right to investigate and initiate resolution processes independently of civil or criminal proceedings, focusing on promoting learning and maintaining a conducive learning environment.

We prioritize Fellows' privacy and do not disclose personal information to non-service provider third parties unless requested by the Fellow or required by law. The criteria for considering an incident outside Wisdom Partners networks as a Code of Conduct violation include its recognition as carried out by a Wisdom Partners Fellow, adverse impacts on the community's well-being, mission, and values, and potential violations of laws or regulations.

Examples of incidents investigated encompass harassment, discrimination, bullying, and threatening behavior. We encourage reporting any discomfort, and the Fellowship Experience team assesses reported behavior to determine if a Code of Conduct violation occurred. Actions taken depend on factors like incident severity, past behavioral history, and additional context, ranging from educational measures to withdrawal.

We emphasize the importance of critical thought and feedback but request criticism be shared privately with Wisdom Partners operations or management. The Code of Conduct serves as general notice of prohibited conduct, expecting Fellows to know and adhere to it along with other published policies and procedures.

Updates and announcements related to the Code of Conduct may be communicated through channels like Slack's #-global-announcements. Fellows are expected to abide by guidance from Staff, and the Code of Conduct is broadly applicable, not exhaustively defining misconduct.

Participation

Wisdom Partners encourages each Fellow to actively participate in the program, having an online presence, engaging and collaborating with other Fellows. Most importantly, Fellows commit to attending and fully engaging with every meeting of their Forum, barring serious emergencies.

Confidentiality

Frontiers Fellowship, especially the Forums, are built on the foundation of strict confidentiality. What is said in a Forum stays in a Forum. 100% confidentiality is the steady standard.

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Ask for help

If a Fellow feels lost or unable to utilize the resources around them to their benefit, it’s their responsibility to reach out to the Wisdom Partners team or other Fellows for help. Others can only provide support if Fellows let them know.

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Integrity

‍Wisdom Partners sets high expectations for Fellows to uphold integrity. Breaches encompass inappropriate collaboration, intellectual property infringements, and acts of bad faith.

Inappropriate Collaboration:

While collaboration is fundamental to Wisdom Partners, transparency is key. Parties must openly disclose motives to avoid inappropriate collaboration. Intentional misleading or withholding information about intentions for extracting details may constitute inappropriate collaboration. If identified, the Wisdom Partners team will assess the situation, and disciplinary action, including withdrawal, may be taken.

Intellectual Property and Copyright:

Non-Wisdom Partners Spaces:

Wisdom Partners acknowledges Fellows' gatherings outside official channels. The program is not liable for events in spaces it does not govern. However, upon notification, the program reserves the right to investigate and possibly remove a Fellow for offenses like bullying or harassment occurring in non-Wisdom Partners spaces.

Respect

Wisdom Partners values the diverse backgrounds of its Fellows, guests, and staff. Fellows play a vital role in fostering a welcoming learning and networking environment by offering support and encouragement. Creating a positive experience involves communicating respectfully.

Wisdom Partners strictly prohibits discriminatory, harassing, or insulting remarks towards Fellows, guests, staff, or others, whether online or in person. Public comments or remarks directed at Fellows or non-Fellow "builders" should maintain a positive sentiment. Constructive criticism, aimed at improvement, is encouraged in private channels. The community does not tolerate critiques intended to tear down or discourage builders, especially in open forums. If subjected to targeted negative critique, Fellows are encouraged to contact the Fellowship Experience team for assistance.

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Professionalism

Wisdom Partners maintains a professional environment, and Fellows are expected to uphold professional standards. Punctuality, accountability, and transparent communication are essential aspects of professional behavior.‍

Professionalism should be evident in a Fellow's work and interactions within Wisdom Partners. This includes creating and joining channels, participating in academic and social discussions, and contributing posts, comments, questions, and responses.

Creating channels is encouraged only when no existing channel covers the topic or interest. Private channels are designated exclusively for Wisdom Partners staff. The naming of channels and content should adhere to professional standards outlined in the Code of Conduct. Any content not in compliance will be reviewed and addressed.

Wisdom Partners reserves the right to delete channels and content that deviate from its mission, values, or Code of Conduct.

Inappropriate behavior on platforms like Slack, Zoom, and others includes, but is not limited to:

Sending messages to the whole channel without explicit staff permission
Harassing, bullying, or being disrespectful in private or public communication channels
Disregarding staff or guest directions
Disrupting the community
Providing unsolicited feedback in inappropriate channels
Spamming community members
Shopping for different answers from multiple sources
Excessive solicitation/marketing or personal gain in channels or DMs
Misuse of channels for unintended purposes

Violations on Wisdom Partners platforms may lead to disciplinary action, such as removal from the platform, withdrawal from Wisdom Partners, or loss of fellowship perks or assignments.

For clarifications on expectations not explicitly stated, Fellows can contact a member of the Wisdom Partners team directly.

Creating a Positive Environment:

One of Wisdom Partners's primary responsibilities is establishing and nurturing a supportive and positive environment conducive to the success of all Fellows. Wisdom Partners approaches this role with utmost seriousness. Any activity that negatively impacts the fellowship environment, such as creating distractions or engaging in bullying and harassment, may result in removal from the program.

‍Non-Discrimination & Anti-Harassment

Wisdom Partners is a platform for learning, connecting, and collaborating, fostering an environment built on mutual trust without intimidation or exploitation. Harassment in any form is strictly prohibited and will not be tolerated if it is unwelcome, sufficiently severe, persistent, or pervasive, causing fear for safety, or interfering with participation in Wisdom Partners's programs.

This includes discrimination based on race, color, national origin, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, gender, marital status, age, disability status, genetic information, or any other protected status.‍

Harassment Policy

Harassment is defined as conduct targeting individuals based on protected characteristics, resulting in unreasonable interference with their employment or fellowship experience or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment. It encompasses verbal, physical, or online conduct, including slurs, threats, or abusive treatment.

A single severe incident may constitute harassment, and even a one-time occurrence will be addressed to prevent recurrence.

‍Property and Resources

Fellows must refrain from taking, attempting to take, keeping, selling, or damaging Wisdom Partners's property, whether intellectual or physical. This includes information, services, or accounts belonging to Wisdom Partners or others. Fellows are responsible for securing Wisdom Partners property and must return it immediately upon leave, withdrawal, or removal from the program. Failure to adhere to property guidelines may result in disciplinary action, including legal measures and removal from the Fellowship program.

Physical or Psychological Harm

Behavior that poses a threat, intimidation, or harassment leading to physical, social, or emotional harm, commonly referred to as "bullying," is strictly prohibited. Such acts causing fear, interfering with employment or education, or impeding participation in Wisdom Partners programs will not be tolerated.

‍Reporting discrimination or harassment

Fellows who believe they've experienced discrimination or harassment in accessing Wisdom Partners programs should contact Fellowship Experience staff. Complaints can be handled confidentially at the submitter's discretion.

‍Violations

Policy violations may lead to Fellows being withdrawn from the program.

‍Recording & Privacy

To respect privacy, Fellows are prohibited from recording without permission or sharing unauthorized records. This includes audio, photographic, screenshot, or video recordings, and created likenesses without consent.

‍Communication Tools

Expectations of conduct apply across Wisdom Partners platforms, such as Zoom, Slack, or other platforms, during all program activities. This includes avoiding the creation, distribution, or posting of material violating the Code of Conduct.

Use of Cameras

While encouraged, camera use is not mandatory. Fellows should act professionally, dress appropriately, and remain fully clothed during camera interactions.

Names and Safety

Fellows are encouraged to use legal names on Wisdom Partners platforms. Safety is prioritized, and Fellows are advised to participate in sessions from a focused and safe space, avoiding dangerous activities like driving during Zoom sessions.

No Retaliation

Wisdom Partners strictly prohibits retaliation against those participating in reporting, investigating, or resolving alleged violations. Any form of retaliation may result in immediate removal from the program.

Resolution Process

If a Fellow is found responsible for a violation, they will be notified of outcomes, ranging from platform removal to repeating curriculum or program withdrawal. Immediate removal without notice may occur for disruptive behavior not aligned with Wisdom Partners's mission.

Reporting a Violation:

Fellows can report violations via email, with the option to keep the report anonymous.