Dear Bruce,
Thanks for this – please see attached with just one comment.
Although I am 110% supportive of this I am surprised we need to go to such extremes to spell these things out which I would consider, for most rational people, common sense. It could be a cultural
difference (or more likely due to more frequent litigation) between US and Europe but certainly I have never seen a document so explicit as this before in UK.
Best wishes
Simon
From: Bruce Williams <bruce.h.williams.dvm@gmail.com>
Sent: 13 March 2020 17:25
To: directors@list.cldavis.org
Cc: cldavisdvm@comcast.net
Subject: [Directors] Agenda item: Draft Code of Conduct
Agenda Item:
The Foundation is taking a public and aggressive stance against all forms of discrimination and all forms of harassment. The updated Tenets of the Foundation was the first in a series of steps, all of which
will be discussed by the Board of Directors before being voted into effect These three steps are designed to make all of our instructors and students feel (and be) safe with the actions of others at Foundation courses, and I believe will be effective in
preventing such actions from occurring at Foundation events in the future.
The first step was the Tenets of the Foundation (now published on the Foundation website). This second step is a code of conduct which outlines the behavior expected of Foundation Faculty of Discussants,
non-Faculty members speaking at every course, and their signature and acknowledgement will be an annual requirement, to be coordinated by course directors and the Office of the CEO.
The draft code of conduct is presented to the BOD, and this item is proposed by myself, and is seconded by Dr. Jey Koehler. We will have a 7-day period of discussion, during which a free flow of thoughts
toward anything that has not been addressed, as well as thoughts on wording changes may be discussed. Following this, a second draft will be circulated for an enactment vote. The finalized code of conduct will become a public document and circulated on the
Foundation website, listserv, and social media.
The third step (which will be submitted for Board Discussion at a future date) is currently in development. This will involve development of a reporting system available to students and faculty at Foundation
courses. It will allow for anonymous or signed reports of potential infractions and inappropriate behavior at Foundation activities. These reports will be forwarded to a committee composed of 4-5 members of our Board for investigation and potential action
against Foundation faculty or attendees which may preclude them from future interaction with the Foundation.
It should be stressed that the scope of the code of conduct applies to those only in service to the Foundation and events at Foundation courses. It is not the purview or responsibility of the Foundation to
investigate individuals for actions outside of the scope of Foundation activities.
Members of the Board are welcome to discuss the attached DRAFT Code of Conduct for a period of seven days, and discussion will end on 20 March.
Thank you everyone for your attention to this and please stay safe during this difficult time.
bruce
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