CODE OF CONDUCT

Purpose

As a professional scientific society, the Medical Image Computing and Computer Assisted Intervention Society (MICCAI) is committed to providing an atmosphere that encourages the free expression and exchange of ideas. Consistent with this commitment, it is the purpose of this Code of Conduct to detail how MICCAI envisions that participants in MICCAI activities enjoy a safe, welcoming, dignified and inclusive environment, free from threatening conduct, harassment, bullying, and intimidation.

Applicability

This Code of Conduct applies to all participants at MICCAI events and any other MICCAI-sponsored, both during the events and on official communications channels, including social media.

Participants include but are not limited to organizers, volunteers, attendees, speakers, sponsors, exhibitors, vendors, guests, reviewers, and MICCAI staff.

Events include but are not limited to conferences, satellite events, , conference-sponsored social events, conference-related social functions and social media, travel and all on-site, off-site and virtual activities organized by the MICCAI Society.

Participants agree to abide by this Code of Conduct as a condition of participating in one of these events. Participants also agree to comply with other MICCAI rules and conditions for these events, which are subject to change without notice.

Responsibilities

MICCAI Code of Conduct Officers

Endeavour to ensure that the Code of Conduct policy is communicated to all participants
Endeavour to ensure that support is provided to any participant by providing information and referral as required
Endeavour to ensure that the event within their jurisdiction is free from violence, bullying and personal harassment
Immediately follow-up on any complaints received
Arrange for an investigation of complaints and determine the appropriate administrative response
Maintain confidentiality and involve only those necessary for an investigation
Advise complainant of final disposition of complaint
Review annually, the effectiveness of actions taken to minimize or eliminate violence, bullying and harassment and make improvements to procedures, as required
Comply with all aspects of this policy

Participants

Participants seeking information or clarification of this policy or wishing an informal discussion regarding a possible complaint are encouraged to confidentially approach MICCAI Code of Conduct officers
Comply with all aspects of this policy

Expected standards of behavior

All participants in MICCAI events must behave professionally, ethically and responsibly in all interaction with other MICCAI participants: formal or informal social activities, at on-site, off-site and virtual locations, in related online communities, and on social media. All individuals participating in activities of the MICCAI must comply with the following standards of behavior. All participants at MICCAI events are expected to:

Exercise consideration and respect in their speech and actions.
Refrain from demeaning, discriminatory, or harassing behavior and speech.
Be mindful of their surroundings and of their fellow participants.
Avoid drinking excessive amounts of alcohol where alcohol is being served at social gatherings to avoid impaired judgment in behavior.
Alert a member of the conference staff or the safety officers if they notice a dangerous situation, someone in distress, or violations of this Code of Conduct, even if they seem inconsequential.

Unacceptable behavior

Behavior that directly or indirectly interferes with the dignity, comfort or safety of other participants will not be tolerated.

The list below provides examples of behavior that violates this Code of Conduct. This list is intended to be descriptive but not comprehensive. Behavior that is not listed here and that has an impact on the dignity, comfort or safety of other participants is a violation of the Code of Conduct.

Violence or Bullying: violence or bullying is the exercise, statement or behaviour of physical force by a person that causes or could cause physical injury, such as:

Physical acts (e.g., hitting, shoving, pushing, kicking, sexual assault, throwing objects).
Any threat, behaviour or action which is interpreted to carry the potential to harm or endanger the safety of others, result in an act of aggression, or destroy or damage property.
Disruptive behaviour that is not appropriate to the environment (e.g. yelling, swearing).
Verbal abuse: a form of abusive behavior involving the use of language. It includes any conduct or comments that are inappropriate, demeaning, or offensive intended to make an uncomfortable, hostile and/or intimidating environment.

Personal Harassment: any unsolicited, unwelcome, disrespectful or offensive behaviour that has an underlying sexual, bigoted, ethnic or racial connotation and can be typified as:

Behaviour that is hostile in nature, and/or intends to degrade an individual based on personal attributes, including age, race, nationality, ethnicity, disability, family status, religion, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, body size, physical appearance or other personal characteristic or identity
Sexual solicitation or advance made by a person in a position to confer, grant or deny a benefit or advancement to the person where the person making the solicitation or advance knows or ought reasonably to know that it is unwelcome
Reprisal or a threat of reprisal for the rejection of a sexual solicitation or advance where the reprisal is made or threatened by a person in a position to confer, grant or deny a benefit or advancement to the person
Unwelcome, suggestive or offensive language or remarks, jokes, innuendoes, propositions, or taunting about a person's body, attire, gender identity or expression or sexual orientation or other personal characteristic or identity
Bragging about sexual prowess
Insulting gestures or practical jokes which create awkwardness or embarrassment
Displaying or transmission of racist, pornographic or sexist pictures or materials;
Leering (suggestive persistent staring)
Physical contact such as touching, patting, or pinching, with an underlying sexual connotation
Sexual assault; for the most part, victims of sexual harassment are female. However, conduct directed by female participants towards males and between persons of the same sex can also be held to constitute sexual harassment
Any actions that create a hostile, intimidating or offensive environment that may include physical, verbal, written, graphic, or electronic means including social media and virtual session discussions and chat functions
Deliberate intimidation, stalking, or following
Harassing, unauthorized, or inappropriate photography or recording
Sustained disruption of talks or other events including virtual session discussions and chat functions
Inappropriate physical contact
Real or implied threat of professional or financial harm
Advocating for, or encouraging, any of the above behavior

Participants asked by any member of the community to stop any such behavior are expected to comply immediately.

Reporting Violence or Bullying

In the event that you are either directly affected by or witness to any violence at an event, it is imperative for the safety of all participants that the incident be reported without delay. Reporting any violence or potentially violent situations should be done immediately to MICCAI Code of Conduct Officers at conductofficers@miccai.org.

Reporting Personal Harassment

Informal Procedure

If you believe you have been personally harassed you may:

Confront the harasser personally or in writing pointing out the unwelcome behaviour and requesting that it stop; or
Discuss the situation with a MICCAI Code of Conduct Officer.

Any participant who feels harassed can and should, in all confidence and without fear of reprisal, personally report the facts directly to a MICCAI Code of Conduct Officer.

The Code of Conduct Officer may recommend any such actions that will result in a fair and just conclusion of the situation, with the ultimate goal of ensuring that MICCAI events provide a welcoming environment, free from threatening conduct, harassment, and intimidation.

Formal Procedure

If you believe you have been personally harassed you may make a written complaint. The written complaint must be delivered to the MICCAI Code of Conduct Officers at conductofficers@miccai.org. Your complaint should include:

the approximate date and time of each incident you wish to report
the name of the person or persons involved in each incident
the name of any person or persons who witnessed each incident
a full description of what occurred in each incident

Investigating Reports of Violence, Bullying or Harassment

Once a complaint has been received, MICCAI Code of Conduct Officers will complete a thorough investigation.

For the purposes of this section the following definitions apply:

Complainant - The person who has made a complaint about another individual who they believe committed an act of harassment, discrimination or violence.

Respondent - The person whom another individual has accused of committing an act of harassment, bullying or violence.

The investigation will include:

informing the respondent(s) of the complaint
interview the complainant, any person involved in the incident and any identified witnesses
interview any other person who may have knowledge of the incidents related to the complaint or any other similar incidents

A copy of the complaint, detailing the complainant's allegations, will be provided to the respondent(s).

The respondent will be invited to reply in writing to the complainant's allegations and the reply will be made known to the complainant before the case proceeds further.
MICCAI will do its best to protect from unnecessary disclosure the details of the incident being investigated and the identities of the complaining party and that of the alleged respondent.
During the investigation, the complainant and the respondent will be interviewed along with any possible witnesses. Statements from all parties involved will be taken and documented.
If necessary, Code of Conduct Officers may employ outside assistance (i.e. Legal Counsel, Health & Safety consultants, Human Rights office, Local Police Services)
Following the Code of Conduct Officers' or external consultant's recommendation, and based on redacted documentation, the MICCAI Board will review all information provided by the Code of Conduct Officers and issue its decision.
A written report of any corrective action will be given to the parties concerned.
If corrective action is taken, an appeals process will be made available.

MICCAI will accept and investigate anonymous complaints with the intent to review effectiveness of actions taken to create a safe, welcoming, dignified and inclusive environment, free from threatening conduct, harassment, bullying, and intimidation.

Details on the investigation process are given on a document that can be found on the Miccai Society website.

Confidentiality

MICCAI will do everything it can to protect the privacy of the individuals involved and to ensure that complainants and respondents are treated fairly and respectfully. MICCAI will protect this privacy so long as doing so remains consistent with the enforcement of this policy and adherence to the law. Neither the name of the person reporting the facts nor the circumstances surrounding them will be disclosed to anyone whatsoever unless such disclosure is necessary for an investigation or corrective action.

All records of investigations are considered confidential and will not be disclosed to anyone except to the extent required by law.

In cases where criminal proceedings are forthcoming, MICCAI will assist police agencies, lawyers, insurance companies, and courts to the fullest extent.

Corrective Action

Any corrective action will be determined by the MICCAI Board and will be proportional to the seriousness of the behaviour concerned.

Unacceptable behavior may cause removal from, or denial of access to, current or future MICCAI events; suspension or termination of membership; revocation of any awards or other recognition from MICCAI; and other actions, without refund of any applicable registration fees or costs.

MICCAI will also provide appropriate assistance to any participant who is subjected to violence, bullying or harassment.

Fraudulent or Malicious Complaints

This Code of Conduct policy must never be used to bring fraudulent or malicious complaints against participants. It is important to realize that unfounded/frivolous allegations of personal harassment may cause both the accused person and the MICCAI Society significant damage. If it is determined by the Code of Conduct Officers that any participant has knowingly made false statements regarding an allegation of violence, bullying or personal harassment, immediate corrective action will be taken as appropriate.

US-based participant reporting: Participants based in the US who experience or witness any violations of the code of conduct will also have the possibility of filing a complaint through the US Department of Human and Health Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) using the following link: https://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/filing-a-complaint/index.html. Importantly, no report needs to be submitted through MICCAI to file a complaint through the OCR. Additionally, participants can notify the National Institute of Health (NIH) about any concerns of harassment, including sexual harassment, discrimination, and other forms of inappropriate conduct at: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/harassment/find-help.htm