Contributor Code of Conduct

Our Commitment

The UoN Digital Skills programme is committed to providing a respectful, welcoming, and supportive environment for learners, instructors, contributors, and staff.

We want people to be able to ask questions, make mistakes, teach, learn, and collaborate without fear of harassment, exclusion, intimidation, or humiliation.

Scope

This code applies to:

  • course sessions delivered in person or online
  • GitHub repositories and pull request discussions for these materials
  • email, chat, and other communication spaces used for course delivery or maintenance
  • associated community spaces where people are participating in connection with the Digital Skills programme

Expected Behaviour

We expect participants to:

  • use welcoming and inclusive language
  • be respectful of different viewpoints, experiences, and skill levels
  • accept constructive feedback gracefully
  • focus on shared learning and community benefit
  • respect professional boundaries, privacy, and consent
  • show courtesy to other learners, instructors, contributors, and support staff

Unacceptable Behaviour

We do not tolerate:

  • harassment, discrimination, or demeaning comments about identity, background, experience, or technical choices
  • intimidation, stalking, threats, or deliberately making others feel unsafe
  • unwelcome sexual attention or non-consensual physical contact
  • sustained disruption of teaching sessions, online discussions, or collaborative work
  • insults, slurs, exclusionary jokes, or persistent bad-faith interaction
  • publishing private communication or personal information without consent
  • continuing unwanted interaction after being asked to stop

Reporting a Concern

If you experience or witness behaviour that makes a course space unsafe or exclusionary:

  1. If you feel able, ask for the behaviour to stop.
  2. Contact an instructor, facilitator, or course organiser.
  3. Or email digitalresearch@nottingham.ac.uk.

If the concern involves the person receiving the report, please contact another member of the teaching team or use the shared course contact email instead.

For urgent safety concerns, contact venue staff, university security, or emergency services as appropriate.

Response and Consequences

Course organisers may:

  • clarify expectations or issue a warning
  • ask someone to stop a behaviour immediately
  • remove a participant from a session or online space
  • restrict future participation
  • escalate the matter through relevant university processes where needed

Reports will be handled as discreetly as possible, though absolute confidentiality cannot be guaranteed if safety or formal investigation requires escalation.

Attribution

This local code is adapted for the UoN Digital Skills programme from the structure and principles of The Carpentries Code of Conduct.