Professional Conduct at ASLH Events
ASLH Code of Professional Conduct and
Policies and Procedures for Reporting Alleged Violations
The American Society for Legal History (ASLH) seeks to ensure that all participants in ASLH activities conform to appropriate and approved norms of professional conduct in a context free from harassment and discrimination. We affirm our commitment to maintaining an atmosphere conducive to the collegial and open exchange of scholarly viewpoints and information.
Codes of Conduct:
As a member organization of the American Historical Associationd (AHA), the ASLH endorses and adopts the “Statement on Standards of Professional Conduct of the AHA”.
The ASLH also endorses and adopts major sections of the AHA’s “Code of Professional Conduct at Officially Sanctioned AHA Activities,” specifically the preamble and the sections falling under the headings “Purposes,” “Expected Behavior,” “Unacceptable Behavior,” and “AHA Responsibility.”
Resources for members:
The ASLH will establish a Profession Liaison Committee, composed of the president, one additional officer, and a member of the Board of Directors. This committee has the primary responsibility for ensuring that the Code of Conduct is followed and communicating with the Resource Team (see below). The committee is designed to be responsive to members’ concerns and to take timely action to ensure smooth operations and maintenance of collegial and respectful ASLH meetings and other activities. The committee is also charged with receiving and reviewing formal complaints.
At its annual meeting, the ASLH makes available a Resource Team composed of three members to answer questions and assist members in understanding the ASLH’s policies and procedures, including policies and procedures regarding professional conduct. The Resource Team provides informal support and works with members to ensure that their concerns are heard in a safe and (when possible) confidential way. The Resource Team focuses on members’ well-being and does not investigate alleged violations or recommend actions in response.
The resource team for the 2024 San Francisco Meeting is:
- Myisha Eatmon (myishaeatmon@fas.harvard.edu)
- Catherine Fisk (cfisk@berkeley.edu)
- Zach Herz (Zachary.Harz@Colorado.edu)
- Magdalene Zier (mzier@stanford.edu) (graduate student)
Procedure for Reporting and Referring Violations of the Code of Conduct
The ASLH affirms that home institutions and employers of our event attendees, including research institutions, universities and colleges, companies, and other organizations, are best equipped to investigate allegations of violations by their faculty members, students, trainees, employees, or affiliated individuals, and to evaluate and determine appropriate actions consistent with their employment and academic obligations. The ASLH reports all formally reported alleged violations of our professional code of conduct to alleged violators’ home organizations or institutions.
The ASLH’s procedure allows those who witness or experience conduct they believe to violate the Code of Conduct to make a report, via a web form available on the ASLH website. Each report submitted via this form will be promptly reviewed by the Professional Liaison Committee. The committee will refer each submitted report to the home organization of the alleged violator. To the extent possible, reports will be held in confidence by the committee. If the alleged violator of professional conduct standards is a member of the Professional Liaison Committee, the reporter will be directed to send the information requested on the form to another member of the committee.
In the rare event that an alleged violator has no home organization or institution that is in a position to take on the responsibility of an investigation, the Professional Liaison Committee will contract with an independent party from outside the society to conduct a reasonable investigation of the alleged incident. Such an investigation might include interviewing the alleged violator, target(s) of the alleged code of conduct violation, and witnesses. The outside investigator’s report will be directed to the Professional Liaison Committee and will be kept confidential to the extent possible. On receiving the report, the committee will have the option of taking a range of actions, including removing individuals from future ASLH activities or other reasonable measures to ensure the goals of this policy. The committee’s decision would be communicated in writing to the alleged violator and reporter. Any objection would be subject to the limitations and procedure for appeals outlined below.
ASLH Governance
At any time, the Professional Liaison Committee may determine that interim or other actions are necessary to protect the safe and professional operation of ASLH activities. These actions are not dependent on a formal complaint, and these measures should be considered as well within the normal course of professional stewardship of the society. Such actions might include removal of individuals from ASLH activities and the cancelation of some activities. A measure with effects extending beyond 30 days (for example, a ban on participation by an individual at a future meeting) may be appealed in writing to the Board of Directors (via the Society’s secretary) within 15 days of the date the communication of the measure was sent. The Board’s decision to overturn, modify, or affirm the measure would be final. Members of the Professional Liaison Committee who also serve on the Board would not participate in this decision.
If you wish to raise general concerns or make suggestions about professional climate at ASLH activities, you may send comments or suggestions to a member of the Professional Liaison Committee or a member of the Resource Team at annual meetings.
If you wish to report an alleged violation of standards of professional conduct at an ASLH event, please use the form below. Please note that it is the policy of the ASLH to forward all information provided on a submitted form to the home institution(s) of the alleged violator(s).