Member and Events Code of Conduct

Our code of conduct outlines AECT’s expectations for all members and participants at AECT events, as adopted by the AECT Board of Directors.

AECT expects members and event participants to communicate professionally and constructively, whether in person or virtually, handling dissent or disagreement with courtesy, dignity, and an open mind; being respectful when providing feedback; and being open to alternate points of view.

  • When sharing information about the organization or via public communication channels, AECT expects its members and event participants to share responsibly and clearly distinguish opinion from fact.
  • AECT and the AECT community are committed to providing a friendly, safe, supportive, and harassment-free environment for all AECT members and participants, regardless of gender, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, religion, or other group identity.

Unacceptable Behavior

AECT does not tolerate harassment of AECT members, AECT staff, or others involved in AECT events and activities.

Harassment includes offensive verbal or written comments and negative behavior, either in real or virtual spaces, including comments and behaviors that are related to or based on gender, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, religion, or other group identity. Harassment also includes the display of sexual images in public spaces, deliberate intimidation, stalking, following, harassing photography or recording, sustained disruption of talks or other events, and unwelcome physical contact or sexual attention.

Sexual language and imagery are not appropriate for any member venue, including events, talks, workshops, social events, and social media.

Consequences of Unacceptable Behavior

If an AECT member or participant at an AECT event, in either a real or virtual space, engages in inappropriate, harassing, abusive, or destructive behavior or language, the AECT Board of Directors will determine and carry out the appropriate course of action, including warning the offender, suspension or expulsion from membership in accordance with AECT’s Bylaws and Policies with no membership refund, and/or banning the offender from future AECT membership, events, and activities.

All AECT members are expected to observe these rules and behaviors in all AECT venues, including online venues and conference social events where AECT members seek to learn, network, and enjoy themselves, free from any type of harassment. Please participate as an AECT member responsibly and with respect for the rights of others.

Additional information specific to event codes of conduct can be found here.

What to Do

If you are being harassed, notice that someone else is being harassed, or have any other concerns about an individual’s conduct, please follow the incident reporting procedures below.

To report an incident or problem, please file a written complaint with the AECT Board of Directors at aect@aect.org or president@aect.org. The board will evaluate the concern and may take one or more of the following actions, depending on the findings:

  • Contact the complainant and/or the offending member directly for further explanation.
  • Convene the AECT Board of Directors for handling according to the AECT Member Code of Conduct incident procedures.
  • Revoke the offending member’s membership with no refund.

This Code of Conduct is regularly reviewed and revised by the AECT Board of Directors.

AECT Statement of Professionalism

The Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) is focused on supporting and promoting diversity and inclusiveness internally and in our work with educators, members, and stakeholders worldwide. At AECT events and in our virtual environments, our top priority is to ensure a safe, healthy, discrimination-free atmosphere.

AECT expects all of our partners and vendors to share and uphold our standards related to safety, security, and professionalism.