IEEE and ITSOC Conference Codes

All IEEE sponsored conferences adhere to the  IEEE Safety and conduct code . The IEEE Information Theory Society Board of Governors (ITSoc BoG) is committed to ensuring an inclusive, welcoming, and safe environment for everyone in the field of information theory at all of our events and experiences. In particular, we require ITSoc sponsored conference/workshop organizers to commit to uphold this standard at ALL events held at or in conjunction with their main conference/workshop, including those events broadly defined as conference social events and non-technical activities. We advise  that at the discretion of the conference chairs, an appropriate variant of the following note be displayed prominently in the conference programs/hand-outs/websites and that a copy of that variant be emailed to registrants of any ITSoc conferences / workshops / schools at the time of registration: 

Conferences, workshops, and technical schools---along with the social outings, events, and activities that are integral components of them---are excellent venues for researchers and scholars who despite the inherent hierarchical nature of the research community in terms of seniority, advancement, contributions, and recognitions, often strive to build communities of collaborators, and friends across seniorities, generations, and institutions. On the other hand, exactly because of their less formal settings, conferences, workshops, and technical schools along with their associated social events can fall short of providing an inclusive, welcoming, and safe environment for all.

In this context, we are encouraged by a cultural shift to making it safe and supportive for all those who need to report violations.  We recognize and acknowledge the importance of ensuring that the academic and professional communities pay more attention, take note, and continue to take appropriate actions. We remind every attendee to help ensure that our  events do not become venues for abuse of power, harassment in any form, (including but not limited to harassment based on race, gender, religion, age, color, national origin, ancestry, disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity) , and/or bullying. We recommend our attendees to use common sense, support each other, and create a safe space by speaking up against and/or reporting any form of harassment or bullying.

We will also like to remind our attendees to review the IEEE policy against discrimination and harassment and the IEEE code of conduct and follow the suggestions and best practices for how to make the  IEEE Information Theory Society conferences and venues safe and inclusive. The ITSoc BoG is continually working on improving procedures to handle incidents and reporting of issues.  Meanwhile, we are eager to help participants identify relevant help services. We gratefully accept feedback from the community on policy and actions; please contact the chair and/or any member of the IT Society Committee on Diversity and Inclusion .