Code of Conduct

CODE OF CONDUCT

Welcome to COMPASS 2026! We are committed to cultivating an inclusive, respectful, and harassment‑free conference experience. We ask all participants to uphold these principles in their interactions. To support open and meaningful exchange, we are committed to creating a conference environment that embraces individuals from all walks of life. The richness of our community lies in its diverse perspectives and experiences, and we believe everyone should feel free to share and explore ideas. COMPASS is dedicated to providing spaces where all voices can be heard safely and without fear of judgment or harassment.

The COMPASS 2026 Code of Conduct guides the expected, professional behavior of conference participants in all in‑person, virtual, and hybrid conference sessions, side‑events, social media channels, and attendee interactions—official or informal. 

The COMPASS 2026 adheres to the ACM Privacy Policy  and ACM Policy Against Harassment. Any participant who experiences unacceptable behavior may contact the General Chairs.

 

Expected Behavior

  • Treat everyone with respect, compassion, and thoughtfulness 
  • Be considerate and mindful in speech and actions; respect personal pronouns, physical boundaries, and photography preferences 
  • Promote open, thoughtful communication, including respectful critique of ideas 
  • If you witness misconduct—or someone in distress—speak up or notify event staff promptly 

Unacceptable Behavior

  • Physical or verbal abuse, intimidation, stalking, or threatening behavior.
  • Discriminatory harassment regarding race, gender, sexuality, age, disability, religion, nationality, or other protected traits.
  • Sexual harassment: unwelcome advances, sexual language/actions, or sharing explicit content.
  • Exclusionary or demeaning jokes or slurs.
  • Non-consensual photography or recording.
  • Sustained disruption of presentations or events.

Harassment can occur even without malicious intent—jokes or comments “in fun” can still cause harm  Participants who engage in harassment may be removed from the conference at the discretion of the organizers. Harassment includes, but is not limited to:

  • Unwelcome comments regarding a person’s lifestyle choices and practices
  • Deliberate intimidation or antagonism
  • Exclusionary jokes or comments
  • Unwelcome sexual attention or physical contact
  • Sustained disruption of presentations, events, or online discussion
  • Continued one-on-one communication after requests to cease
  • Comments that reinforce social structures of domination (related to gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, age, religion)
  • Threats of violence.

Roles & Responsibilities

For All Participants

  • Respect boundaries—both physical and personal.
  • Be vigilant and help ensure a safe environment for all.

For Staff and Organizers

  • Be approachable and ready to assist anyone in distress.
  • Do not attempt to mediate harassment incidents; document and escalate accordingly .
  • In emergencies, act with common sense and care; involve authorities if needed.

Consequences

  • Violations may result in formal warnings, immediate removal, bans from future events, or revocation of membership privileges, regardless of ACM affiliation. The conference reserves the right to warn, remove, or ban individuals who violate this code, with no refund due.
  • False accusations or retaliation are taken seriously and treated equivalently to harassment

Reporting 

If you experience or witness harassment, or feel unsafe, please report it immediately to generalchair2026@compass.acm.org

Staff and organizers are available on‑site and remotely to support you confidentially.

Retaliation against anyone reporting misconduct or assisting in an investigation is also prohibited and subject to sanctions.

Acknowledgement

This Code of Conduct is adapted from the ACM CSCW 2024 Code of Conduct, and the DIS 2023 Code of Conduct.