Code Of Conduct

Most Cedar Creek LTER research is conducted at the Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve (CCESR). All personnel involved with work at the Reserve are expected to act in accordance with the CCESR Code of Conduct.

CCESR Code of Conduct

Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve (henceforth Cedar Creek) is committed to fostering research, education, and community engagement in a welcoming and inclusive environment. All people at Cedar Creek, including all researchers, students, employees, and visitors, are expected to treat each other in a respectful and professional manner. We are all responsible for holding our community to standards of conduct. In addition to following University policies, we ask all members of the Cedar Creek community to support and adhere to our norms of respectful and professional conduct.

Expected Conduct

Cedar Creek has established the following standards of conduct:

Act ethically and with integrity
Be welcoming, inclusive, and respectful of all people
Responsibly supervise, instruct, and advise
Protect, preserve, and responsibly use University resources and property
Promote a culture of compliance with laws, rules, and policies
Preserve academic freedom
Ethically conduct research, teaching, and community engagement
Avoid conflicts of interest and commitment
Responsibly manage public and private information
Promote physical and mental health and safety

Unacceptable Behavior

Cedar Creek will take disciplinary action for the following offenses:

Sexual and gender-based harassment, sexual assault, stalking, and relationship violence
Discrimination
Retaliation
Illegal or unauthorized possession, use, or sharing of weapons, drugs, or alcohol
Unethical research, including falsification of data or information
Scholastic dishonesty
Unauthorized use, including misuse, of facilities, equipment, or services
Theft, property damage, or vandalism
Violation of University rules
Violation of Local, State, or Federal Laws

Sanctions for Unacceptable Behavior

Sanctions will be commensurate with the nature and severity of the offense, whether violations have been persistent, and the impact of the offense on any other people involved. Sanctions may include one or more of the following:

Warning
Probation
Confiscation of goods possessed, used, or shared in an illegal or unauthorized manner
Restitution
Reassignment of work activities
Paid or unpaid leave of absence
Suspension from Cedar Creek, its facilities (e.g., lodging), or its equipment (e.g., vehicles)
Expulsion from Cedar Creek, its facilities or its equipment
Termination of employment

Reporting Misconduct

Report suspected or alleged misconduct to any or all of the following:

Cedar Creek's DEIJ leadership team for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice ([email protected])
supervisor, instructor, administrator, or staff • Human Resources in the College of Biological Sciences ([email protected])
the Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action (EOAA) Title IX office ([email protected])
anonymously via UMN's U Report system (1-866- 294-8680, https://compliance.umn.edu/report)
the National Science Foundation (https://www.nsf.gov/od/oecr/complaint_form.jsp)

The University of Minnesota has a policy that protects people who report misconduct from retaliation. All University employees are required to report sexual misconduct to the Title IX office.

Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve Diversity Statement

Cedar Creek is home to the world’s longest-running biodiversity experiment, which has revealed that plant diversity substantially increases ecosystem productivity and stability. It is the differences and interactions between species that produces an ecosystem that is greater than the sum of its constituent parts. In parallel lines of research, social scientists have found that human diversity can enhance the learning, outcomes, and creativity of teams. When these benefits of diversity are combined with equity and inclusion, individuals and teams can thrive. Cedar Creek is also at the meeting point of major grassland and forest biomes, the ancestral and contemporary homelands of the Dakota and Ojibwe Indigenous Peoples, and urban and rural communities. For these reasons and many others, the Cedar Creek community of staff, faculty, students and alumni share a commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice. We appreciate the urgency of turning this commitment into action across all areas of our mission, and are working to do so. https://cbs.umn.edu/cedarcreek/about-cedar-creek/diversity-statement

CDR LTER

Cedar Creek