• Black individuals
• Indigenous individuals
• Non-Black and non-Indigenous racialized individuals
• Religious or spiritual individuals
• Individuals belonging to marginalized religious and/or ethnic groups (e.g., Muslim and Jewish individuals)
• Individuals with citizenship or origin outside of Canada
• LGBTQIAA+ and two spirit individuals
• Women, nonbinary and trans individuals
• Disabled individuals
• Neurodiverse individuals
• Individuals affected by ageism
• Individuals of disadvantaged socioeconomic status
• Individuals and families with a record of offences
• Individuals with marginalized family or marital status/history

The department defines appropriate behaviour and language as that which maintains the safety, respect, understanding, and comfort of all members and visitors, regardless of gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, mental or physical health, physical appearance, race, ethnicity, immigration status, Indigenous status, nationality, socioeconomic status, religion or any of the prohibited grounds as set out in the Ontario Human Rights Code.^[1]

We expect all faculty, postdoctoral fellows, students and staff who are members, associates, or visitors to both encourage and model behaviour, language, and attitudes that foster a positive environment. We define a positive environment as one that is both free of and actively works against actions and language that are discriminatory in nature or constitute harassment of any kind, including but not limited to verbal, physical, sexual and psychological harassment ^[1,2,3,4]. This expectation applies to all professional, scholarly, and social activities taking place on campus, online (e.g., social media, email, online webinars and conferences), during fieldwork, at conferences and professional events, and during visits to other institutions and public spaces on behalf of the department.

• Treat others with dignity, respect, and consideration regardless of identity, experiences, or status within the department.^[5,6]
• Respect the views of others, with the exception of views that are discriminatory in nature or constitute harassment.^[5,6]
• Abstain from physical, sexual or verbal violence (e.g., profanity or otherwise abusive language, aggressive gestures, inappropriate and non-consensual physical or sexual contact and acts).^[5,6,7]
• Communicate (in-person or electronically) appropriately and respectfully for an audience that is diverse in identities and experiences.^[5,6]
• Make decisions concerning the use of substances (e.g., alcohol, cannabis) that are responsible, do not endanger others, and are in compliance with any obligations arising from the individual’s employment or representation on behalf of the University, while respecting the decisions of others regarding such substances.^[8]
• Practice respectful and professional conflict resolution and seek out conflict mediation when necessary.

The Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Toronto does not condone behaviour that violates any of the above commitments or University policies.

The department and University further do not condone retaliatory action taken by its members or visitors against others who have, in good faith, raised concerns about their behaviour or language.^{[ 6,7]}

The department commits itself to prioritizing the needs and desires of any individual harmed by a violation of the Code of Conduct when responding to violations (see EEB Allies and the U of T Discrimination Guideline ^[5] for options in responding). As outlined in University of Toronto policies, ^[6,7] violations of University policies on Workplace Harassment and Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment may be subject to disciplinary action up to and including the termination of employment or expulsion ^[6,7].

[1] University of Toronto Governing Council Policy on Ethical Conduct of Research
[2] University of Toronto Governing Council: Statement on Freedom of Speech
[3] Student code of conduct
[4] Ontario Human Rights Code
[5] Guideline for employees: discrimination guideline
[6] Policy and guidelines with Respect to Workplace Harassment & Civility guideline
[7] Policy on Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment
[8] Alcohol Policy

Each year, the Subcommittee identifies 2-3 key areas of action.
For the 2020-2021 academic year, we identified 1) accessibility and disability 2) anti-Black and anti-Indigenous racism and 3) the ongoing legacy of eugenics, colonialism and racism in ecology and evolutionary biology.

To address these issues, we will:

1. Develop a plan to make the Department more accessible to individuals with disabilities, by:
   1. Consulting with experts in the fields of equity and accessibility;
   2. Consulting with individuals in the Department;
2. Hosting visiting scholars with expertise in anti-Black racism, anti-Indigenous racism, and the history of eugenics in ecology and evolutionary biology to:
   1. Give Departmental Seminars
   2. Host workshops and/or discussions about their work
3. Drawing upon the expertise shared by visiting scholars to develop a list of recommendations for the Department to:
   1. Actively address anti-Black racism and anti-Indigenous racism in the Department
   2. Confront, and work toward dismantling, the legacy of eugenics in our fields of study