The Canadian Economics Association Code of Conduct

[Link to PDF Copy of the Revised Code of Conduct]

The main goal of the Canadian Economics Association is to promote the development of economic knowledge for the benefit of all parts of Canadian society. It strives to do that through supporting economists in all parts of the profession – academic, public sector, non-governmental organizations, and the private sector. The CEA holds that meeting this goal is only possible if all of its members meet a professional standard of conduct based in three principles:

1. Intellectual and professional integrity -- which involves pursuing research ethically, with honesty and transparency and giving appropriate credit to the work of others.
2. Respectful interactions with others – which is the necessary basis for an open and productive dialogue. This implies coming to interactions involving the discussion of economics in the spirit of co-operating to advance knowledge and find answers.
3. Promotion of a diverse and welcoming environment for economic discussion. Only by opening opportunities for people from all parts of society can we generate economic knowledge in as unbiased a manner as possible.

All three principles point to the need to eliminate inappropriate, unprofessional behaviour, harassment, discrimination, and retaliation in workplaces and classrooms and at conferences and other public events. They also point to the promotion of equality of opportunity and treatment of all members of the profession, regardless of age, gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, preferred language, disability, health condition, marital status, parental status, or personal connections.
 
Based on these principles, 

• CEA members agree to act ethically and with integrity and honesty in all their professional interactions.
• CEA members agree to put respect for others at the centre of their interactions and, through their actions, to help build a respectful community, free of harassment and discrimination, in which economic discussions take place in a way that supports open dialogue, diversity, and intellectual integrity.
• Harassment includes but is not limited to (a) offensive verbal comments related to gender, gender identity and expression, age, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, religion; (b) the display of sexual images in public spaces; (c) deliberate intimidation, stalking, following, harassing photography or recording; (d) sustained disruption of talks or other events; (e ) inappropriate physical contact or unwelcome sexual attention.
• Discrimination is the unfair treatment of an individual or group based on their age, gender, race, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, language of preference, disability, health condition, marital status, parental status, or any other basis proscribed by law.
• CEA members agree not to behave in ways that enable or condone the undermining and harassment of anyone, particularly on their age, gender, race, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, language of preference, disability, health condition, marital status, parental status, or any other basis proscribed by law.
• CEA members agree to take appropriate action when they observe or become aware of acts of harassment and discrimination so that the victims are supported and not left feeling unsafe. Appropriate action can include: helping the victim get away from the situation; checking with the victim to make sure they are alright and know where to find support; letting CEA representatives know about what was observed; etc..

The CEA requires all of its members to abide by its Code of Conduct. It also requires all participants at its public events — including attendees, speakers, sponsors, staff and volunteers —to abide by this Code of Conduct. These rules apply to all parts of the event, regardless of location or mode of delivery, and the sponsored social events. CEA public events include the Canadian Economics Employment Exchange (CEEE), the Annual Meeting of the Association and meetings organized by CEA Standing Committees or Study Groups that are funded by the CEA.

Process to Address Code of Conduct Breaches

If Immediate Action is Required

For immediate help with a potential Code of Conduct violation, a representative of the CEA at the event should be notified that misconduct is occurring. The CEA will help contact hotel/venue security or local law enforcement, provide escorts, or otherwise assist those experiencing harassment to feel safe for the duration of the event. The participants will be informed of the formal process outlined below. 

Formal Complaint Process

The CEA will investigate and address concerns, complaints and incidents in a fair and timely manner, while respecting participant privacy as much as possible. Such investigation may involve internal and/or external resources as appropriate.

Complaints should be addressed in writing to the Committee for Code of Conduct (CCC), appointed by the Board of directors of CEA (contact aferrer@uwaterloo.ca). Allegations should be dated and signed and include as many details of the incident as possible. Please download the incident report form here

Process

• Upon receipt of an allegation, the CCC will initiate an inquiry to ascertain whether there has been a breach of the code of conduct. The inquiry will include, at a minimum, an opportunity for both parties (Claimant and Respondent) to be heard. Additional relevant information may be provided to the committee at this time by both parties.
• After examining the information gathered, the CCC will report to the Board on their findings. The Board will decide on whether misconduct took place and what would be an adequate response
• If no misconduct is found, the CCC will communicate the decision of the Board in writing to the Claimant and Respondent. 
• In the case of misconduct, the CCC will communicate the decision of the Board to the Respondent.  

Penalties

• The Board will decide on an adequate response to allegations that have been found substantiated. This may include an acknowledgement of the allegation and an apology from the Respondent. It may also include revoking the Respondent’s CEA memberships and rights granted by said membership.

[Approved by the CEA Board of Directors June 3, 2023] 

Previous Version of the Code of Conduct, Approved by the Board of Directors on December 13, 2019:

Download a PDF Copy of the Previous CEA Code of Conduct [December 2019 Version]
Télécharger une copie PDF de l'ancien Code de conduite de l'ACE [version 2019]