Town Hall Guidelines & Code of Conduct

CNA is dedicated to providing a harassment-free environment for everyone, regardless of gender, gender identity and expression, age, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, or religion (or lack thereof). We do not tolerate harassment of participants in any form.

Following a Code of Conduct allows CNA to create the best experience possible for all attendees.

Expected behavior:

Please sign in with your full name before the meeting begins.

Keep your microphone muted and video off during the meeting.

If you have a question or comment, please use the chat feature.

Exercise consideration and respect in your speech and actions.

Attempt collaboration before conflict.

Refrain from demeaning, discriminatory, or harassing behavior and speech.

Be mindful of your surroundings and of your fellow participants. Alert CNA staff if you notice a dangerous situation, someone in distress, or violations of this Code of Conduct, even if they seem inconsequential.

During this virtual event or any of its related events no participant should engage in harassment in any form.

Do not disrupt the virtual meeting (e.g., “zoom-bombing”) or engage in harm or threats of harm of any kind. Do not create/contribute to a safety threat or unsafe or exclusionary situation.

Do not make audio or visual recordings of the Virtual Meeting in any medium—and do not distribute audio or visual recordings of the Virtual Meeting (via social media or any other means).  Only CNA or its representatives may do so, after warning participants to give them an opportunity to opt-out.

Participants violating these rules may be removed from the meeting at the discretion of Participants asked to stop any harassing behavior are expected to comply immediately.

Note About Differences of Opinion and Offense

To achieve the purposes of a virtual event in the limited time provided, with the universal benefit of all participants’ being fully engaged, discussions should be focused on the meeting topic at hand. All participants must be able and welcome to equitably and effectively participate.  It is not a violation of the Virtual Meetings Conduct Policy to express an opinion, raise research or describe an experience (“articulation”) that is at odds with the opinions of or is offensive to others—if the articulation is part of an on-point discussion of the Virtual Society Meeting topic at hand and is offered in a manner that does not interfere with others’ reasonable ability and welcome to participate fully. That means expressing differing positions with respect and consideration for all, in a manner that reflects intellectual rigor and is demonstrably mindful of minimizing, as reasonably possible, its potential adverse effect on others’ ability to participate.  (Offering an advance warning of the potential for impact on others is one way to demonstrate such respect and consideration for all.) It also means not making an articulation that is reasonably expected to cause offense gratuitously (i.e., unrelated or unnecessary for the work on that topic). It means not directing the articulation as a personal attack or put-down of an individual, and not dominating the discussion. It further means demonstrating consideration for anyone who appears to be in distress by promptly stopping the cause and demonstrating caring, while still pursuing a way to share pertinent information, with the association moderator’s assistance if needed.