NABMSA Conference Code of Conduct
NABMSA conferences and meetings are arranged for the free exchange of scholarly ideas and are expected to create a supportive and equitable environment for all participants.
At our scholarly events, NABMSA pledges to:
Foster an environment of respect, inclusion, equity, and safety.
Encourage the intellectual and professional development of its members.
Actively welcome new members to our community.
Reject harassment of any kind, including any verbal or physical behavior that demeans an individual because of the person’s status, age, family situation, race, ethnicity, sex, gender identity, religion, or visible or invisible disabilities, among other personal characteristics. Harassment is not limited to unwanted advances or inappropriate sexual conduct, but may also include intimidation, bullying, photography or unwanted recording, or the continued disruption of conference talks. Harassment violates NABMSA’s aims and will not be tolerated.
We also expect our members and those attending our conferences to
Model the values described above in our interactions with other members, scholars outside of the association, and members of the general public.
Act in accordance with the highest standards of scholarly and professional conduct at all times, including recognizing the intellectual property of others and rejecting plagiarism and dishonesty.
Guidelines for Attendees
Attending Online NABMSA Events
All attendees should be familiar with the NABMSA Conference Code of Conduct above.
For the best possible experience, it is recommended to log into the conference Zoom room (the links will be in your email) from a desktop computer or laptop instead of a mobile device. Please be sure you are in an area with stable Internet connection and good lighting. The use of headphones may be best if your device does not have great speakers.
To avoid unnecessary disruptions, close out of other programs on your computer that may make noises. We all may be familiar with the random Microsoft Outlook notification sound during a virtual meeting.
BEFORE
During each presentation, your microphone and camera will be disabled and you will not be able to turn them back on until the Q&A session, at which point cameras will be turned back on but mics will stay muted.
Q&A
During the Q&A portion, we ask that you please type your name into the Zoom chat box to indicate that you have a question. The panel chairs will try to note the order in which people type their name. You will be asked to speak your question out loud and at this point should unmute your mic. If you are not able to speak your question, you may type it into the Zoom chat box.
BREAKS
Breaks will be available for social time for conference attendees, if desired (if not, please turn off your camera and mute). Presenters for the coming session may try checking in with their panel chairs and set up their presentations during this time.
Guidelines for Panel Chairs
● We ask that all Session Chairs feel confidently tech-savvy with the Zoom platform prior to confirming their role as Session Chair.
All Chairs should be familiar with the NABMSA Conference Code of Conduct above.
Prior to the speaker beginning, mute all attendees’ mics and cameras, except for the speaker’s.
To avoid unnecessary disruptions, make sure all programs that may make noises (except Zoom and PowerPoint) are closed on your computer. Microsoft Outlook is a big culprit for random dings during video conferences.
If there is an audio or visual issue during the presentation, let the speaker know. You may need to turn on your mic to do this. They will probably not be looking at the chat window to see a message or a raised hand. Quickly present them with a resolution so they can fix it quickly. If you do not know what to do, call on one of the convenors (Vanessa Rogers, who will be monitoring the Zoom).
Encourage presenters to send any links or downloadable handouts they may wish to share on Zoom to you before the talk starts.
We are telling presenters that they have about 20 minutes for papers and to leave room for 10 minutes for questions after each paper. Do please ask the speaker to begin to sum up if the paper goes over 25 minutes (you can start with a direct message in the chat).
To start the Q&A,
Invite attendees to turn on their cameras if they wish (but stay muted) o Inform everyone that the questions will be asked in order: attendees will need to write their name in the Zoom chat window to indicate they would like to ask a question. You will make a note of the order of names, then can indicate who can unmute and ask a question next.
Please mute anyone who is making disruptive audio sounds or visuals during the talk or the Q&A.
Guidelines for Presenters
All presenters must register for the conference.
Whenever possible, all images should be captioned and handouts should be in at least 18 point font for greater accessibility. Musical examples should be clearly labeled and performers should be noted if recorded music is played. If languages other than English are used on a handout or a slide, having an English translation available would be helpful. Finally, you might consider including a references slide so that others’ work is credited.
It is important that speakers on the panel have an equal opportunity to present their paper. Going over the time limits further discussion and is disrespectful to the other presenters. For that reason, we ask you to stick to the 20-minute allotted time so that there is plenty of time left for questions and discussion. Your panel chair may have to cut your paper short if you take up too much time, so please time your paper before arriving at the conference!