The National Society of Genetic Counselors (“NSGC”) is committed to providing a safe, productive, welcoming and inclusive environment for all meeting participants and NSGC staff. All participants, including, but not limited to, attendees, speakers, volunteers, exhibitors, NSGC staff members and service providers are expected to abide by this Meeting Code of Conduct (“Code”) whether participating in-person or virtually. This Code applies to the NSGC Annual Conference, all Annual Conference-related events, and other NSGC meetings, including those events and meetings held in conjunction with an NSGC conference or meeting, whether in-person or on public or private platforms (collectively, “meetings”).

NSGC has zero-tolerance for any form of discrimination or harassment, including but not limited to sexual harassment by participants or our staff at or during meetings. If you experience harassment or witness any incidents of Unacceptable Behavior (as defined below), NSGC asks that you inform either Meghan Carey, CAE, Executive Director, mcarey@nsgc.org, or 312-673-4710, so that NSGC can take the appropriate action. Such reports or complaints may be oral or in writing, although NSGC may ask the person making any oral complaint to put such complaint in writing. Information provided will be kept confidential to the extent possible and practicable under the circumstances. Please note, however, that disclosure may be necessary to fashion an appropriate action.

Unacceptable Behavior includes, without limitation:

• Harassment, intimidation, or discrimination in any form.
• Verbal abuse of any attendee, speaker, volunteer, exhibitor, NSGC staff member, service provider, or other meeting participant. Examples of verbal abuse include, but are not limited to, verbal comments related to age, race, ethnicity, sex, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, country of origin, culture, language, religion, spiritual beliefs, legal status, health history, and disability, or threatening or stalking any attendee, speaker, volunteer, exhibitor, NSGC staff member, service provider, or other meeting participant.
• Disruption of presentations or any element of an in-person or virtual meeting or sessions.
• Other behavior, actions or activities deemed disruptive, unacceptable, or contrary to the best interests of NSGC as determined by NSGC in its sole and absolute discretion.

In addition, the following rules apply to all NSGC meetings:

• Presentations, postings, and messages may not contain abusive comments, promotional materials, special offers, job offers, product announcements, or solicitation for services. NSGC reserves the right to remove such messages and potentially ban the source(s) of such solicitations from its meetings.
• Participants may not record, copy photograph or take screen shots of presenter slides, Q&A or any chat room activity that takes place in the in-person or virtual spaces.
• All participants must comply with the instructions of the moderator and any NSGC event staff.

NSGC reserves the right to take any action it deems necessary and appropriate, including immediate removal from a meeting without warning or refund, in response to any incident of Unacceptable Behavior or other violation of this Code, and NSGC reserves the right to prohibit attendance at any future virtual or in-person meeting.