Code of Conduct

Passed at General Meeting of the Society, June 18, 2022

Since its formal establishment in 1974, the History of Economics Society has committed itself to encouraging interest, fostering scholarship, and promoting discussion among scholars and professionals in the field of the history of economics and related disciplines. Promoting the study and development of the history of economics requires a culture in which all professional activities, including research, education, advice and communication more generally, are undertaken collegially, ethically and with integrity. The Society expects its members to adhere to the high professional standards that this requires and to encourage others associated with the study of the history of economics to do the same. The Society also sets these standards for itself, and hence the code of conduct applies to all involved as members or associated with the Society or the Journal of the History of Economic Thought through events or other activities.

Nondiscrimination and Anti-Harassment Standards
Research should be conducted and presented with honesty, care, transparency, in compliance with legal requirements, acknowledging limits of expertise and giving due credit to the contributions of others. The provision of advice and other communications should also adhere to these standards. Students at all levels should be treated fairly and with respect. Any real or perceived conflicts of interest should be disclosed in all activities.

The History of Economics Society seeks a professional environment where equal opportunity and fair treatment apply regardless of characteristics such as gender, ethnicity, age, disability, political or religious views, status, affiliations or relationships. Discourse in all forums should be conducted with civility and respect, with each idea or contribution considered on its merits. We acknowledge that racist and sexist images or textual passages are part of the past of economics. As historians, we take responsibility to contextualize such materials. Under no circumstances will bullying or harassment of any kind be tolerated. Harassment includes offensive verbal comments, deliberate intimidation, stalking, harassing photography or recording, sustained disruption of events, inappropriate physical contact or unwelcome sexual attention.

Reporting
If an individual or group of individuals believes that they have experienced or observed any violation of this policy at a Society meeting or event or in its journal, the person or group should consult the Ombudsperson appointed by the Society. The Ombudsperson shall listen to the grievance, describe the policy and procedures, outline issues of privacy and confidentiality, and discuss possible courses of action regarding the filing or non-filing of a formal complaint. The Ombudsperson shall take all reasonable efforts to maintain in strict confidence the identity of individuals reporting an incident and the person or persons implicated in an incident. The Ombudsperson shall prepare for the Executive Committee annually an aggregate, anonymized summary of all such reported incidents.

Although anyone may seek advice from the Ombudsperson, in the case of harassment only the individual or individuals alleging that they have been harassed may file a formal complaint. If an individual elects to file a formal complaint, that person must describe the incident in a nonconfidential written statement delivered to Office of the Society’s Secretary within sixty (60) calendar days of the alleged conduct and preferably immediately following the incident. The Secretary will provide the statement concurrently to the accused party or parties and to the three-person Respectful Behavior Review Committee. The accused party may elect to file a written response, and if so, the written response must be filed with the Review Committee within sixty (60) calendar days of receipt of the initial written complaint. The Chair of the Review Committee shall contact both parties to discuss the incident and determine whether there is a mutually acceptable resolution. If no such resolution can be found, the Review Committee shall determine whether the incident constituted a violation under the terms of this Policy. If the Review Committee determines the incident constituted a violation, it shall furnish a report of the incident, the Committee’s findings, and a recommended sanction, if any, to the Secretary of the Society within sixty (60) days.

Sanctions
The Executive Committee shall then consider the case. If a majority of the voting and nonvoting Executive Committee concurs with the recommendations of the Review Committee, the Society’s Executive Committee shall issue a written reprimand including any sanctions banning the individual from future meetings and/or revoking the individual’s membership. The Society’s Secretary will report the final outcome to all parties involved.

Contact the Society Ombudsperson: ombudshes@historyofeconomics.org

Contact the Society’s Secretary: secretary@historyofeconomics.org

Ombudsperson: Joseph Persky (University of Illinois at Chicago)

Respectful Behavior Committee:
Bradley W. Bateman (Randolph College)
Verena Halsmayer (University of Luzern)
Kirsten Madden (Millersville University)