The American Astronomical Society (AAS) is an organization with strong values of responsibility and integrity. Over time, the Board of Trustees has established policies to ensure these values are upheld, including a Code of Ethics and an Anti-Harassment Policy for AAS & Division Meetings and Activities, among others. Best-practice personnel policies and policies for our elected leaders are also in place, such as whistleblower and conflict of interest/duality of interest policies. In all cases, policies are reviewed regularly and approved or reaffirmed by the Board of Trustees informed by external experts and current best practice.
The AAS is committed to an environment where open, honest communications are the expectation, not the exception. We want you to feel comfortable in letting us know when you believe violations of our policies have occurred. We realize that in many cases, victims of harassment or other violations of the code of ethics may feel inhibited from coming forward. We have explored several options, and have concluded that the best way to ensure confidence in a fair process and efficient and effective responses to all complaints is to engage the services of experts trained in handling such complaints.
To enable this process, The AAS has contracted with NAVEX to provide a complaint reporting and handling solution called EthicsPoint. EthicsPoint is a web and phone reporting system that facilitates handling and response on a 24/7 basis throughout the year. Phone reports are handled by an expert trained to receive reports from individuals in delicate or stressful situations. Those reports will be documented and passed on immediately to the AAS Secretary and Executive Officer for confidential processing, while reports made through the web tool will go directly to the Secretary and Executive Officer. Complaints related to either of this pair of Society officers (Secretary and Executive Officer) will be delivered to and managed by the other one, while complaints about both individuals will be delivered directly to the AAS President. Harassment investigations will be managed by an expert HR consultant and reports of ethics violations will be investigated by the Committee on the Code of Ethics, members of which have received training in handling such investigations.
All are strongly encouraged to report violations of any of our policies using this system. The web system accepts inquiries, such as questions about the applicability of AAS policies to a particular incident. Even if you don't want or expect any action to be taken, having a record of incidents will help the AAS maintain a climate that is welcoming for all. Reports will be taken seriously and addressed in a timely manner. To the best extent possible, we will preserve anonymity consistent with the rights of all involved. Anonymous reports cannot be directly acted upon, and we therefore strongly encourage non-anonymous submissions that can allow for follow up and potential action.
Dial toll-free, within the United States, Guam, Puerto Rico and Canada:
After you complete your report, you will be assigned a unique code called a "report key." Write down your report key and password and keep them in a safe place. After 5-6 business days, use your report key and password to check your report for feedback or questions.