Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

VIPS is committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion of all peoples. We know that volcanology research is not always representative of all peoples who love volcanoes nor those impacted by volcanoes. We believe that a diverse set of voices and ideas strengthens and advances research and we strive for equal representation and opportunities for all peoples regardless of ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, physical ability, geographic location, physical appearance, and/or socio-economic background.

We understand that historically and presently implicit bias and unequal opportunities make it more difficult for minority groups to achieve success in our field. We do not think this is acceptable and we are actively searching for ways to diversify the field and uplift the research of underrepresented minorities. If you have any suggestions of how to achieve this, please let us know on our social media pages or e-mail us at info@vipscommission.org.

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Read our Guidelines for Inclusive Field Trips in Geology and Volcanology

Read our Code of Conduct for Meetings and Events

Read our Guidelines for Organizers

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Guidelines for inclusive field trips in Geology and Volcanology

Download the guidelines for field trips

Field trips are a wonderful opportunity for learning geology and volcanology. In addition to discovering outcrops in detail, they offer opportunities to discuss science, travel the world, get to know fellow scientists, and foster collaborations. However, for many in our community, field trips can be challenging and are often a place of exclusion. The following guidelines aim to provide suggestions for those planning and leading field trips in geology and volcanology to make them more inclusive and enjoyable for all. Whilst these guidelines are intended for use by those involved with running field trips associated with the IAVCEI Commission on Volcanic and Igneous Plumbing Systems (VIPS), we suggest they should be adopted widely in the IAVCEI community.

Inform participants
Timely provision of logistical, as well as scientific, information to participants is crucial to facilitate inclusiveness. Diminishing uncertainty in the lead-up to and during a field trip can decrease anxiety and allows participants to be well-prepared and better enjoy the field trip. Be mindful that there will likely be a wide range of experience with fieldwork and travel in your group, especially if including students or those not from a geological background, so don’t make assumptions. Provide participants, ideally a few weeks in advance, with information via a pre-trip information session and a field trip guide in a short, printable/scrollable format friendly to mobile devices. Such information should include:

1/ Logistics

• Start time and time expected to be back at the accommodation.
• The likely weather conditions.
• The gear needed by participants to protect themselves and be comfortable.
• Access to ATMs, the need for cash, or any additional expected costs.
• Availability of phone signal.
• Inform if and what kind of meals will be included, ideally adding information on portion size. If
  food will not be provided, inform participants of what the opportunities to buy food or eat in
  restaurants will be. If food will be provided, enquire about allergies and dietary requirements.

2/ Accommodation

• Accommodation details and nature (hotel, dormitory, or tents).
• Inform if the accommodation will be shared and how sharing will be organised in coordination
  with the participants.

3/ Health and safety

• A full risk assessment for the trip. Universities and research organisations often have their own
  templates which can be used.
• The level of fitness and mobility required. In case of difficult access to an outcrop, if an alternative
  will be proposed or if it will be possible to skip the outcrop.
• The additional health and safety gear that will be provided by the leaders.
• Information on how to contact emergency services.
• Availability of medical services and first aiders on the trip, and travel time to the nearest hospital.
• A statement referring to your anti-discriminatory policy and misconduct reporting protocol.
• A code of conduct to be signed by participants ahead of the field trip.

Plan regular toilet stops
The impossibility or the difficulty to access toilets during a field trip is a challenge for many people: for some women, non-binary, and trans persons, for those who are menstruating, and for other participants with medical conditions. It induces anxiety, can cause illness if toilet access is delayed, and increases the risk of dehydration if it leads participants to restrict their liquid intake. On the road: Plan regular toilet stops even if it involves a detour to a petrol station, a shopping centre, a coffee shop, or any other places with facilities. Inform participants in advance about planned toilet stops in the pre-field trip information itinerary and update them if any deviations from the plan occur. In nature: remind participants that they should inform someone if they need to leave the group to go to the toilet. Make sure to give them privacy, but if moving to the next outcrop, make sure they can catch up easily.

Risk assessments: mitigating strenuousness and risks
Field trips are scientific events, not a place to demonstrate one’s physical abilities. Always inform participants in advance of the duration, length, and difficulty of the walk and the nature of the terrain. Also inform about inconveniences or risks posed by insects, animals, rock falls, etc. If some outcrops are difficult to access, because they involve a strenuous walk, because of rough terrain, because of needing to cross rivers or walk on slippery rocks, or for any other reason, consider giving the participants the possibility of an easier alternative, for example splitting into two groups. Always walk at a slow pace and do not leave anyone behind. If stopping to wait for slower participants,
give them time to rest when they join the group and do not start again immediately. Have one of the organisers stay at the back to make sure nobody is left behind and gets lost. On the outcrop, do not start the explanation before everybody has joined.
Complete a risk assessment ahead of the field trip and provide a copy to the participants. In many institutions, this is now obligatory. As part of the risk assessment, make sure you are aware of the availability of medical services nearby.

In case of shared accommodation, let participants group by gender and/or affinities
Accommodation in dormitories, shared bedrooms, or shared tents can be awkward and
uncomfortable, especially for a gender minority (often women). Plan the repartition of participants in rooms and tents in advance and in consultation with the participants, so that they can group by gender or affinity, or choose to require their own room (with additional costs covered by the participant).

Ask participants
Consider that the participants have different needs, some of which you may not have considered. Provide participants with a short questionnaire or an opportunity to communicate needs well ahead of time and keep this information confidential to the trip organisers. Those needs may include those related to health issues, dietary requirements, etc. Some participants may be fasting during Ramadan so try to avoid this period if possible. If you provide gear or clothes to participants, for example when
visiting a quarry or mine, inquire about size in advance and include non-standard sizes.

Avoid situations that could be perceived as or are geo-colonialism
Practices in Volcanology are not immune to widespread problems with equity, diversity, and inclusivity toward local scientists during field trips (Lerner et al., 2023). Involve local people and researchers in the planning and leading of the field trip to avoid “parachute science”. Always respect locals and ask for permission in advance when entering private properties. Be mindful of the potential geo-colonial past of a site and raise awareness in your group. Inform participants whether rock samples can be collected.

Have consideration for members of the LGBTQ+ community
Avoid organising field trips in places where members of the LGBTQ+1 community are criminalised or discriminated against. The scientific community has not always been the most welcoming to this community, so even if participants are all known to you, consider for all trips that you may have participants who are not “out” in their professional life.

Make sure that everybody feels respected
Discourage comments or jokes that are belittling to participants or members of minoritised communities. Do not tolerate any form of harassment or bullying and consider undertaking ally training. Consider also that not everyone drinks alcohol. Make sure there are enough non-alcoholic beverages available to participants. Ensure that there is no peer pressure exerted on participants regarding alcohol consumption or smoking. Your trip should include a zero-tolerance policy regarding illegal substance consumption, clearly communicated to the participants in advance. If someone complains to you about the disrespectful behaviour of another participant, take the
complaint seriously and inquire if they want you to do something to rectify the problem and suggest they report it to a field trip leader.

Leadership, code of conduct and reporting
Inform your group in advance of the roles of the field trip leaders. Assign a trusted person among the field trip organisers to serve as a reporting point, this person should ideally not be the main trip leader. Include a statement referring to your institute’s anti-discriminatory policy and misconduct reporting protocol in the field trip information document so the participants are aware you expect them to abide by that policy, and that you will act accordingly. Organise an opportunity for all participants and leaders to accept and sign your code of conduct in advance. Your code of conduct should explicitly state the mechanism for reporting behaviour in violation of your code of conduct to a trusted person, and that the trip organisers reserve the right to take any appropriate measures, up and including demanding offenders leave the group immediately.

Code of Conduct for Meetings and Events:

Download the code of conduct

The Volcanic and Igneous Plumbing Systems Commission is a subdivision of IAVCEI and thus follows the statutes and by-laws of IAVCEI (https://www.iavceivolcano.org/about-iavcei/statute-and-by-laws.html).

The VIPS commission is a representation of the global volcanology community and thus has a duty and obligation to provide a safe and welcoming environment for members and the public regardless of ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, physical ability, geographic location, career stage, physical appearance, and socioeconomic background. Our code of conduct must be followed during participation of all events and meetings. We expect all participants to uphold the principles of this Code of Conduct and act accordingly

1. Inclusion
   We welcome and support peoples of all backgrounds and identities, which includes but is not limited to peoples of all ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations, political orientations, religions, physical abilities, geographic locations, career stages, ages, physical appearances, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
2. Behaviour
   We aim for an intellectually stimulating and supportive space for all members. Science is made richer by discussion and constructive criticism, but that is no excuse for disrespectful behaviour. We expect all members to adopt a behaviour that is professional, curious, kind, and respectful.
   
   We expect all participants to behave in a safe and responsible manner, to be mindful of how their language and actions are perceived by others, and to treat all spaces and equipment with care and respect.
3. Harassment and Unacceptable Behaviour
   We have a zero-tolerance policy on harassment, inappropriate comments, and criminal offences. Harassment includes sustained disruption of talks or events, any non-consensual touch, sexual attention or innuendos, deliberate intimidation, threats of violence, stalking, and photography or recording of an individual without consent, personal insults, and advocating for any of the above mentioned behaviour. Inappropriate comments include disrespectful or stereotyping comments about ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, physical ability, geographic location, career stage, physical appearance, and socioeconomic background as well as any sexist, racist, and/or exclusionary comments, statements, or jokes.
4. Academic Misconduct
   Academic misconduct includes but is not limited to plagiarism, failure to recognize contribution of others, and fabrication or falsification of research data. It is not acceptable at any VIPS events or meetings.
5. Breach of the Code of Conduct
   Anyone who breaches the code of conduct is expected to immediately stop the inappropriate behaviour. Violations to the code of conduct may result in a verbal warning, removal from the premises without refund and/or banning from future events and meetings.
   
   In the case of an incident occurring outside of a formal meeting or event the aggrieved party or witnesses are encouraged to report it to the one of the Volcanic Igneous Plumbing Systems Commissions committee members. We understand that reporting a traumatic event is difficult, and we are committed to listening fully and compassionately. Once notified the committee member will discuss the details separately with all parties involved before choosing the appropriate next steps. Confidentially of all incidents will be maintained as long as it does not infringe on another party rights.

Equality, Inclusions, and Diversity Suggestions and Guidelines for Organizers

Download guidelines for organizers

We strive to have a more diverse and better represented research community (see also our Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion statement). We believe being conscious of the under-representation is a great first step, but it is not sufficient, and our community needs to be proactive. Thus, we have come up with a list of actionable suggestions and guidelines we ask that all who organize any events, awards, or otherwise to consider. 

1. Representation in invitations: Whether you are asking someone to be a keynote speaker or a session chair, diversity and representation matters. We should always strive for diversity in selecting keynote speakers or session chairs and avoid a monolith. If you have difficulty finding a diverse set of voices then please consider widening your search in terms of age, career stage (or studies, students are welcome options), or even field of research (which may encourage some interdisciplinary research).
2. Nominations: Underrepresented groups of researchers are often at the mercy of a supervisorial role to submit their works for awards. We urge you to consider adding an option for self nominations to any awards you may be offering. We also suggest you consider if there is diversity in your nominations and if not then why? Perhaps this is simply an advertising problem in which case consider advertising to a broader group of people. Also consider if you know any underrepresented peoples who may be appropriate for nominations and encourage a submission from them or their supervisors.
3. Abstract Submissions: As in point #2 we suggest you find ways to get submission from a broad audience, perhaps with broader advertising or pointed invitations. Financial barriers can hinder submissions and we suggest you offer some sort of financial support to underrepresented peoples, for example waiving conference fees, paying for travel expenses, and/or community support in terms of accommodations and meals.
4. Beginning the pipeline: Support, resources, and mentorship matters in all stages of a career in STEM, starting from a young age. Thus, we suggest that at your event/conference/workshop you offer an outreach program. This could be either as outreach to school children or a mentoring program. If possible, in these types of programs ask under-represented groups to be the facilitators or mentors.  
5. Gender inclusivity
   • Oftentimes while registering for a conference there is a drop-down menu where a participant can state their gender and often this just includes Male and Female option which is exclusionary to those who identify with a different gender. Gender is a spectrum and people can identify as non-binary, trans-man, trans-woman, two-spirit, gender neutral, agender, genderqueer, etc. We suggest you let people type in the gender they identify with and give the option “prefer not say”.
   • Pronouns are important part of someone’s identity and just because someone is cis-gender showing does not mean that their pronouns are what you assume. A great way to avoid mis-gendering someone (using the wrong pronouns) is to provide a format where people can post their pronouns if they desire and encourage people to do so. This can be as simple as adding pronouns to e-mail signoffs, to zoom-ids, or to conference badges.
6. The elephant in the room: Open discourse about the lack of diversity in the geoscience is a step in the process of making the geosciences more diverse and welcoming. We suggest you provide a platform for this discussion at your events. This could take the shape of a workshop on diversity, a panel discussion (with a diverse set of panelists), or unconscious bias training.