The following Code of Conduct pertains to use of the AST Hub Online Communities.
AST Hub Online Community Rules and Etiquette
Thank you for being part of the AST Hub online communities. There are online communities, for each Community of Practice and several other groups. AST members can view any COP's online community, but you must be a member of a COP to actively participate on that COP's online community. The purpose of the AST Hub online communities is to engage with your peers on discussion boards, share valuable resources in a file library, and find other members in your community.
To ensure the best possible experience for all community members, we have established guidelines for participation. By joining and using any AST Hub online community, you agree that you have read and will follow these rules and guidelines. In order to preserve a climate that encourages both civil and fruitful dialogue, we reserve the right to suspend or terminate membership in the community of anyone who violates these rules. Questions should be directed to the AST National Office via the Contact Us link on this site.
General Rules
-Do not challenge or attack others. The discussions and comments are meant to stimulate conversation, not to create contention. Let others have their say, just as you may.
-Do not post commercial messages on any discussion list, resource library entry, or other area where others might see it. Contact people directly with product and service information if you believe it would help them.
-Use caution when discussing products. Information posted on the lists and in the libraries is available for all to see, and comments are subject to libel, slander, and antitrust laws.
-All defamatory, abusive, profane, threatening, offensive, or illegal materials are strictly prohibited. Do not post anything that you would not want the world to see or that you would not want anyone to know came from you.
-Please note carefully all items listed in the disclaimer and legal rules below, particularly regarding the copyright ownership of information posted.
-Remember that other participants have the right to reproduce postings to this site unless you specify otherwise.
-Post your message or documents only to the most appropriate lists or libraries. Do not spam several lists or libraries with the same message.
-All messages must add to the body of knowledge. We reserve the right to reject any message for any reason
Discussion Group Etiquette
-Include a signature tag on all messages with your name, affiliation, and location.
-State concisely and clearly the topic of your comments in the subject line. This allows members to respond more appropriately to your posting and makes it easier for members to search the archives by subject.
-When replying to a message, include only the relevant portions of the original message in your reply. Delete any header information, and put your response before the original posting.
-Send messages such as "thanks for the information" or "me, too" to individuals--not to the entire list. Do this by using the "Reply to Sender" link to the left of every message.
-Only send a message to the entire list when it contains information that everyone can benefit from.
-Do not send administrative messages, such as "remove me from the list." Instead, use the web interface to change your settings or to remove yourself from a list. If you are changing email addresses, you do not need to remove yourself from the list and rejoin under your new email address. Simply change your settings.
-Warn other list subscribers of lengthy messages either in the subject line or at the beginning of the message body with a line that says "Long Message."
Special Note about Job Postings
You are permitted to post a job opening at your institution in the discussion area of a COP's online community, as long as you respect the following guidelines:
-Only post the opening to COP communities relevant to the job description.
-The job opening may only be posted one time.
-Include the job title, a few sentences describing the position, and where to go or who to contact for more information - excessively long job postings may be edited by administrators to include only essential information.
-Job seekers may not post "in search of" messages in the discussion area.
-Once the position is filled, return to the site and delete the discussion item or edit the discussion item to indicate the position is no longer open.
-AST reserves the right to remove any job posting deemed inappropriate.
You are encouraged to use the AST Career Center to reach a wider audience.
External Event Postings
You are permitted to post a non-AST external event (e.g., webinar, meeting) in the discussion area of a COP's online community, as long as you respect the following guidelines:
-Only post the event to COP communities relevant to the event.
-The event may only be posted one time.
-Include the event title, a few sentences describing it, and how to register.
-AST reserves the right to remove any external event posting deemed inappropriate.
Posts made by a user are not endorsed and may not reflect the views of the AST.
Legal Information
This site is provided as a service for the members of American Society of Transplantation and its Communities of Practice. American Society of Transplantation is not responsible for the opinions and information posted on this site by others. We disclaim all warranties with regard to information posted on this site, whether posted by American Society of Transplantation or any third party; this disclaimer includes all implied warranties of merchantability and fitness. In no event shall American Society of Transplantation be liable for any special, indirect, or consequential damages or any damages whatsoever resulting from loss of use, data, or profits, arising out of or in connection with the use or performance of any information posted on this site.
Do not post any defamatory, abusive, profane, threatening, offensive, or illegal materials. Do not post any information or other material protected by copyright without the permission of the copyright owner. By posting material, the posting party warrants and represents that he or she owns the copyright with respect to such material or has received permission from the copyright owner. This includes the utilization of images in blog posts or other website content - only use images for which there is a creative commons license, or for which you own the copyright. In addition, the posting party grants American Society of Transplantation and users of this site the nonexclusive right and license to display, copy, publish, distribute, transmit, print, and use such information or other material.
Messages should not be posted if they encourage or facilitate members to arrive at any agreement that either expressly or impliedly leads to price fixing, a boycott of another's business, or other conduct intended to illegally restrict free trade. Messages that encourage or facilitate an agreement about the following subjects are inappropriate: prices, discounts, or terms or conditions of sale; salaries; profits, profit margins, or cost data; market shares, sales territories, or markets; allocation of customers or territories; or selection, rejection, or termination of customers or suppliers.
American Society of Transplantation does not actively monitor the site for inappropriate postings and does not on its own undertake editorial control of postings. However, in the event that any inappropriate posting is brought to the attention of American Society of Transplantation we will take all appropriate action.
American Society of Transplantation reserves the right to terminate access to any user who does not abide by these guidelines.
AST CODE OF CONDUCT
This Code of Conduct was created to provide AST leadership guidance for proper ethical conduct. The AST leadership includes officers, board members, committee and COP chairs, co-chairs, and past chairs and other members serving in leadership roles on behalf of the AST, as well as AST staff employees and its contract support staff.
Everyone involved in the leadership of AST is committed to observing and promoting the highest standards of ethical conduct in the performance of their responsibilities to the AST, and are required to certify that they have accepted this code as a minimum guideline for ethical conduct. Everyone in a leadership or support role in the AST shall:
Accountability and Fiduciary Responsibility -Faithfully abide by the articles of incorporation, bylaws, and policies of the AST.
-Exercise reasonable care, good faith, and due diligence in governing and managing affairs of the AST. (Principles of Duty of Care, Loyalty, and Obedience).
-Comply with the terms of the AST Conflict of Interest Policy statement.
-Remain accountable for prudent fiscal management to AST members, leadership, and to external organizations funding or conducting business with the AST.
-Refrain from taking positions as a representative of the AST on topics directly related to transplantation that depart from those officially supported by the AST without prior review by the AST Board. This includes personal advocacy efforts and/or signing on to public comments, petitions, position papers, or similar documents.
-Refrain from making public comments as a representative of the AST on matters (both inside and outside the field of transplantation) that may affect AST’s reputation and credibility without prior review with the AST Board. (See Media Contact Policy for additional details.)
Professional Excellence and Integrity -Maintain a professional level of courtesy, respect, and objectivity in all AST-related matters and activities.
-Strive to uphold and assist other members in upholding the highest standards of conduct.
-Refrain from using AST resources (mailing lists, membership lists, email lists derived from AST maintained list, etc.) to advocate for a specific candidate, group of candidates, or category of candidates in any AST elections.
Equal Opportunity, Diversity, and Inclusivity -Support the right of all members to access benefits and services without discrimination based on culture, geography, politics, religion, disability, socio-economic considerations, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.
-Support the right of all members to access benefits and services without discrimination based on the organization’s volunteer or staff make-up in respect to race, color, religion, creed, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, ethnicity, citizenship, ancestry, age, physical or mental disability, pregnancy, marital status, domestic partnership or civil union status, service in the uniformed services, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.
Harassment Statement -AST does not tolerate unlawful harassment against employees, volunteers or any other covered person based of race, color, religion, creed, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, ethnicity, citizenship, ancestry, age, physical or mental disability, pregnancy, marital status, domestic partnership or civil union status, service in the uniformed services, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.
-This policy applies in the workplace and other business-related settings in which employees or volunteers may find themselves for work, such as business trips, business meetings and company-sponsored events.
Personal Gain and Self-Dealing -Exercise the powers vested for the good of all members of the AST, rather than for personal benefit.
Confidential Information -Respect the confidentiality of the AST’s sensitive information known to board members, committee chairs, and any other member of AST leadership.
Collaboration and Cooperation -Respect the diversity of opinions as expressed or acted upon by the organization’s board, committees, and membership, and formally register dissent as appropriate.
Promote collaboration, cooperation, and partnership among association members.
PRIVACY POLICY (via the AST Privacy Policy)
The American Society of Transplantation (AST) is committed to the protection of the privacy of its members and other visitors interacting with AST. To that end, AST assures information provided online is used responsibly and appropriately.
AST collects and uses information that, alone or in combination with other information, could be used to identify you ("Personal Data") to:
-deliver our products and services
-process applications to join programs
-inform you of various opportunities
-provide support (as described below)
We are committed to making reasonable efforts to secure the information you provide us, and we use a variety of security technologies and procedures to protect against unauthorized access to or alteration, disclosure, or destruction of your Personal Data. We restrict access to your Personal Data to our employees and service providers who need the information to operate, develop, or improve our services.
When using our online services, you will be given the opportunity to consent to the policies and practices described in this Privacy Policy.
Please note: AST is considered the data controller for the processing of your Personal Data.
For complete information on data collection and your rights concerning your data, please visit the "AST Privacy Policy" page on the AST website. If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or the security of your Personal Data, please contact us at info@myast.org or call at 856-439-9986.