New Ethics Statement and Policy: A Letter From the ESA President

November 29, 2021

Hello fellow ESA members-

I hope the final weeks of 2021 are treating you well. It is a busy time for many of us, but I am writing to you today to share an important piece of news from your professional society.

In pursuit of our strategic principle that ESA has a social responsibility to develop all of its members, on October 30 the Governing Board approved a new Ethics Statement and Policy that strengthens ESA's commitment to making entomology a welcoming discipline for all.

The provisions in this new document mark some of the most significant advancements ESA has made toward enabling greater equity and inclusion in our Society in many years. We need not look far for stories in the news or from our colleagues to know that the scientific profession, entomology included, is not immune to the ills of discrimination, harassment, fraud, and other bad behavior, and ESA must set the example for our field by maintaining high expectations of professional and ethical conduct for all who interact with the Society.

Please take a few minutes to review the new ESA Ethics Statement and Policy. Key components include:

  • Community standards and expectations
  • An updated Diversity & Inclusion statement
  • How to report a concern regarding unethical conduct
  • The process ESA will follow to investigate complaints
  • Consequences for violating the policy

As a member of ESA, you will be asked to attest that you have read, understand, and will abide by the policy—as will anyone who interacts with ESA as an event participant, award nominee, staff member, or contractor. The new policy replaces ESA's previous code of conduct, ethics statement, diversity and inclusion statement, and policy regarding misconduct of honorees.

My colleagues and I on the Governing Board are grateful to the members of ESA's Ethics and Rules Committee and Diversity and Inclusion Committee for their guidance over the past year in creating this new policy, which is built on common language developed and adopted by several scientific societies through the Societies Consortium on Sexual Harassment in STEMM. I also thank past ESA presidents Alvin Simmons and Michelle Smith for their leadership in advancing this effort.

Finally, I thank ESA members who have shared their concerns with Society leaders. Member input has been vital in informing Governing Board decisions on this subject. We share a clear view that strong requirements of ethical and professional conduct are critical to ensuring all members of our community can safely and equitably participate in insect science.

Sincerely,

Jessica Ware, Ph.D.
President, Entomological Society of America
president@entsoc.org