Code of Conduct

Last Revised: October 30, 2026
The Clemson Quantum Club Code of Conduct, as adopted. The full governing documents are available on our Governing Documents page and on TigerQuest (opens in a new tab).

Article I: Authority and Scope#

Section 1: Authority. This Code of Conduct is an internal policy of the Clemson Quantum Club, hereafter referred to as Quantum Club or the Club, adopted under Article IX, Section 1 of the Clemson Quantum Club Constitution.

Section 2: Precedence. This Code of Conduct ranks below federal and South Carolina State law, Clemson University policy, the Constitution, and the Bylaws, as provided in Article XII, Section 2 of the Constitution. It shall be applied consistently with Clemson University’s Student Code of Conduct and the Non-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment Policy set out in Article XI of the Constitution.

Section 3: Activities Covered. This Code of Conduct covers everything the Club does: meetings, workshops, hackathons, the SC Quantathon, Qiskit Fall Fest, the Club’s Discord and GroupMe, and anywhere someone is representing the Club. It applies to Members of the Club, who are Clemson University or Bridge students under Article III, Section 1 of the Constitution. It also applies to any other person, such as a participant, mentor, judge, speaker, or sponsor, while they are attending a Club event, since every such person agrees to it under Article VII, Section 3 of this Code of Conduct.

Section 4: Spaces and Representation. Subject to Section 3 of this Article, this Code of Conduct applies within all Club spaces, in person and online, and also applies when an individual is officially representing the Club in public or other spaces. Examples of representing the Club include using an official email address, posting via an official social media account, or acting as an appointed representative at an online or offline event.

Section 5: Organizers. In this Code of Conduct, “Organizers” means the Officers and, at a Club event, the Director of the committee running that event and the committee Members the Director designates.

Article II: Our Pledge#

Section 1: Pledge. We pledge to make our community welcoming, safe, and equitable for all.

Section 2: Commitment. We are committed to fostering an environment that respects and promotes the dignity, rights, and contributions of all individuals, regardless of characteristics including race, ethnicity, caste, color, age, physical characteristics, neurodiversity, disability, sex or gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, language, philosophy or religion, national or social origin, socioeconomic position, level of education, or other status. The same privileges of participation are extended to everyone who participates in good faith and in accordance with this Code of Conduct.

Article III: Encouraged Behaviors#

Section 1: Shared Expectations. While acknowledging differences in social norms, we all strive to meet our community’s expectations for positive behavior. We also understand that our words and actions may be interpreted differently than we intend based on culture, background, or native language.

Section 2: Encouraged Behaviors. With these considerations in mind, we agree to behave mindfully toward each other and act in ways that center our shared values, including:

• Respecting the purpose of our community, our activities, and our ways of gathering.
• Engaging kindly and honestly with others.
• Respecting different viewpoints and experiences.
• Taking responsibility for our actions and contributions.
• Gracefully giving and accepting constructive feedback.
• Committing to repairing harm when it occurs.
• Behaving in other ways that promote and sustain the well-being of our community.

Article IV: Restricted Behaviors#

Section 1: Restricted Behaviors. We agree to restrict the following behaviors in our community. Instances, threats, and promotion of these behaviors are violations of this Code of Conduct. Where conduct may fall under Article XI of the Constitution, the definitions in that Article control.

• Harassment: Violating explicitly expressed boundaries or engaging in unnecessary personal attention after any clear request to stop.
• Character Attacks: Making insulting, demeaning, or pejorative comments directed at a community member or group of people.
• Stereotyping or Discrimination: Characterizing anyone’s personality or behavior on the basis of immutable identities or traits.
• Sexualization: Behaving in a way that would generally be considered inappropriately intimate in the context or purpose of the community.
• Violating Confidentiality: Sharing or acting on someone’s personal or private information without their permission.
• Endangerment: Causing, encouraging, or threatening violence or other harm toward any person or group.
• Other Harmful Behavior: Behaving in other ways that threaten the well-being of our community.

Section 2: Other Restrictions. The following behaviors are also violations of this Code of Conduct:

• Misleading Identity: Impersonating someone else for any reason, or pretending to be someone else to evade enforcement actions.
• Failing to Credit Sources: Presenting other people’s work, code, or ideas as one’s own, whether in a hackathon submission, a talk, or a shared notebook.
• Unwanted Promotion: Using Club channels or events to advertise, recruit, or sell in ways the Organizers have not approved.
• Irresponsible Communication: Failing to responsibly present content which includes, links, or describes any other restricted behaviors.

Article V: Reporting#

Section 1: Conflicts and Violations. Tensions can occur between community members even when they are trying their best to collaborate. Not every conflict represents a Code of Conduct violation, and this Code of Conduct reinforces encouraged behaviors and norms that can help avoid conflicts and minimize harm.

Section 2: How to Report. When an incident does occur, it is important to report it promptly. To report a possible violation, message any Organizer privately on the Clemson Quantum Club Discord, tell an Organizer in person at any meeting or event, or email cqc@clemson.edu. Reports may also be made directly to the Faculty Advisor, particularly where the report concerns an Officer.

Section 3: University Reporting. Nothing in this Code of Conduct limits any person’s right to report directly to Clemson University. Where a report involves conduct covered by Clemson University policy, such as discrimination, harassment, retaliation, or sexual misconduct, the Organizers shall direct the reporting person to the University resources listed in Article XI, Section 5 of the Constitution and shall notify the Faculty Advisor.

Section 4: Investigation. Organizers will investigate all reports of Code of Conduct violations, reviewing messages, logs, and recordings, or interviewing witnesses and other participants. Where the report concerns the President or Vice President, the Faculty Advisor oversees the process under Article IX, Subsection 2.2 of the Constitution. Organizers will keep investigation and enforcement actions as transparent as possible while prioritizing safety and confidentiality. In order to honor these values, enforcement actions are carried out in private with the involved parties, but communicating to the whole community may be part of a mutually agreed‑upon resolution.

Article VI: Addressing and Repairing Harm#

Section 1: Response. Organizers will review all reports and respond within 24 hours during an event and within 48 hours at any other time. Violations are handled with the four steps below, at the discretion of the Organizers and subject to Section 3 of this Article.

Section 2: Enforcement Ladder. The enforcement ladder consists of the following steps:

1. Warning
   • Event: A violation involving a single incident or series of incidents.
   • Consequence: A private, written warning from the Organizers.
   • Repair: Examples of repair include a private written apology, acknowledgment of responsibility, and seeking clarification on expectations.
2. Temporarily Limited Activities
   • Event: A repeated instance of a violation that previously resulted in a warning, or the first instance of a more serious violation.
   • Consequence: A private, written warning with a time-limited cooldown period designed to underscore the seriousness of the situation and give the community members involved time to process the incident. The cooldown period may be limited to particular communication channels or interactions with particular community members.
   • Repair: Examples of repair may include making an apology, using the cooldown period to reflect on actions and impact, and being thoughtful about re-entering community spaces after the period is over.
3. Temporary Suspension
   • Event: A pattern of repeated violations which the Organizers have tried to address with warnings, or a single serious violation.
   • Consequence: A private, written warning with conditions for return from suspension. In general, temporary suspensions give the person being suspended time to reflect upon their behavior and possible corrective actions.
   • Repair: Examples of repair include respecting the spirit of the suspension, meeting the specified conditions for return, and being thoughtful about how to reintegrate with the community when the suspension is lifted.
4. Permanent Ban
   • Event: A pattern of repeated Code of Conduct violations that other steps on the ladder have failed to resolve, or a violation so serious that the Organizers determine there is no way to keep the community safe with this person in it.
   • Consequence: Access to all community spaces, tools, and communication channels is removed. In general, permanent bans should be rarely used, should have strong reasoning behind them, and should only be resorted to where working through other remedies has failed to change the behavior or the violation is of that severity.
   • Repair: There is no possible repair in cases of this severity.

Section 3: Members. Where the person concerned is a Member, the enforcement ladder is applied only through Article IX of the Constitution, including its requirements for notice, response, decision, and appeal. For this purpose, and each under Article IX, Section 4 of the Constitution, a Warning is a written reprimand; Temporarily Limited Activities and a Temporary Suspension are temporary suspensions from activities; and a Permanent Ban is removal from the Club. The Organizers may act against a Member without following Article IX of the Constitution only to take the safety measure described in Section 5 of this Article.

Section 4: Participants Who Are Not Members. Where the person concerned is not a Member, such as a participant, mentor, judge, speaker, or sponsor at a Club event, the Organizers may apply any step of the enforcement ladder directly, subject to Article IX, Section 6 of the Constitution, and shall inform the Faculty Advisor of any Temporary Suspension or Permanent Ban.

Section 5: Immediate Safety. Notwithstanding Section 3 of this Article, the Organizers may remove any person from an event or online session in progress where necessary to protect the safety of others. Such a removal lasts no longer than the remainder of that event or session and, for a Member, is a safety measure and not disciplinary action, as provided in Article IX, Subsection 2.1 of the Constitution. Any further action against a Member shall then follow Section 3 of this Article.

Section 6: Discretion. This enforcement ladder is intended as a guideline. It does not limit the ability of the Organizers to use their discretion and judgment, in keeping with the best interests of our community, within the limits set by Section 3 of this Article and by Article IX, Section 6 of the Constitution.

Article VII: Adoption, Amendments, and Acceptance#

Section 1: Adoption and Amendments. This Code of Conduct is adopted under Article IX, Section 1 of the Constitution and shall become effective, and may be amended, by the procedure that Article XII, Section 1 of the Constitution and Article VII, Sections 1 and 2 of the Bylaws set for amending the Bylaws.

Section 2: Attribution. This Code of Conduct is adapted from the Contributor Covenant, version 3.0, permanently available at https://www.contributor-covenant.org/version/3/0/ (opens in a new tab). Contributor Covenant is stewarded by the Organization for Ethical Source and licensed under CC BY‑SA 4.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ (opens in a new tab). For answers to common questions about Contributor Covenant, see the FAQ at https://www.contributor-covenant.org/faq (opens in a new tab). Translations are provided at https://www.contributor-covenant.org/translations (opens in a new tab). Additional enforcement and community guideline resources can be found at https://www.contributor-covenant.org/resources (opens in a new tab). The enforcement ladder was inspired by the work of Mozilla’s code of conduct team (opens in a new tab). As an adaptation of Contributor Covenant, this Code of Conduct is likewise licensed under CC BY‑SA 4.0.

Section 3: Acceptance. This Code of Conduct applies to Members and to any other person while attending a Club event, as provided in Article I, Section 3 of this Code of Conduct. Every Member accepts it by joining the Club. Every other person accepts it by attending a Club event and, where the event uses an application, such as the Quantathon application under Article III, Section 8 of the Bylaws, by agreeing to it in that application. No signature is required.

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