In pursuit of world-class research and education, the Department of Chemistry at MIT commits to building a community that enables everyone to thrive. Our shared success depends on each member of our Department embodying the values of Respect, Well-Being, Inclusivity, and Integrity. Together, we reaffirm our excellence by upholding these values.
Respect: We treat others with dignity.
We create a respectful work environment by exemplifying professionalism in all that we do.
In our efforts to be outstanding in our work, we strive for professionalism. Professional behavior encompasses many things, for example pride in our work, honesty, reliability, communication, accountability, kindness, and consideration.
We foster mutually beneficial mentor-mentee relationships.
As part of the MIT community, we have the opportunity to mentor and be mentored by some of the greatest colleagues in the world. That mentoring relationship can be a formal one – such as advisor-student or supervisor-supervisee – or an informal, peer-to-peer one. As mentors, we look out for the best interests of those we mentor, provide constructive feedback, and properly acknowledge the contributions of our mentees. As mentees, we give our best efforts, maintain open lines of communication with our mentors and are responsive to feedback.
Harassment will not be tolerated and we stand up for those who are treated unjustly.
Harassment constitutes unwelcome conduct of a verbal, nonverbal, or physical nature that creates a work or academic environment that is intimidating, hostile, or abusive. Harassment is antithetical to a productive, inclusive, and effective academic or work environment; it is never acceptable. Specific types of harassment include but are not limited to psychological harassment, sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, gender-based harassment, and stalking. These behaviors are in opposition to the values of our Department and MIT and have no place in our community.
We respect one another’s time, particularly in relationships with a power imbalance.
Time is a finite resource that we all value. We respect the time of others by being timely and responsible in our work. Outside of work, we recognize reasonable boundaries that people have on work hours and work expectations.
Well-being: We support the health and safety of ourselves and others at all times.
We prioritize our mental and physical health.
We strive to be great, but not at the expense of our own health and well-being. We encourage one another to take advantage of resources to ensure that we stay healthy, both mentally and physically. We allow ourselves the time to maintain our own physical and mental well-being.
The challenges of addiction and substance abuse pose significant risks to our own safety and those around us. We strive to help one another address these obstacles and support one another as we make use of resources to overcome them.
We promote safety in our work environment.
Safety is intrinsic to our culture. We actively work towards improving the safety of ourselves, our co-workers, and our community. We follow all laboratory, departmental, Institute, and governmental safety rules and regulations.
Inclusivity: We speak and act in ways that welcome all.
All members of our community—within and beyond the Department of Chemistry—deserve to be treated equitably.
We value different backgrounds and we are stronger because of what each of us brings to the community. We recognize that each member of our community is an individual with their own experiences, culture, and needs. We actively work to include individuals from all backgrounds. We seek to provide specific, tailored resources to ensure that all individuals are treated equitably.
Discrimination will not be tolerated.
The Department of Chemistry is committed to equity and equal opportunity. Discrimination of any kind, including on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, religion, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, or national or ethnic origin is unacceptable. Regardless of intent, demeaning comments about an individual or group are not tolerated; such comments can contribute to a hostile academic or work environment. We support members of the community in pursuing processes to address discriminatory behavior.
Collaborations with other communities are welcomed.
Collaborations enable groundbreaking endeavors with expanded scopes and greater impact. By collaborating, we all gain knowledge, insights, and broader perspectives. Collective efforts impart a sense of community and create a culture of diversity within and beyond the Department.
Integrity: We are honest about our own actions and those of others.
Academic or professional misconduct is unacceptable under any circumstance.
Plagiarism, falsification of data, cheating, failure to disclose conflicts of interest, and other forms of misconduct will not be tolerated.
We give proper credit for the contributions of others.
Whether in written documents, presentations, or conversation, we recognize the importance of giving due credit for work done by others within and beyond MIT.
Our Goal
We continually strive to create an environment that reflects our values of respect, well-being, inclusivity, and integrity for all members of the MIT community.
Development and Implementation
Developing this Statement of Community Values was an extensive community effort, incorporating extensive contributions from students, postdocs, faculty, and staff. As part of our commitment to these values, we are implementing a number of new values-based Initiatives that we believe will help to improve our Department, MIT, and the field of chemistry as a whole.
Acknowledgements
We acknowledge contributions from participants in Women+ in Chemistry (WIC+), the Quality of Life Committee, Town Hall Discussions, Faculty Discussions, and the Statement of Community Values Working Group. Aspects of our Statement of Community Values take inspiration from the MIT Physics Community Values.
Download a PDF of the full Statement of Community Values here.
Download an 8×10 Statement of Community Values poster here.
