Community agreement

Count me in Research Programme Community agreement 

A rewarding experience for all. Our research programme aims to offer a rewarding, challenging, supportive, and fun experience to every participant. Please be prepared to take an active, patient, and generous role in your own learning and that of the other participants. It is not our purpose to measure individuals. 

A welcoming experience for all. We are committed to creating a professional and welcoming environment that benefits from the diversity of experiences of all its participants. We will not tolerate any form of discrimination or harassment. We aim to offer equal opportunity and treatment to every participant, regardless of their mathematical experience, age, disability, gender identity, marital status, nationality, race or ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or any other factor. 

Behaviour or language that is welcome or acceptable to one person may be unwelcome or offensive to another. Consequently, we ask you to use care to ensure that your words and actions communicate respect for others. 

If a participant engages in discriminatory or harassing behavior, the organizers may take any action they deem appropriate, from warning the offender to expelling them from the programme. If you are being harassed, you feel uncomfortable with the way you are being treated, you notice that someone else is being harassed, or have any other concerns, please contact Prof. Sheridan, Prof. Hering, your Mentor, or your PhD tutor immediately. If you prefer not to speak in person, you can e-mail us. Any report will be handled with the strictest confidentiality. 

Some thoughts on collaboration. One of our goals is to equip you with collaborative problem-solving skills. Everyone needs some time alone to contemplate research. However, we hope that you will also find group time to discuss progress that you have made and brainstorm ideas on puzzles yet to be unlocked. Make every effort to keep everyone in the group on the same page, and where possible, to distribute the work. It is important to maintain a healthy group dynamic, including reaching mutual agreement on place and times for group meetings, and on the choice of collaboration software for editing documents.  

You’re here to learn, we’re here to help. Everyone is here to learn. It is totally fine if things are not crystal clear in the beginning. Maths research is about delving into unexplored territory and hopefully understanding it better. If at any point you feel that you don’t quite follow what’s going on, reach out to your PhD tutors – we are all here to help you learn. Maths research is not a speed test. We are happy to see your regular progress, whether in the first week or the last.  

Acknowledgement.  This agreement was adapted from the community agreement of the Twin Cities Math REU which in turn was adapted from ECCO (Encuentro Colombiano de Combinatoria).