IPPS New Zealand - Code of Conduct

Statement of Values

Purpose

To promote understanding, cooperation and friendship between people who work with, grow, study, collect or simply love plants.

Objective

To provide opportunities, through membership, for people involved with plant propagation, cultivation, research and production to seek ideas and share information and knowledge.

IPPS holds these values:

To seek
To share
Includes knowledge, information, experiences and friendship.

Introduction

Welcome to IPPS. You have joined a Society committed to fostering dialogue, cooperation and friendship between many of the best informed people on plant propagation, production and cultivation techniques.

The way in which you as a Society member conduct yourself is important during Society events such as field days and conferences.

The purposes of the Code of Conduct are to inform you about the minimum standards of integrity and conduct expected of you as a society member and what may occur if the Society considers the Code has been disregarded by you.

Statement of Principles: What the Society expects of every Member

The Principles with respect to Society events and on Society business

members should relate to other members with honesty, respect and integrity.
members should consider the rights and views of others.
members should show discretion and exercise due consideration in taking advantage of any professional or commercial opportunities that may be created or facilitated by Society membership.
members should be aware that privileges and opportunities made available to the Society may not be applicable or available to individual members .
members should not bring the Society into disrepute through individual actions or conduct

Unsatisfactory Conduct and Complaints

It is the Society’s intention that all unsatisfactory conduct with respect to the Principles will be dealt with fairly, properly, consistently and openly.

Unsatisfactory Conduct includes a clear or obvious breach of any of the five Principles. Complaints must be forwarded to the Executive Committee in writing and be supported by any available evidence.

Procedure

The Unsatisfactory Conduct Committee (the Committee) will investigate all breaches. The Committee will be established by the Executive, as needed and consist of one Executive member and two other members. The membership of the Committee shall be notified in the newsletter. Should the Committee decide to proceed with the complaint, the investigation will include discussion with the member concerned, full disclosure of the complaint and the opportunity to respond to all points in the complaint. After these responses have been collected the Committee will confer and decide whether to dismiss or upheld the complaint.

If unsatisfactory conduct by a member has been established, the Committee will advise the member concerned. The member can then consent to the decision or request further investigation. A meeting will carry out this further investigation consisting of the Committee, the subject member and the complainant. The Committee will then make a final decision and the Executive will be informed.

Where unsatisfactory conduct has been established, the Committee can proceed with one or a combination of the following depending on the type of misconduct and the history of the member.

a written warning and explanation of the misconduct. Recommended for a first Unsatisfactory Conduct.
expulsion from the Society. Recommended for second Unsatisfactory Conduct.
public notification of and apology for the misconduct. Recommended as appropriate.