The Clarion Workshop strives to create a kind, generous, and supportive community in which every participant feels welcome and able to contribute their best work. We are committed to providing a welcoming environment for our participants, free from harassment regardless of gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, neurodiversity, physical appearance, body, age, race, ethnicity, nationality, language, or religion. We’ve written this code of conduct not because we expect bad behavior from our community—which, in our experience, is overwhelmingly kind and civil — but because we believe a clear code of conduct is a necessary part of building a respectful community space.
As members of the Clarion community, we ask that all participants (students, staff, and instructors alike):
Strive to be friendly, welcoming, patient, and kind. Participants should be considerate in speech and actions, and actively seek to acknowledge and respect the boundaries of fellow attendees. Clarion is a small space and we encourage intimate and close conversations about life and art, but individuals should not assume their fellow participants’ comfort level regarding difficult or contentious conversation topics, and varying levels of physical contact. When in doubt, they should check their fellow attendees’ comfort level and receive proper consent.
Be sensitive to the words and behavior they choose. As a small community space, Clarion is committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of all its community members. Participants should refrain from demeaning, discriminatory, or harassing behavior and speech. Harassment includes, but is not limited to:
- verbal or written attacks explicitly aimed at any member of the community in workshop or at social events
- behavior that is abusive to others, including persistent, unwanted sexual advances or unwanted physical contact, sexual harassment, gender violence, and sexual violence
- repeated unwanted communications, whether in person or through electronic communications
- alcohol or drug abuse
- any acts of physical violence, physical altercations, or property damage
- deliberate intimidation, including sustained or willful disruption of conversations or other activities
- behavior that contributes to creating a hostile, intimidating, or offensive environment
- unwanted photography or recording
- intentional and sustained misgendering, or use of “dead” names
- microaggressions in the form of verbal, nonverbal, and environmental slights, snubs, or insults, whether intentional or unintentional, which communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative messages targeting individuals based upon their marginalized group membership
- unwelcome comments regarding a person’s lifestyle choices and practices, including those related to food, health, parenting, relationships, drugs, and employment.
Through dialogue, we are able to push one another to be thoughtful of our own strengths and biases. We acknowledge that respectful disagreements can be extremely productive in many settings, including our workshops and classes. Even when it is uncomfortable, challenging each other’s work or ideas is an essential part of growing and learning—as writers and human beings. These should be approached with kindness and generosity and active listening and respect for one another’s boundaries and needs. Individuals asked to stop any of the above behaviors are expected to comply.
Take care of each other. One of the most profound parts of the Clarion experience is the strength of our inclusive community, and for many the relationships they make at Clarion sustain their lives and careers for decades to come. We each play a part in growing and building upon that foundation. We hope that participants make new connections and engage in intimate conversations that help them grow as a writer and a member of the literary community, and put one another’s care and well-being as primary above all.
Procedure for Complaints:
If anyone observes or experiences an incident of concern, they should report the incident to the director or coordinator immediately. If the incident involves the faculty director or coordinator, they should contact the Clarion Foundation at info@theclarionfoundation.org. Reports will be handled confidentially to the extent possible and in as timely a manner as possible, to ensure all participants feel seen, heard, and safe and the Clarion community maintains the spirit of inclusion that we value. During the workshop, we also maintain an anonymous reporting form, for anyone to report having or experiencing an experience without identifying themselves.
We prohibit retaliation against any participants for reporting harassment, intimidation or discrimination, or for participating in an investigation relating to any complaint made. The consequences for retaliation are the same as any other violation of this code of conduct.
Consequences of Violations:
Consequences for failing to uphold the standards of this code of conduct in the time leading up to and throughout the six weeks of the workshop may include, but are not limited to: a formal warning, requesting a formal apology on behalf of the complainant(s), removal from the workshop, and denial of invitation to future official Clarion activities.