MFP Annual Meeting Liability and Waiver Form

By registering for the Annual Meeting, I freely and voluntarily agree and acknowledge that I am undertaking participation in ASA events and activities as my own free and intentional act and I am fully aware that possible physical injury, exposure or infection with COVID-19 (or its variants) might occur to me as a result of my actions or those of other attendees or participants including the Venue’s employees and ASA’s officers, directors, employees, or agents. I do hereby assume responsibility for my own well-being. I also agree not to allow any other individual to participate in my place. An inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19 exists in any public place where people are present. COVID-19 is an extremely contagious disease that can lead to severe illness and death. According to the CDC, senior citizens and individuals with underlying medical conditions are especially vulnerable. I hereby release, for myself, my heirs, and personal representatives, and do forever discharge, indemnify and hold harmless ASA, its directors, officers, staff, agents, members, and representatives, from any and all claims, liabilities, actions, damages, costs or expenses of any kind arising out of, in connection with, or relating to my attending or participating in the Annual Meeting including, without limitation, any illness, damages, or injury resulting from my travel to and from, and attendance at, the Annual Meeting, participation in events related to the Annual Meeting, exposure to an infectious disease (including COVID-19) or the manner in which the Annual Meeting or its related events and activities are conducted (collectively, “Claims”). I understand and agree that this Waiver includes any Claims based on the actions, errors, omissions, or negligence of ASA, its directors, officers, staff, agents, members, and representatives.

I further agree to abide by all laws, rules, regulations, and standards in effect during the meeting, including any safety requirements imposed by the Event Venue and ASA that may be deemed necessary to protect public health and safety (collectively, “Guidance”). I understand that the Guidance may continue to evolve over time. By registering, I attest that I have read this waiver, understand that I am waiving important rights, and agree to abide by its requirements.

ASA reminds everyone: ASA meetings are convened for the purposes of professional development and scholarly educational interchange in the spirit of free inquiry and free expression. Harassment of meeting participants or other misconduct at meetings undermines the principle of equity at the heart of these professional fora and is inconsistent with the principles of free inquiry and free expression. Consequently, harassment is considered by ASA to be a serious form of professional misconduct. The following Code of Conduct outlines expectations for all those who attend or participate in ASA meetings. It reminds ASA meeting participants that all professional academic ethics and norms apply as standards of behavior and interaction at these meetings.

Purpose. ASA is committed to providing a safe and welcoming conference environment for all participants, free from harassment based on age, race, sex, ethnicity, national origin, religion, language, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, disability, health conditions, socioeconomic status, marital status, domestic status, or parental status (hereafter, simply harassment). “Participant” in this policy refers to anyone present at ASA meetings, including staff, contractors, vendors, exhibitors, venue staff, ASA members, and all other attendees.

Expected Behavior. All participants at ASA meetings are expected to abide by this Code of Conduct in all meeting venues, both in-person and virtual, including ancillary events as well as official and unofficial social gatherings.

- Follow the norms of professional respect that are necessary to promote the conditions for free academic interchange.
- If you witness potential harm to a meeting participant, be proactive in helping to mitigate or avoid that harm.
- At in-person events, alert venue security personnel or law enforcement if you see a situation in which someone might be in imminent physical danger. For online meetings, alert ASA personnel or law enforcement, if appropriate.

Unacceptable Behavior. Harassment of any participant is unethical behavior under the American Sociological Association Code of Ethics. Harassment may consist of a single intense and severe act or of multiple persistent or pervasive acts which are demeaning, abusive, or offensive, or create a hostile professional or workplace environment. Harassment may include sexual solicitation, physical advance, or verbal or non-verbal conduct that is sexual in nature; it may also include threatening, intimidating, or hostile acts; circulation of written or graphic material that denigrates or shows hostility toward an individual or group; epithets, slurs, or negative stereotyping based on group identity. Examples of other unacceptable behavior include, but are not limited to, disruptive or threatening behavior, violence of any kind, or failure to follow ASA policies or the meeting venue’s policies.

Participants are encouraged to immediately report instances of harassment or other misconduct to the ASA Executive Officer, Nancy Kidd, at [email protected], (646) 408-9063 or to the Director of Meeting Services, Michelle Randall, at [email protected]. Reports will be treated as confidential. Violations of this policy, or for any other reason in the sole discretion of ASA, may lead to removal from the meeting and other actions taken, depending on the specifics of the misconduct. Visit https://www.asanet.org/about/ethics/ to read the American Sociological Association Code of Ethics in its entirety.

Preamble. During the ASA Virtual Annual Meeting, presenters may record presentations and provide links to ASA. ASA will make the links to the recordings available online. ASA itself, or through its contractors, may take photographs and background roll footage that may capture images of you as you attend or present at event sessions. As ASA must obtain permission from the subjects of any photographs or footage that ASA might display publicly, this agreement serves two purposes: (1) it provides ASA with your permission to make the link to your presentation available to others for future viewing (this permission is finite in duration); and (2) it provides ASA with permission to publicly display your image as captured in the event broadcast, photographs and background roll footage ASA captures during the event (this permission is generally irrevocable except if you would like to request ASA to refrain from using your image from promotional materials). ASA will be able to use these photographs and footage for all purposes and in any format (e.g., print, online, etc.) to further its mission.

This agreement does not require you to give up any rights to your presentation. You will retain ownership of all rights to your presentation. Secondly, you will retain all rights to your voice and likeness. You will just be providing ASA permission to use your voice and likeness as captured in images and footage taken by ASA or its contractors.

Recording and Social Media Use. The American Sociological Association (“ASA”), through itself or its contractors, may photograph, broadcast and/or record all or portions of the events and functions at the Annual Meeting, including through audio and video recording, web streaming and photography, for the production of material distributed for a variety of purposes, including but not limited to educational, archival, commercial or promotional purposes (collectively known as the “Material”). By registering for the Annual Meeting, you irrevocably grant the ASA, its assignees and licensees permission to capture your image, likeness, name, biographical information, actions, performance, voice, conversations, quotes and material spoken (collectively, “Likeness”) through photography, video, or any other means, and publish, exhibit, display, reproduce, translate, modify, edit or otherwise use perpetually throughout the world, in all media now and hereafter known or devised, in whole or in part, your Likeness as captured in the Material. If you would like to decline permission for ASA to use your Likeness in the Material that is distributed for promotional purposes, you can request, in writing to [email protected], to be excluded and ASA will make a good faith effort to remove you from any of the Material that is published or otherwise publicly shared for promotional purposes.

You should be aware that recording by attendees during open sessions is a possibility as well as posting material discussing or relating to the Annual Meeting on social media. ASA requests that all attendees respect their colleagues and behave responsibly when engaging in recording and social media activities. ASA does not take responsibility for the manner in which attendees use privately recorded material. As a general rule, Annual Meeting sessions also are open to the press, who may report on discussions, quote participants and publish other information made available during the session.