The Greater Vancouver Interactive Arts Society (“GVIAS”) is not-for-profit corporation created under the BC Societies Act to promote community-based interactive arts in British Columbia. GVIAS is lead by a Board of Directors who are elected by its Members and who govern in accordance with GVIAS’s by-laws (the “Directors”). The Directors are supported by Members who are organized in Committees to carry out GVIAS’s activities and priorities (the “Committee Members”).
The purpose of this Agreement is to ensure that all Directors and all Committee Members are aware of the minimum standards of conduct required by GVIAS and agree to uphold them. Agreement to these standards is a condition to serving GVIAS as a Director or as a Committee Member. This Agreement is compatible and in accordance with the BC Societies Act and with GVIAS’s bylaws.
Confidentiality
The principle of Civic Responsibility guides us to assume responsibility for public welfare and to
conduct ourselves in accordance with local laws. GVIAS’s Directors and Committee Members are entrusted with access to confidential information, and it is incumbent on each of us manage that access responsibly, with public welfare and local laws in mind.
Directors and Committee Members may receive access to personal information held by GVIAS in the course of their duties. Personal information may include names, phone numbers, addresses, email addresses, social media handles, and other identifying information of volunteers, participants, staff, donors, grant recipients, and other individuals and companies.
Directors and Committee Members may also receive access to operational information created by or held by GVIAS for its regular operations. Directors may receive extremely personal and private information about individuals through Conduct Committee assessments and vetting for leadership applicants. Directors and Committee Members may receive operational information such as banking and payment information, financial information, internal communications, human resources records, legal advice, draft documents, and other information which may or may not be labeled ‘confidential’.
The type of confidential information (including personal and operational information) that you have access to may vary based on your role and the role of your Committee generally. You are not restricted from speaking about GVIAS generally, its events and activities once publicly announced, nor your role and the role of your Committee generally.
It is essential that GVIAS, through its Directors and Committee Members, protects from unauthorized disclosure confidential information.
Towards that end, by signing below you agree to:
- Respect the privacy of your fellow Directors, Committee Members, volunteers, and community members.
- Not share (internally or externally) or use the personal information collected by GVIAS for any purpose other than what it was gathered for, or as may be required by law.
- Protect, and refrain from disclosing to others, including to GVIAS members, confidential information (including operational information), unless specifically authorized by the Directors to do so, or unless required by court order.
- Take care to ensure that others do not overhear discussions of confidential information and that documents containing confidential information are not left in the open or inadvertently shared. Use your best efforts to store all documents related to your role as a Director or Committee Member in the GVIAS Google drives and take care in managing Google document sharing to ensure confidential information is not shared inadvertently.
- If information is not marked confidential or you were not told directly it is confidential, use your best judgment to decide if information you have is confidential, erring on the side of caution.
- If you are uncertain if information is confidential, check with the president of the Board of Directors, or the Director assigned as your Committee liaison, before disclosing it to anyone.
Code of Conduct – Committees and Board of Directors
The principles of Communal Effort guides us to value creative cooperation and collaboration, Participation guides us to promote deeply personal participation, and Radical Inclusion guides us to welcome a wide variety of participants.
These principles sometimes come into conflict when a diverse group of individuals come together in service of a goal larger than any individual. Directors and Committee Members are visible representatives of GVIAS in our community and beyond, and it is incumbent on each of us to adhere to a Code of Conduct that puts the interests of GVIAS over any individual interest. Towards that end, by signing below you agree to:
- Review and adhere to the GVIAS participant Code of Conduct: https://gvias.org/participant- code-of-conduct;
- Treat your fellow Directors, Committee Members, volunteers and community members with consideration and respect;
- Refrain from speaking on behalf of GVIAS unless specifically authorized by the Directors to do so;
- Refrain from discussing GVIAS business outside of GVIAS meetings with others in a way that creates division or limits free and open discussion;
- Refrain from disclosing internal GVIAS communications and deliberations to the public;
- Refrain from making disparaging comments about other Directors, Committee Members, or Members at large;
- Support and explain GVIAS’s decisions, even if you would have arrived at a different decision;
- Act within the law, and follow any policies and procedures adopted by the Directors;
- Disclose to GVIAS any actual or potential conflicts of interest promptly when they arise. The appearance of a conflict can be as important as an actual conflict, so err on the side of disclosure;
- Abstain from any decision-making, such as decisions on grant applications and vendor contracts, where you may monetarily profit from the decision being made; and
- Abstain from any decision-making where due to a personal or professional relationship you are not a neutral, or impartial, decision-maker.
Privacy
The principle of Consent guides us to respect the autonomy of the individual who has the right to make their own choice about, amongst other things, their privacy. GVIAS necessarily requires some personal information about its Directors and Committee Members, such as names, playa names, contact information, and social media handles, for operational purposes.
By signing below, you are consenting to GVIAS’s collection and use of your personal information for the following purposes:
