The Imperial College Dance Club (ICDC) is fully committed to safeguarding and promoting the well-being of all its members to ensure a positive and enjoyable experience. All those involved in ICDC activities, whether they are involved as participants, coaches, officials, or spectators, are therefore required to adhere to the standards of behaviour set out within this Code of Conduct and to support the mission of ICDC. This Code of Conduct has been developed to ensure the highest possible standards of competition and sportsmanship as well as promoting fairness, honesty, and positive behaviour in relation to the conduct of all those representing ICDC, in accordance with the Imperial College Union Safe Spacy Policy and Clubs, Societies and Projects Policy.

Our commitment

ICDC respect the rights, dignity and worth of every person involved in its activities. ICDC is committed to team members enjoying dance sport in an environment free from discrimination, intimidation, harassment (sexual or otherwise) and abuse. ICDC believes that it is the responsibility of all its members to challenge discriminatory behaviour and promote equality of opportunity.

Affiliations

ICDC is governed by the Imperial College Union. This Code of Conduct is in addition to, and by no means replaces, the standards set by the Imperial College Union.

ICDC is also affiliated with the Inter Varsity Dance Association (IVDA) and the Southern Universities’ Dance Association (SUDA) and abides by their regulations regarding their respective competitions.

Standards of Behaviour

Members of ICDC are solely responsible for their conduct when representing Imperial and the Dance Club. Members must therefore:

• Respect the rights, dignity, and values of others;
• Operate within the rules of the sport;
• Treat facilities, staff and students at Imperial College and other institutions with respect and abide by any rules that may apply;
• Respect the coaches and their teaching methods; in the event of an issue, to raise this with the Team Captain after the class;
• Be aware of how their actions may be perceived by others;
• Maintain high standards of personal behaviour at all times;
• Conduct themselves in a reasonable manner relating to offensive language and temperament;
• Refrain from any form of bullying or harassment of others. Harassment is any offensive conduct including, but not limited to, that based on a person`s race, sex, gender identity, national origin, colour, disability, age, sexual orientation, marital status, religion, or any other status protected by law;
• Respect the decisions of officials, making all appeals through the appropriate formal process and respecting the final decision;
• Not condone, or allow to go unchallenged, any form of bullying, discrimination, or harassment (sexual or otherwise) if witnessed;
• Refrain from the use of and involvement with illegal substances at all times;
• Not act in an unlawful manner;
• Not encourage or pressure others into acting against the code;
• Understand the repercussions of any breaches of this Code of Conduct.

Anti-Doping

Members of the Club must adhere to the requirements of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) code.

Please note that Team Members could potentially be subject to random testing during competitions, particularly those competing at National Level and above. Dancers caught with banned substances in their system will be subject to disciplinary proceedings.

Publications, Internet and Social Media

ICDC wishes to promote the club positively both within the University and externally. It recognises that its publications, online, print, and social media are important tools in recruiting new members and engaging with alumni and potential sponsors. It is the responsibility of all ICDC members to manage their personal social media presence responsibly. As such, in publications of or in relation to the team, all members are responsible for ensuring that they:

• Refrain from publishing abusive or defamatory comments about other clubs, players, or judges and any controversial or potentially inflammatory subjects.

• Avoid hostile or harassing communications in any posts or other online communications.

Social Events

Social functions form an important part of a club’s activities. ICDC is committed to ensuring that all students are able and encouraged to participate in student activities in an atmosphere free from discrimination or fear. As such, ICDC will aim to organise a range of social events that are as inclusive as possible. Members should be aware that:

• Participation in any social activity is completely optional.
• They must not force others to participate in social events run by ICDC and can opt out without fear of undue pressure, reprisal, or any other form of discrimination at any point.

Dancers of Other Universities

You are welcome to attend classes at ICDC even if you are a student from another university that has a student dance sport society. However, we will expect you to renounce from representing your original society at competitions while you are taking classes at Imperial in favour of representing Imperial instead, even if the competition regulations would only allow you to do so to a lesser extent than if you were to represent your original society.

Breaches of the Code of Conduct

Breaches of the Code of Conduct will be dealt with informally by the Team Captain in the first instance.

Should a serious breach or repeated breaches of the Code of Conduct be identified, the Team Captain, in consultation with the Dance Club President, may suspend a member from Team activities pending further investigation. If deemed a serious breach of the code, it will be escalated to the Union.

In the event that they are no longer permitted to be part of the Team, they are required to return all equipment, documents and finances belonging to the Club within 7 days. They will not be entitled to any full or partial refund of annual subscriptions.

If the excluded or suspended member wishes to appeal the decision, that appeal should be made to the President. An appeal as to the process of exclusion, but not a further investigation into the facts, may be lodged with the Union.

Welfare

ICDC takes the welfare of its members seriously. Any member of the Team that has any concerns regarding their welfare or those of others involved in Team or Club activities can discuss these, in confidence, by emailing the Team Captain.

Individuals can always contact the Union Welfare Officer. Additionally, members can lodge comments and complaints directly to the Union.