It is only natural for humans to have different opinions on how a good community should function. This is especially true when people from various cultures come together to form a new community. To help us successfully work and study together, we the students and staff at the IMS (and that includes you) agree to this document outlining our shared values. The following rules are not hard and fast laws. They are what we have agreed upon ourselves and will be updated as needed.
The Code of Conduct happens to coincide with the official “Hausordnung” by the University of Stuttgart and German law in many points. Be warned that those points might be enforced by authorities.
§1 Motivation
The IMS provides several facilities to its members, e.g. lecture rooms, toilets, working places and kitchens.
We are aware that the usage of these facilities comes along with multiple rights and duties. For example, everyone has the same right to use the computer pool and everyone who uses the computers has the duty to follow the rules specified by the system administrators. We respect those rights and fulfill those duties.
We fulfill the associated duties proportionally based on our use of the facilities. For example those who drink coffee have a larger responsibility to keep the coffee machine clean than those who do not. However even if we don’t use one of the facilities often, we are still responsible for them when we use them.
We are responsible for our own behaviour. We clean up after ourselves. In case that we cannot fulfill our duties (e.g. we are in a hurry), we find a replacement, for example by asking other students, without needing external prompting.
In the following sections, we provide further detail on what duties and expectations we have for members of our community.
§2 Social Life at the IMS
We appreciate the social, cultural and religious diversity at the IMS and respect the differences between students including, but not limited to, their opinions, beliefs, and personalities.
We show consideration for others by respecting additionally their personal rights and goals.
We try to help each other when help is needed.
We support social and intellectual exchanges between IMS members. Because we are a small institute, we have the opportunity for a much closer relationship with faculty, staff, and fellow students.
While we encourage discussion and collaboration, we are careful this does not interfere with other people’s ability to learn or work. For example since the computer pool is used for group projects there are often discussions between group members, however loud or off-topic conversations can prevent other students in the pool from accomplishing their own work and therefore are better suited to other venues.
We respect when other people feel distracted or uncomfortable and search for solutions. For example when being loud in the computer pool disrupts other people’s ability to study, we moderate our tone or find somewhere else for our discussion. Or when our language or behavior is explicitly or implicitly discriminatory, we work to change so that all students have an equal chance to learn and feel comfortable at our institute.
§3 Respect of Public Spaces
We, as IMS members, all have the right to use shared IMS resources and to expect that they will be functional and clean.
We take care of shared resources, like the computer pool’s keyboards, headphones and displays. When we leave our working place, we make sure that the next person can use the resources without having to repair/clean them. This includes logging off when we have finished using a computer in the lab, removing coffee stains, throwing away even small pieces of trash and so on.
We keep the kitchen clean by using the cleaning supplies provided by the student representatives. When we spill something (e.g. coffee), we clean up the mess immediately. After using the dishes, we use the dishwasher or do the dishes by hand. If the dishes inside the dishwasher are clean, we either empty the dishwasher or do new dishes by hand.
We, as IMS members, all have the right to study or work in an appropriate working environment.
We make – and let other people make – use of the computer lab for homework, group work and other study-specific exercises. We use facilities other than the computer lab for lunch, party-like gatherings and loud music, especially if other people are trying to study.
We use noisy resources like the foosball table or the ping pong table only if no lecture or exam is taking place which could be distracted by the noise.
§4 Safety
All members of the IMS should feel comfortable inside the IMS building. Above all, this includes the protection of physical and mental wellbeing.
We discuss and resolve arguments in a non-physical and respectful manner.
We consume alcohol moderately and in such a way that we do not negatively impact the people around us. We do not enter the IMS building in a drunken state.
If we witness any kind of harassment or violence at the IMS, we get help by calling one of the emergency contacts below. This includes (but is not restricted to) physical and psychological violence, threatening and sexual harassment.
We report other mental abuse to the responsible authority (e.g for sexual harassment: https://www.student.uni-stuttgart.de/en/uni-a-to-z/Sexual-harassment/). This includes (but is not restricted to) physical, verbal and cyber bullying, defamation and discrimination.
Emergency Contact Phone Number Note
Campus Guards 0172 2528098 Official security service of the university
Police Station next door 0711 68690 Police station right next to the IMS
Police 110 Emergency only
Firefighters/Ambulance 112 Emergency only
§5 Self-Policing
We follow this code of conduct because we are aware of the problems that can result from not following it. By making use of the IMS facilities, everyone commits to this code of conduct. If we realise that someone violates this code of conduct, we will make the person aware of it, so we can provide a safe, respectful, and inclusive community for all of our fellow students, faculty, and staff.