All members of the UMCES community should observe the UMCES Principles of Conduct.  Crew members should also observe any specific rules established by leadership (e.g., principal investigators, crew leaders) to guide conduct and behavior in the field.

It is also expected that members of the UMCES community will observe cultural sensitivity.  Cultural sensitivity is a set of skills that enables us to learn about and understand people who are different from ourselves.  You may find yourself working with members of other cultures or your work may take you to areas where you may interact with people from different cultural backgrounds.  In both your verbal and nonverbal communication, it is important to be as clear, concise as possible.  Try to avoid using idioms that could cause misinterpretation of your message or could even be offensive to others.   Also avoid using emblematic gestures, like the peace sign or thumbs up, because these can mean different things in different cultures.