Opening Statement

As a committee dedicated to social justice and addressing issues of social power dynamics, the JEDI committee is committed to reducing power hierarchies in its efforts and among its members. This includes understanding each other as peers and honoring multiple ways of knowing. The group prioritizes the voices of people whose voices are historically marginalized or oppressed (e.g. people of color, people with disabilities, LGBTQ+ people, etc.). In addition, the voices of members of the committee are not prioritized on status in the academy (undergraduate/graduate student, level of attained education), the industry in which they are based (sex educator, practitioner, researcher), or their level of experience in the field of sex and sexuality studies. If or when a member expresses a concern that these or other power dynamics are operative in the meetings or efforts of JEDI, members will not be retaliated against (e.g. silenced or dismissed) and the committee will work collectively to affirm these concerns and remain attentive of the issue in the future.

This document describes our community standards and operating procedures. This statement may be revised per the procedures outlined below.

JEDI Leadership Roles
Roles Descriptions (the current durations are preliminary, warrant future discussion, and may change as JEDI membership changes)

● Chair

○ Term: 1 year
○ Sets the agenda
○ Maintains larger vision for JEDI committee
○ Distributes meeting agenda to JEDI membership.
○ Documents contextual information about interpersonal processes when representative of problematic conflict,
○ Holds 1 on 1 meetings in cases of ongoing conflict.
○ Communication with SSSS community
○ Takes care of JEDI membership rolls (welcomes new members, meets with missing members)
○ Schedules meetings

● Board Liaison

○ Term: 1 year
○ Duties: on SSSS board, collaborate with Board members on initiatives

● Conference and Programming Chair

○ Term: 1 year
○ Coordinates Conference symposium
○ Coordinates JEDI conference designations and abstracts
○ Develops programming for SSSS conference, collaborates with Chair and board liaison

● Meeting Facilitator

○ Moves the\agenda forward during meetings
○ Facilitates discussion of agenda items
○ Sends out anonymous voting polls (see voting process below)

● Reflexive Practice Facilitator

○ Ensures we have one reflexive practice each quarter (every season)
○ Organizes reflective practice

● Note keeper

○ Writes meeting minutes/notes
○ Notes agenda items not discussed for next meeting agenda

Community Standards and Operating Procedures
The following standard operating procedures may be revised and up for discussion once roles have been verified and fulfilled.

● Meeting Process and Participation

○ Attendance

■ Regular attendance at biweekly meetings
■ Missing two consecutive meetings warrants a check-in with Chair to discuss

○ Commitment to reflexive practice

■ Attendance to ½ of committee meetings to discuss our individual efforts against white supremacy (quarterly)

○ Agreement to shared definitions and language

■ Tentative place to start are definitions available at https://www.racialequitytools.org/glossary
■ The definitions we adopt are subject to change; They are iterative and fluid

○ Engagement

■ Respond to request for document review with comments or an affirmation of review by given deadline

● Decision Making

○ Voting

■ Motion to vote can occur during meetings
■ Other votes are executed outside of meetings and completed anonymously, as needed
■ Members are given a deadline by which to vote
■ After the deadline, the majority vote is the decision
■ The voting survey is constructed by and distributed by SSSS (Sarah) to committee members

● Stalemate

○ In the event that the committee is unable to reach an in-meeting consensus (e.g., the agenda has been derailed), a motion can be put forward to place the matter to a committee vote that will be executed outside of the meeting and completed by the time of the next meeting
○ Any member can put forth this motion
○ The motion includes whether to vote on the topic in meeting or after the meeting (majority conclusion)

● Conflict

○ In the event of group conflict centered on one member, the community will act in one of the following ways

■ Addressing it in the meeting
■ 1 on 1 meeting afterward between Chair or another identified member
■ 1 on 1 meetings will be noted in attendance spreadsheet
■ Multiple incidents will lead to request to depart group

● Power

○ If we notice issues of an “ism” we are committed to speaking to it
○ Do not expect those holding the identity to speak up – Stand in solidarity

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