Code of Conduct

AWI Online Community Rules & Guidelines

Thank you for being part of our online interactive AWI community. To ensure the best possible experience for all participants, AWI has established Rules and Guidelines for participation.

By joining and using this online community, you agree that you have read and will adhere to the Rules and Guidelines. You also agree to reserve discussions, shared files and content to materials and formats best suited to the online community medium. This is a great medium to solicit, receive and share advice from your peers, benefit from their experience, and participate in an ongoing conversation. Questions relating to AWI Membership should be directed to our Member Services department via the Contact Us link on this site. Questions about woodwork standards and woodwork technical questions should be directed to our helpdesk.

Please take a moment to acquaint yourself with these important Rules and Guidelines. If you have questions about the AWI Communities Site, contact the member services department. In order to preserve a climate that encourages both civil and beneficial dialogue, AWI reserves the right to suspend or terminate an individual’s participation in AWI’s online community for willful violation of our online Community Rules and Guidelines.

ARCHITECTURAL WOODWORK INSITITUE
WEBSITE LISTSERV and COMMUNITY RULES AND CONDITIONS

The following are the rules and conditions of participation in the AWI Association’s listserv. By subscribing to and participating in this listserv, users hereby agree to be bound by and warrant their full compliance with the following terms of participation:

This listserv is a service provided by the Architectural Woodwork Institute (“AWI”) in furtherance of its nonprofit and tax-exempt purposes. This listserv may be used only by AWI members and only for the purpose of discussing matters related to or arising out of the architectural woodwork industry/profession.

AWI accepts no responsibility for the opinions and information posted on this listserv by others. AWI disclaims all warranties with regard to information posted on this listserv, whether posted by AWI or others; this disclaimer includes all implied warranties of merchantability and fitness. In no event shall AWI be liable for any special, indirect or consequential damages, or damages of any kind whatsoever, resulting from loss of use, data or profits, arising out of or in connection with the use or performance of any information posted on this listserv.

  • Do not post any defamatory, abusive, profane, threatening, offensive, or illegal information or material, and do not utilize the listserv in any illegal manner.
  • Do not post any information or other material protected by copyright without the permission of the copyright owner.
  • Do not use any words, logos or other marks that would infringe upon the trademark, service mark, certification mark, or other intellectual property rights of the owners of such marks without the permission of such owners.
  • Do not post any confidential information or any information that would infringe upon the proprietary, privacy or personal rights of others.
  • Do not post any information or other material that constitutes or could reasonably be construed as constituting advertising, marketing, solicitation of business, vending, attempting to sell or promote products or services, or otherwise engaging in or attempting to consummate commercial or professional transactions.
  • Do not post job advertisements or openings or attempt to hire employees away from other AWI member companies.
Listserv postings are a reflection of the mission and values of the AWI organization. Post contrary to the AWI mission and values, and posts identified as prohibited above will be removed.

By posting material, the posting party warrants and represents that it owns the copyright with respect to such material, has received permission from the copyright owner, and/or that the material is in the public domain. The posting party further warrants and represents that it otherwise has the full and unencumbered right to post such material and that such posting will not infringe any rights or interests of others. In addition, the posting party grants AWI and users of this listserv a non-exclusive, perpetual, irrevocable license to display, copy, publish, distribute, transmit, print, and use such information or material in any manner, without payment to the posting party.

This listserv shall not be utilized in any manner that violates federal or state antitrust laws or other laws prohibiting anticompetitive practices. The antitrust laws generally prohibit any agreement or understanding inconsistent with the right and obligation of competitors to exercise independent business judgment in pricing their products or services, dealing with their customers and suppliers, and selecting the markets in which to compete, among other business practices. No express agreement or understanding is required; one can be inferred from statements or conduct. Do not post any information regarding specific prices or fees charged or paid, and do not post any information concerning prices, pricing practices, discounts, or other terms or conditions of sale either obtained by or offered to another entity. Do not post any information concerning market shares, salaries, costs, sales territories, profit margins, or encouraging the selection or rejection of customers or suppliers.

All postings shall be of an informational nature and for informational purposes only. Commercial use or any other unauthorized use of this listserv is prohibited. Do not use the listserv to solicit or conduct business, including the direct or indirect marketing of users’ products or services, in any manner. The listserv may not be used to provide information, materials, products, or services in exchange for compensation of any kind.

AWI does not generally monitor this listserv for inappropriate postings and does not on its own undertake editorial control of postings. However, in the event that any inappropriate posting or unauthorized use of the listserv is brought to AWI's attention, including but not limited to prohibited posting and usage as outlined herein, AWI will take appropriate action. AWI reserves the right to terminate, without prior notice, the listserv access of any user who does not abide by these guidelines.

In accordance with the policy outlined above AWI will utilize the following progressive discipline policy to improve and prevent a recurrence of undesirable behavior relating to listserv postings. AWI reserves the right to combine or skip steps depending on the facts of each situation and the nature of the offense. Some of the factors that will be considered are whether the offense is repeated despite previous counseling or discussions related to the matter; the participant's past AWI record; and the impact the conduct has on the organization as a whole. Nothing in this policy provides any contractual rights, nor should anything in this policy be read or construed as modifying or altering the other stated rights of AWI.

Step 1: Counseling and verbal warning

Step 1 creates an opportunity for AWI to bring attention to the existing conduct or issue. At the direction of the Committee Chair, the Executive Vice President (EVP) of AWI should discuss with the member the nature of the problem or the violation. The EVP is expected to clearly describe expectations and steps the member must take to resolve the problem. Within five business days, the EVP will prepare written documentation of the verbal counseling and email it the member of the AWI Board Leadership Team.

Step 2: 30-day suspension and written warning

The Step 2 written warning involves more-formal documentation of the conduct or issues and consequences. During Step 2, at the direction of the Committee Chair, the EVP and a member of the AWI Board Leadership Team, will schedule a meeting with the member, via video or phone conference to review any additional incidents or information about the conduct or issues as well as any prior relevant corrective action plans. Leadership will outline the consequences for the member of his or her continued failure to meet conduct expectations. During this step, the member will be suspended from participating in listserv activities for a period of 30 days.

A formal performance improvement plan (PIP) requiring the member's immediate and sustained

corrective action will be issued within five business days of a Step 2 meeting. The written warning may also include a statement indicating that the employee may be subject to additional discipline, up to and including permanent removal from participating in listserv activities, if immediate and sustained corrective action is not taken.

Step 3: Permanent suspension and final written notice

Some performance, conduct or incidents are so problematic and harmful that the most effective action may be the immediate removal of the member's participation in all listserv activities. When immediate removal is necessary due to a gross violation of this policy; the EVP may suspend the member pending the results of an investigation. Suspensions recommended as part of the normal sequence of the progressive discipline policy and procedures are subject to approval from the Board Leadership Team. The member may be suspended permanently by a majority vote of the Board of Directors.

ARCHITECTURAL WOODWORK INSTITUTE 

ANTITRUST STATEMENT

 

A free exchange of ideas on matters of mutual interest to architectural woodwork manufacturers, architects and design professionals, suppliers, customers and others is necessary for the success of AWI meetings and activities. However, in carrying on our AWI activities and meetings we must be mindful of the antitrust laws. We are a group of competitors. The antitrust laws require that competition be open and unrestricted. The antitrust laws forbid agreements or joint actions, which by intention, or by their effect whatever the intention, restrain trade. Agreements or joint actions which can restrain trade, and thus must be avoided, include:

  • Anything regarding price, or any terms of sale.

  • Restrictions regarding production, territories, markets, customers or products.

  • Refusals to deal with competitors or others in any part of the industry.

  • Limitations on access to the industry and the market and its mechanisms including the AWI standard systems.

 

The last area is probably the most important area for us to be aware of from the antitrust standpoint. In what we do in formulating standards and in implementing them we need to be sure we do not restrain or prevent access in the industry and marketplace. In formal meetings, informal sessions, and in casual conversations, and in written documents, it is very important to avoid the subjects mentioned above.It is important to adhere to the prepared written agendas in meetings.

Antitrust compliance is a continuous necessity, and a day to day endeavor. If at any time you have any question from the trade restraint standpoint, please confer with AWI counsel.

General Guidelines:

Any defamatory, abusive, profane, threatening, offensive, or illegal materials are strictly prohibited. Do not post anything that you would not want the world to see or that you would not want anyone to know came from you. Willful violation of this provision will result in an individual’s removal and termination from future participation in AWI’s online community. 

      Don't challenge or attack others. The discussions and comments are meant to stimulate conversation not to create contention. Let others have their opinion and say, just as you may.

      Don't post commercial messages on any discussion list, resource library entry, or other area where others might see it. Contact people directly with product and service information if you believe it would help them.

      Use restraint and caution when discussing specific products by name. Information posted on the lists and in the libraries is available for all to see, and comments are subject to libel, slander, and antitrust laws.

Please note carefully all items listed in the disclaimer and legal rules below, particularly regarding the copyright ownership of information posted.

  • Remember that other participants have the right to reproduce postings to this site unless you specify otherwise.
  • Post your message or documents only to the most appropriate lists or libraries. Do not spam several lists or libraries with the same message.
  • All messages must add to the body of knowledge. We reserve the right to reject any message for any reason.

    Etiquette Guidelines for participation in Discussion Group

  • Include a signature tag on all messages. Include your name, affiliation, location.
  • State concisely and clearly the topic of your comments in the subject line. This allows members to respond more appropriately to your posting and makes it easier for members to search the archives by subject.
  • Include only the relevant portions of the original message in your reply. Delete any header information, and put your response before the original posting.
  • Only send a message to the entire list when it contains information that everyone can benefit from.
  • Send messages such as "thanks for the information" or "me, too" to individuals-not to the entire list. Do this by using the "Reply to Sender" link to the left of every message.
  • Do not send administrative messages, such as remove me from the list. Instead, use the web interface to change your settings or to remove yourself from a list. If you are changing e-mail addresses, you do not need to remove yourself from the list and rejoin under your new e-mail address. Simply change your settings.
  • Warn other list subscribers of lengthy messages either in the subject line or at the beginning of the message body with a line that says "Long Message."

Privacy Policy

We respect your privacy.  Any personal information you provide to us including and similar to your name, address, telephone number and e-mail address will not be released, sold, or rented to any entities or individuals outside of our organization except as noted below.

With whom we do share information collected through this site:

Our Service Providers.

We may share your personal information with companies (including our affiliates) that perform services on our behalf, for example, companies that help process credit card payments. Our service providers are required by contract to protect the confidentiality of the personal information we share with them and to use it only to provide specific services on our behalf. 

Business Transfers.

 Your personal information may be transferred to another entity (either an affiliated entity or an unrelated third party) in connection with a merger, reorganization, dissolution or similar corporate event. If such a transfer were ever to occur, the acquiring entity’s use of your personal information will still be subject to this Privacy Policy.

Government and Legal Disclosures

We may disclose the personal information we collect through this Site, when we, in good faith, believe disclosure is appropriate to comply with the law (or a court order or subpoena); to prevent or investigate a possible crime, such as fraud or identity theft; to enforce our Terms and Conditions or other agreements that govern your use of this Site; or to protect the rights, property or safety of our company, our users, or others.

External Sites

We are not responsible for the content of external internet sites. You are advised to read the privacy policy of external sites before disclosing any personal information.

Cookies

A "cookie" is a small data text file that is placed in your browser and allows us to recognize you each time you visit this site (personalization, etc.). Cookies themselves do not contain any personal information, and we do not use cookies to collect personal information. Cookies may also be used by 3rd party content providers such as newsfeeds.

Remember the risks whenever you use the internet!

While we do our best to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee the security of any information that you transmit to us and you are solely responsible for maintaining the secrecy of any passwords or other account information.

In addition other Internet sites or services that may be accessible through our site have separate data and privacy practices independent of us, and therefore we disclaim any responsibility or liability for their policies or actions.

Please contact those vendors and others directly if you have any questions about their privacy policies. For any other information please contact us using the While we do our best to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee the security of any information that you transmit to us and you are solely responsible for maintaining the secrecy of any passwords or other account information.

In addition other Internet sites or services that may be accessible through our site have separate data and privacy practices independent of us, and therefore we disclaim any responsibility or liability for their policies or actions.

Please contact those vendors and others directly if you have any questions about their privacy policies. For any other information please contact us using the Contact Us page.