Guidelines for SWS Listservs, Disclaimer, and Reporting Procedure
Created: March 2024 by SWS Council
Updated: May 2025 by SWS Council
To send an email to the general SWS listserv, send an email to this address:
listserv@sws.memberclicks.net
All SWS-sponsored listservs are required to follow the information in this document.
LIST MEMBERSHIP: The SWS listservs are a professional tool reserved for active members (members who have paid their yearly membership fee). Annual SWS listserv membership averages about one thousand subscribers.
OVERSIGHT: A listserv is not mandated by SWS Bylaws. SWS does not have the capacity to undertake editorial control or monitoring of postings. Members are expected to engage the listserv as a professional tool of communication.
A reminder for all members that none of what is posted on the listserv is an endorsement from SWS. Each year when the listserv membership is renewed after the Winter Meeting, the Administrative Officer will remind all current SWS members of these guidelines.
GUIDELINES: These guidelines are available to view on the SWS Member Portal (must sign in to view). The SWS listservs are unmoderated. Any subscriber can post directly to the list.
The vast majority of listserv posts fall into four categories: (1) job postings; (2) research opportunities for members; (3) sharing relevant scholarly publications; and (4) seeking feminist research and pedagogical advice.
Not all items should go on a listserv. Think and pause, before you post.
Not permissible:
- Libeling, targeting, or slandering others; making critical commentary about individual members on the listserv can be considered a form of harassment, bullying, insensitive, or mean-spirited
- The use of racist, xenophobic, transphobic and other disparaging language.
- Selling, fundraising, or marketing products, services, or other organizations, including other association’s conferences or initiatives.
- Violating antitrust laws
- Sharing of news articles from US news outlets, such as the Washington Post or New York Times, unless authored by an SWS member. Please note that Wendy Christensen, SWS Communications Coordinator, sends members a news digest. Members can share relevant news items with Wendy directly (sws-communications@socwomen.org).
Remember your email may be in a state or country that has extremely broad public access records. Academic freedom is not universally protected.
Members should never communicate with SWS Council or the Executive Office through the listserv.
Disclaimer, Legal Rules, and Reporting Procedures
SWS is a 501 (c)(6) organization that “operates primarily to promote the common business interests of its members. SWS offers member benefits and does not presently meet the requirements to be classified as a “public charity” that would make SWS eligible to apply for 501 (c)(3) tax-exempt status.”
The listservs are provided as a benefit for SWS members. Posts by individual SWS members should not be viewed as reflective of the association’s views or values nor an endorsement of any kind. Many of the posts may not be of interest to you.
SWS shall not be liable for any damages whatsoever resulting from loss of listserv use nor posts by individual members that are clearly not permissible.
The SWS Council and Executive Office do not actively moderate the listservs nor have any interest in controlling what each member decides to post. However, in the event that a concerning post is brought to the attention of SWS Council by a member, the Council and the Executive Office will deliberate to determine the appropriate action.
The SWS Executive Office created a reporting submissions form for members to share a concerning or offensive email/post shared on the listserv; the form will ask for your name, the date(s) of the message/post, and a brief explanation. Anonymous reporting is not allowed. You’ll receive an email confirmation of receipt of your submission.
The SWS Council and Executive Office will first review the submission and decide on an appropriate action to be communicated with the subscriber (the person who posted, not the person who submitted a report) via email. If there is a conflict of interest and/or an inability to make a decision, then an external consultant will be hired to provide a recommendation. Actions may include:
- No action against the subscriber (post determined to be allowed under guidelines);
- Warning to the subscriber explaining the misuse of the SWS listserv guidelines, explaining the specific guideline(s) the subscriber neglected to follow, with a note that continuing to share such posts will escalate the response;
- If particularly egregious or if a subscriber continues to send inappropriate messages even after a warning, the subscriber will be suspended from the list-serv for the duration of at least one month;
- Repeat offenders are liable to be suspended from the listserv for longer periods of time (over 30 days) or permanently removed from the listserv.
On behalf of the SWS Council, the SWS President and the SWS Executive Office will communicate via email with the person who reported the post, after the report has been reviewed and an outcome finalized. This email will explain one of two outcomes:
- How and why the post did not violate guidelines; or
- How and why the post did violate guidelines. However, the action outcome for the subscriber will not be shared to protect privacy and confidentiality.