Ethics

Each member of CEDIA shall agree to adhere to the following:

Provide to all persons truthful and accurate information with respect to the professional performance of duties.

Maintain the highest standards of personal conduct to bring credit to the custom electronic and design industry.

Promote and encourage the highest level of ethics within the profession.

Recognize and discharge by responsibility, to uphold all laws and regulations relating to CEDIA policies and activities.

Strive for excellence in all aspects of the industry.

Use only legal and ethical means in all industry activities.

Protect the public against fraud and unfair practices and attempt to eliminate from CEDIA all practices which bring discredit to the profession.

Use written contracts clearly stating all charges, services, products and other essential information.

Demonstrate respect for every professional within the industry by clearly stating and consistently performing at or above the standards acceptable to the industry.

Make a commitment to increase professional growth and knowledge by attending educational programs recommended, but not limited to, those prescribed by CEDIA.

Contribute knowledge to professional meetings and journals to raise the consciousness of the industry.

Maintain the highest standards of safety and any other responsibilities.

When providing services or products, maintain in full force adequate or appropriate insurance.

Cooperate with professional colleagues, suppliers and employees to provide the highest quality service.

Extend these same professional commitments to all those persons supervised or employed.

Subscribe to CEDIA' s Principles of Conduct and Ethics and abide by the CEDIA Bylaws.

CEDIA Ethics Grievance Procedures

Any complaint against a CEDIA member, whether by a member or non-member, shall be initiated by the filing of a complaint in writing and submitted to CEDIA Headquarters to the attention of the CEDIA Executive Director. The complaint must be brought to the attention of CEDIA Headquarters within one year of the date of the alleged unethical behavior.

Upon receipt of the complaint, Headquarters staff shall log it, making note of the date received, and may contact the parties in an attempt to resolve the situation by serving as an intermediary between the complainant and the accused. If no resolution is met, within fourteen days of the complaint being logged in, CEDIA shall send a copy of the complaint to the accused. Headquarters shall request the accused to submit a response to the complaint to CEDIA Headquarters. The accused shall submit any response to the complaint to CEDIA Headquarters within fourteen days of the date the complaint was mailed to the accused. Should the accused be unable to respond in a timely manner due to illness, disability or other extraordinary circumstance, a single extension of up to twenty days may be granted by the Ethics Committee.

Headquarters shall send both the complaint and the response to the Chairperson of the Ethics Committee. The Ethics Committee shall review the documents. If the Ethics Committee has enough information to render a decision, the Committee shall do so and shall notify both parties. If the Committee does not have enough information, the Committee may request additional written information or hold a hearing (telephonic or otherwise) or both. If a hearing is held, the committee shall do so in a manner and under rules determined by the Ethics Committee, allowing both sides to appear and to present their evidence and their arguments. When the Committee reaches its decision whether the Code of Ethics has been violated, the Committee shall render an opinion. If no violation is found, the Committee shall notify both parties, and the complainant may appeal the decision to the CEDIA Board of Directors within fourteen days of the date the notice is mailed. If no appeal is filed, the matter is closed.

If the Ethics Committee determines that a violation has occurred, it shall notify both parties, and it may recommend any punishment, up to and including expulsion from the association, to the CEDIA Board of Directors. The Board of Directors may assess such punishment as it determines. Either party may appeal the Ethics Committee’s decision to the CEDIA Board of Directors within fourteen days of the date notice of the decision is mailed. Any appeal to the Board of Directors may be determined with or without hearing, under such rules as the Board may determine. The Board may stay any punishment during appeal.

The Board of Directors shall render a decision as to any appeal, which decision shall be final, as to violation and punishment, if any. The Board shall notify both parties of its determination.

The Ethics Committee may alter the foregoing time deadlines if it determines that the complaint requires shorter or longer time periods.

These rules may be amended at any time by the Ethics Committee and/or the Board of Directors, consistent with the CEDIA Bylaws.