Guidelines & Requirements
Ethics and Professional Conduct
Certified Ecologists shall conduct their activities in accordance with the Code of Ethics of the Ecological Society of America and with the highest standards of professional conduct and personal honor. Those who subscribe to the Code of Ethics are eligible for certification, provided they meet minimum education and experience requirements.
Guidelines & Requirements
Appeals Procedure
A decision of the Board of Professional Certification to deny certification may be appealed in writing to the ESA Governing Board. Details of the procedure are available upon request.
Disciplinary Procedure
The Board of Professional Certification, with approval of the Professional Ethics Committee, shall have the authority to censure a certificant, to suspend certification for a stated period, or to revoke certification on the finding that an individual has willfully violated the Code of Ethics or misrepresented the facts at the time of certification. Such a finding may be reached by concluding that an allegation of improper deportment is true.
Such an allegation may be presented to the Board in writing, by any member of the Ecological Society of America. Anonymous allegations will not be entertained. Anyone named a party to such proceeding shall be informed in a timely manner of the evidence brought forward and be given an opportunity to respond to the allegations. The Board will forward all material to the Professional Ethics Committee. After review of the case by the Committee and the board, the Board will render a written decision informing the certified ecologist, the individual who initiated the allegation, and the Governing Board. Any such action of the Board may be appealed to the Governing Board, whose decision will be final.
