We uphold the following values in all interactions:

• Respect: Treat all members with dignity, regardless of background, gender, age, religion, or opinion.

• Integrity: Act honestly, transparently, and in the best interest of the community.

• Confidentiality: Protect the privacy of all scholars, mentors, and partners.

• Safety: Foster a safe, supportive, and harassment-free environment.

All community members are expected to:

• Communicate respectfully and constructively at all times.

• Avoid discriminatory, harassing, or abusive language or behaviour.

• Maintain appropriate professional boundaries between mentors, mentees, and peers.

• Represent OSF positively in both online and offline interactions.

• Report any conduct that breaches this code to the OSF administration team immediately.

As this platform stores personal and academic data, strict data governance applies:

• Confidentiality: Do not share, copy, download, or distribute any personal information, scholar results, or documents without explicit written consent from OSF.

• Access Control: Use your access credentials responsibly and never share them with others.

• Data Integrity: Do not alter, falsify, or misuse any data uploaded by scholars, mentors, or administrators.

• Secure Storage: If you must temporarily store sensitive files for mentoring or administrative purposes, use secure, password-protected systems and delete them once no longer needed.

• Legal Compliance: Follow all relevant data protection and privacy laws in Australia, Nigeria, and any other applicable jurisdiction.

For Mentors:

• Commit to supporting your mentee’s academic and professional development with honesty and care.

• Respect the boundaries of the mentoring relationship; refrain from requesting or offering inappropriate personal favours.

• Ensure all guidance is ethical, unbiased, and in the best interest of the mentee.

• Keep all discussions with mentees confidential unless explicit consent is given to share.

For Mentees:

• Engage actively and respectfully with your mentor.

• Honour scheduled sessions and communicate promptly if rescheduling is required.

• Use feedback constructively and remain open to learning.

• Respect your mentor’s time, privacy, and professional boundaries.

• The private member area must only be used for OSF and HNS-related activities.

• Commercial promotion, solicitation, or unrelated activities are not allowed.

• Members must not post harmful, misleading, or false information.

• Content shared should uphold the dignity and mission of OSF and Her Next Step

OSF is committed to safeguarding every member:

• Any form of harassment, bullying, exploitation, or abuse is strictly prohibited.

• Members must immediately report safeguarding concerns to OSF’s designated safeguarding officer.

• The wellbeing of scholars, especially female scholars and minors, is a priority, and members must always act with their best interests in mind.

• Members must disclose any potential conflicts of interest to OSF (e.g., financial, academic, or personal).

• Decisions, guidance, or influence must never be used for personal gain.

• Violations of this Code may result in:

• Temporary suspension of access to the private member area.

• Permanent removal from the OSF community.

• Referral to relevant authorities in cases of legal or safeguarding breaches.

Violations of this Code may result in:

• Temporary suspension of access to the private member area.

• Permanent removal from the OSF and Her Next Step communities.

• Referral to relevant authorities in cases of legal or safeguarding breaches.