Co-Creating a Roadmap for Ethical Research and Practice in the Arts and Design
Nov 19, 2026 3:00-4:00pm Eastern/noon-1:00pm Pacific
Join is for the second session in a two-part online series on research ethics in partnership with AICAD, the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design.
Research is playing an expanding role in arts and design education, so it’s essential that the creative disciplines have clearly defined parameters and practices to ensure the ethical and equitable treatment of the individuals we work with and the communities in which we situate this work. Federal laws and general practice guidelines are in place to provide ethical oversight and quality control for conducting research involving humans in the medical and scientific disciplines. At a2ru institutions, as at many institutions of higher education throughout North America, this need for oversight is generally met by an Institutional Review Board (IRB) in the US or a Review of Ethics Board (REB) in Canada. However, the rules and guidelines developed for research in scientific disciplines may not always be the best fit for more creative disciplines. At the same time, many small, specialized schools, like AICAD institutions, may lack a formal body or process to review research involving humans. This absence can result in moral, ethical, and legal vulnerabilities, as well as general conflict and confusion.
This two-part online series seeks to inspire collaboration between a2ru and AICAD to address these challenges.
In this first session, “Considering Frameworks for Ethical Research in Creative Practice,” Sean and Joanne will present their ongoing work with the AICAD Working Committee on the Ethical Conduct of Research to address these gaps.
In this second session, “Co-Creating a Roadmap for Ethical Research and Practice in the Arts and Design,” a2ru members are invited to participate in an open dialogue where they can share their experiences conducting research and working with IRBs at their institutions, collaborate with AICAD members to explore the idea of a “duty of care,” and help to develop guiding principles for engaging in ethical, respectful, and constructive practice with individuals and communities. We believe that these guidelines need to reflect our shared values, so they must emerge from a participatory practice. We also hope participants find a supportive community of colleagues.
Registration
Please note: Interested individuals need to register separately for each of the two sessions.
Registration is free for a2ru individual members and faculty, students, and staff at a2ru institutional members; registration for this series is also free for AICAD members. Please use your institutional email when registering.
Non-member registration is $20; non-member student registration is $10.
Presenters
Joanne Kersh is the Director of Research for the Association of Independent Colleges of Art & Design (AICAD). Since 2013, she has developed and directed strategic research initiatives that support AICAD’s mission to help strengthen its member institutions individually and collectively and to advocate for the value of an education in the arts and design. Her work has focused on documenting long-term career trajectories of arts and design alumni and on developing ethical frameworks for arts and design research and practice. Prior to joining AICAD in 2013, Joanne was a senior research associate at the University of Massachusetts Boston, where she worked closely with public schools and educational non-profit agencies to develop and evaluate programs that promoted equitable educational opportunities. She has a PhD in Developmental and Educational Psychology from Boston College, a Master’s degree in Educational Research from Northeastern University, and a Bachelor’s degree from New York University.