Research & Training Blog
LCIRT Staff Participate in the Development of the New AHEAD Code of Ethics
LCIRT Staff Participate in the Development of the New AHEAD Code of Ethics
Introduction
For the last year, a team consisting of Dr. Adam Lalor (Landmark College), Dr. Lyman Dukes III (University of South Florida), Dr. Sally Scott (AHEAD), Lourdes Quinones (University of South Florida), and Dr. Joseph Madaus (University of Connecticut) have been working to develop a revised and updated AHEAD Code of Ethics. In July 2021 the Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD) Board voted to formally adopt the Code which was publicly announced this past Friday.
But why is this of note? Codes of Ethics are vitally important to professional associations and the profession at large. They provide guidance for professional behavior and decision making marked by honestly and integrity. They also speak to the shared values of the association and profession which form the foundation of professional work. On Friday, AHEAD provided clear guidance for postsecondary disability services professionals and affiliated professionals on ethics for today’s professional working with people with disabilities in higher education.
To develop the revised and updated AHEAD Code of Ethics, the team took a research approach that consisted of three phases (1) reviewing the original AHEAD Code of Ethics and ethical statement from associated professional associations, (2) surveying AHEAD leadership and members, and (3) interviewing stakeholders with perspectives on postsecondary disability work who appeared to be underrepresented in the survey responses. The following paragraphs outline these phases I greater detail.
Phase 1
A comprehensive review of the existing AHEAD Code of Ethics was conducted including a review of Lynda Price’s 1997 article “The Development and Implementation of a Code of Ethical Behavior for Postsecondary Personnel” that detailed the creation of the original AHEAD Code of Ethics. At this time, a key decision was made to expand the scope of the Code of Ethics to cover all members of AHEAD and not just disability resource professionals. Following this decision, codes of ethics from related professional associations (e.g., American College Personnel Association, American Psychological Association, Council for the Advancement of Standards, Council for Exceptional Children, National Association of Student Personnel Administrators) were reviewed and key ideas were identified that appeared to be missing from the AHEAD Code of Ethics. Specific principles were written and developed to reflect these missing ideas and incorporated into the working list of AHEAD ethical principles. The AHEAD working principles were reviewed and organized according to theme.
Phase 2
A survey was developed that asked participants to (a) review each theme and principle, (b) comment as to whether or not they believed that these themes and principles should be included within a revised AHEAD Code of Ethics, (c) provide suggestions for revising the themes and principles, (d) indicate whether the principles listed were appropriate for the given theme, (e) write new principles that they believed were missing from the theme, and (f) note any themes that they believed were missing from the Code. A purposeful sample of 10 participants representing various demographic backgrounds, types of institutions, and leadership positions within the field agreed participated in the study.
Data were reviewed from the survey and extensive revision of the working AHEAD Code of Ethics was undertaken. In reviewing the demographics of the responding participants, it was determined that additional representation related to two-year institutions, small disability resource offices, and people identifying as men should be sought in order to ensure representativeness of the sample. Additionally, it was decided to seek further insight from an expert in disability and social justice to ensure that this important perspective was clearly reflected in the Code of Ethics.
Phase 3
A series of six semi-structured interviews were conducted with AHEAD members having identified insights of need (see Phase 2). No participants interviewed participated in the survey. Participants were asked to (a) review each theme and principle, (b) comment as to whether or not they believed that the principles and themes should be included with a revised AHEAD Code of Ethics and why, (c) provide suggestions for revising any themes or principles, (d) indicate whether the principles listed were appropriate for the given theme, (e) discuss any new principles that they believed were missing from the theme, and (f) discuss any themes that they believed were missing from the Code. Transcripts were reviewed, several items were revised, and some additional items were included. Revisions in this phase included rephrasing of some principles and expanding the focus on issues of social justice.
To view the new AHEAD Code of Ethics and to see the formal announcement written by LCIRT’s Dr. Adam Lalor, visit: