Dear AHEAD Members:
In July, the AHEAD Board of Directors was presented with a revised and updated AHEAD Code of Ethics for review and consideration. Given the importance of a Code of Ethics in guiding professional behavior and decision making and the fact that the existing AHEAD Code of Ethics was last reviewed in 1997, Adam Lalor (Landmark College), Lyman Dukes III (University of South Florida), Sally Scott (AHEAD), Lourdes Quinones (University of South Florida), and Joseph Madaus (University of Connecticut) were charged with revising and updating the Code of Ethics for consideration by the AHEAD Board of Directors. We are pleased to announce that the Board of Directors voted to adopt proposed Code of Ethics for AHEAD.
The process that the team engaged in to revise and update the Code of Ethics was extensive and included many members of AHEAD. A review of the original AHEAD code of ethics and ethics statements for 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), surveys of AHEAD members representing various stakeholder groups, and interviews of AHEAD members were used to craft the new AHEAD Code of Ethics to ensure that it both reflected and met the needs of all members of the Association.
Key features of the new AHEAD Code of Ethics include:
- Organizing the Code of Ethics by four broad themes (i.e., Equity and Inclusion, Respect and Acknowledgement, Professional Competence, Laws and Standards of Practice).
- Altering the Code of Ethics to be applicable to all Association members (i.e., disability resource professionals AND affiliated professionals).
- Expanding the listing of ethical principles to better reflect the needs of today’s AHEAD membership, students with disabilities, and postsecondary institutions.
I invite all AHEAD members to review the new Code of Ethics and consider how they may guide their work and the future of the Association.
Best regards
Adam R. Lalor, Ph.D.