Code of Ethics
Social Theory, Politics, & the Arts (STP&A) is an international membership organization of researchers, policymakers, educators, practitioners, artists, and students that explores arts trends, practices, and policies. STP&A brings together professionals and students who bring research insights and contributions to the field and advance knowledge stemming from arts administration, cultural policy, and adjacent fields.
This Code of Ethics outlines the expectations of STP&A and its members as they serve, represent, and engage within the STP&A membership and at its activities and events.
Core Principles:
- Strive for professional excellence — STP&A members contribute to strengthening individual and collective capabilities and support the effective, professional development of others towards excellence in their work.
- Uphold professional integrity — STP&A members strive to promote honesty, transparency, fairness, and respect for human dignity in the scholarship, teaching, and practice of their profession and studies.
- Respect diversity and foster inclusion — STP&A members acknowledge the diversity of the STP&A community as an asset and a value. Members treat others with equity, fairness, and respect, and work to foster ever greater inclusion within STP&A.
- Promote a welcoming space — STP&A members strive to ensure a welcoming and safe space for those with whom they interact, in person or virtually, during STP&A activities and governance. Members do not engage in any form of bullying or harassment, including within intellectual debate.
By holding membership in STP&A, members agree to abide by this Code of Ethics.
Code of Conduct
At all times, attendees, volunteers, sponsors, reviewers, and guests should act in accordance with STP&A’s Code of Ethics, upholding and advancing the integrity, honor, and dignity of the international community of researchers, policymakers, educators, practitioners, artists, and students that explores arts trends, practices, and policies. STP&A aims to enable and foster rich and open intellectual exchange and enrichment for all conference attendees and stakeholders of its professional membership community.
STP&A’s Board of Directors has developed this Code of Conduct to provide guidelines for fostering a positive environment of trust, respect, open communications, and ethical behavior. These guidelines apply to conferences, meetings, and other events organized by STP&A or affiliates who may conduct business on behalf of STP&A. Specifically:
- Attendees, volunteers, sponsors, reviewers, and guests at the STP&A conference and other events organized by STP&A should understand and support STP&A’s Code of Ethics.
- Attendees, volunteers, sponsors, reviewers, and guests should contribute to a collegial, inclusive, positive, and respectful environment for fellow attendees, volunteers, and guests, and other stakeholders, including the STP&A Board of Directors.
- Attendees, volunteers, sponsors, reviewers, and guests, and other stakeholders, should communicate openly and thoughtfully with others, listen well to others; use welcoming, constructive, and inclusive language and be respectful of differing viewpoints and experiences. Consistent respect should be shown to all colleagues, regardless of discipline, employment status, and organizations for which they work, whether industry, academia, government, or some other entity. Attendees, volunteers, sponsors, reviewers, and guests, and other stakeholders, including the STP&A Board of Directors, should avoid making inappropriate statements or taking inappropriate action based on race, gender, age, religion, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, gender expression, gender identity, marital status, political affiliation, presence of disabilities, or educational background. Other actions to avoid include, but are not limited to, deliberate intimidation, stalking, following, harassing photography or recording, sustained disruption of talks or other events, inappropriate physical contact, and unwelcome sexual attention.
- Disruptive, harassing, threatening, or other inappropriate statements or behavior (as interpreted by the Board of Directors) toward other attendees, volunteers, guests, and other stakeholders, including the STP&A Board of Directors, is unacceptable.
- Violations of this conduct policy should be reported promptly to the STP&A President or other member of the STP&A Board of Directors’ Executive Committee
Reported violations will be reviewed by the STP&A Board of Directors and will be kept confidential. A majority finding by the Board of Directors of a violation may result in expulsion from membership including committees and exclusion from conferences and other STP&A activities and events.
Approved by STP&A Board of Directors, June 2023