Ethical conduct on the part of ARC staff is essential to the proper operation and maintenance of a collection research and curation facility.  As members of professional organizations such as the American Anthropological Association, Society for American Archaeology, and American Association of Museums, the ARC staff adheres to the ethical principles issued by them.1  The Code of Ethics of the ARC is taken from and expanded upon the principles found in those documents.

Staff, Volunteers, Associates, and Interns

• ARC employees, volunteers, associates (i.e., courtesy or adjunct appointees),
• understand and support the mission of the ARC and its public trust responsibilities, promoting public good rather than individual private gain.
• The above persons understand and fulfill their obligations corporately, not asindividuals.
• The ARC’s collections and its physical, human, and financial resources are protected, maintained, and developed in support of its mission.
• ARC staff recognizes their shared roles and respect their separate responsibilities, maintaining working relationships that are based on equity and mutual respect.
• Professional standards and practices inform and guide ARC operations.
• Policies are articulated and prudent oversight is practiced.

Conflicts of Interest

• No staff member shall engage in any personal or commercial transactions or acquisitions that compete with, conflict with, or appear to compete or conflict with the interests of the ARC. 
• The ARC’s conflict of interest policy conforms to that of the University of Kansas.
• Staff shall not acquire private collections in the area of their personal responsibility at the ARC. 
• Staff and volunteers at ARC will avoid misrepresenting their relationship and affiliations with the ARC in public forums, outside commercial interests, and in any endeavor that might obligate the ARC in any way. 
• Staff members shall not exploit the ARC or their position within it to solicit personal business or for commercial gain.
• Staff members shall not solicit donations for resale.

Collections

• ARC employees shall not use ARC collections, equipment, facilities, or time for activities that will result in personal gain. 
• ARC employees, volunteers, associates (i.e., courtesy or adjunct appointees), shall not acquire items that may be deaccessioned from the ARC for any purpose, private or commercial.
• The acquisition, disposal, and loan activities of the collections conform to the mission of the ARC and its public trusts responsibilities. 
• Collections are lawfully held, documented, protected, secure, unencumbered, properly curated and preserved.
• Original documents, including photographs and other visual records, field notes and journals, specimens and supporting records, databases, and other materials acquired as part of ARC research remain the property of the ARC.  Individuals who directed such research may retain copies at their own expense for personal research purposes.

 
Appraisals and Identifications

ARC staff shall not engage in the appraisal or estimation of any monetary value of any objects that are represented in any area of ARC collections, whether offered to the ARC as donations or under any circumstances that might promote, encourage, or benefit the illegal, unethical or irresponsible traffic in such materials.

Personal Behavior

Personal behavior in the ARC’s work environment conforms to the policies of the University of Kansas (e.g., regarding sexual harassment, substance abuse, instructor-student relations, etc.).