1. ethics
Muse E-100
October 17, 2016

2. What is the difference…
Between legal and ethical obligations and considerations?

3. There are 4 types of ethical questions…
Museum specific
Nonprofit specific
General business ethics
Overall human ethics

4. Museum specific
Collections management
Scholarship
Interpretation

5. Non-profit specific Sticking to the mission
Financial and fiduciary responsibility
Duty of loyalty and conflict of interest
Public accountability

6. Running a business Who you do business with Environmental impact
Affirmative action and personnel management
Accessibility
Safety
Intellectual property
again… beyond the legal requirements...

7. Human ethics Honesty Compassion Reliability
Respect for others and diversity

8. In general, the primary ethical questions…
Deaccessioning
Cultural property
Corporate support and other issues of donor influence

9. Emerging ethical issues…
Forecasting exercise launched in 2011 by CFM and Seton Hall
Promised report doesn’t seem to have been produced…
Accessibility
Conflict of interest
Control of content
Collecting and deaccessioning
Diversity
Transparency and accountability

10. Museum Workers Speak

11. Museums Respond to Ferguson

12. Institutional Code of Ethics
Required by AAM as one of 5 “core documents”
Applies to governing authority, staff and volunteers
Is consistent with the Alliance's Code of Ethics for Museums or other code of ethics
Is tailored to, and developed specifically for, the museum
Puts forth the institution’s basic ethical, public trust responsibilities as a museum and nonprofit educational entity
Includes a statement on use of proceeds from deaccessioning
Is a single document, not a compilation or list of references to other documents
Is approved by the governing authority

13. How does a museum write a Code?
Should be an inclusive process that allows everyone to air their point of view and concerns and develop an understanding of maximizing the common good 
In practice, that’s rare, resulting in fears, anger and conflict because people assume things have been said in response to abuses
Good codes get copied by others, often without adequate understanding of how the issues play out in another place, another discipline

14. Ethics also informs the collections policy…
Are collections related to the mission?
What can you care for appropriately?
Will they be put to good use?
Do you have a legal or ethical right to possess the object or does it “belong” elsewhere?
Should you place limits on access because of individual or group sensitivity?
Who is empowered to interpret the object and make decisions about it?

15. Ethical conundrums…
Two discussed in class One discussed online now One discussed in a discussion board for those watching later…

16. The “D” word… Museums deaccession all the time
And they should – to reverse mistakes, remove materials that cannot or should not be exhibited, and shape the collection
But it should be done for the right reasons, in the right way
It should be at least as hard to remove objects as it is to acquire them – reverse the process

17. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy
Even done properly, it often makes news
And it often creates controversy

19. The basic questions Who decides and how? How is it disposed of?
How are the funds used?

20. The “direct care” debate…
Is a compromise position between art museums and the rest of the field, particularly those with living collections and collections that are not intrinsically rare or valuable
The field has shifted from a focus on conservation treatment to ensuring that objects are taken care of properly – environment, packing, storage, etc.
When does direct care end and operating expenses begin?

22. A new dimension… the building

23. Roger Fischer’s questions
Will this action be cited to my credit or will I have to defend it?
Would the conduct be seen consistent with wise laws as they should be established and interpreted?
Is the principle behind this one we would recommend to others to follow?
Would I be pleased to learn that my mother or father, son or daughter, behaved as I plan to do?
If a full account of my proposed conduct appeared on the front page of tomorrow’s paper, would I be proud or embarrassed?