Human Subjects Research (HSR) and
ArtCenter’s Institutional Review Board (IRB)

Overview

Supporting a culture of ethical research in the world of creative practice.

What is Human Subjects Research (HSR)?

Research that involves obtaining data through interacting with a living person constitutes Human Subjects Research (HSR). According to the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), research is defined as “a systematic investigation, including research development, testing, and evaluation, designed to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge.”

What does this mean for Art and Design?

Art and Design have long histories of engaging people and places in the creative process. As faculty and students at ArtCenter College of Design, we sit along a continuum of disciplines and practices that have exploited people, places, and natural resources in the production of creative work. As such, we must commit – individually and as an institution – to carefully considering the ways in which our work reflects, participates with, and impacts those it engages.

This is IRB, the ArtCenter way.

• Duty of Care

  We're fostering a research culture centered in caring for and preventing harm to others.

• Faculty-Led

  Our model is grounded in the work of the classroom and the unique attributes of ArtCenter's research community.

• Networked Support

  We're cultivating support infrastructure across ArtCenter's departments, divisions, and academic units.

• Building Capacity

  We're building and honoring critical expertise within the ArtCenter community through peer-to-peer mentoring, co-working, and continuing education.

• Developing Leaders

  Our collaborative approach creates opportunities for faculty and staff to learn about and champion research ethics, and to exercise leadership in diverse ways.

• Culture of Research

  Our program integrates and nurtures research, criticality, ethics, and justice within ArtCenter's tradition of creative practice.

Policies

ArtCenter’s IRB is guided by the following policies:

Reporting

Incidents of non-compliance can be reported to the Compliance Officer, Sam Holtzman (sam.holtzman@artcenter.edu), directly to the IRB (irb@artcenter.edu), or via the reporting form (which allows for anonymous reports). Please review the Escalation and Compliance policy for additional information.

Meet the Team

Meet the team behind Human Subjects Research at ArtCenter:

Sam Holtzman

Institutional Officer (IO) and Compliance Officer
Associate Provost, Teaching & Learning and Dean of Faculty

IRB Members

Human Research Protection Program (HRPP)

Research & Ethics Liaisons

ArtCenter faculty, staff, and students can visit the Inside Page for: IRB Meeting Dates & Submission Deadlines and further resources.