Membership Reporting

Background – employee memberships

The 2010 State Auditor’s report recommended that stronger controls over individual memberships be implemented. As a result, the University’s Fiscal Responsibility Policy was expanded to increase the following section regarding individual and institutional memberships:

  • University funds may be used to pay for institutional memberships in professional societies or associations.
  • University funds may be used to pay for individual memberships in, and continuing education sponsored by, professional societies or associations as approved by the President, Provost, Vice President-level administrators, or Deans, as available resources allow. Individual memberships are limited to no more than two per employee unless approved in advance, on the "Individual Membership Dues" reporting form by the President, Provost, or Vice President-level administrators.
  • University funds may be used to pay for individual civic club memberships only for the President, Provost, Vice President-level administrators, or Deans as available resources allow.
  • Each cost center administrator must report all individual memberships purchased to the President annually.

As indicated in the policy, we are asking that each division (VP level and Provost) ensure that the above fiscal responsibility policy be complied with, including reporting on individual memberships. Last year, however, we did not provide a format for this reporting which prevented complete analysis of the information.

Reporting instructions / actions required

As a fresh start, beginning July 2, 2012, we are asking that every individual membership be documented within the attached "Individual Membership Dues" reporting form, as is done with the case of gifts reporting.

Please note the attached forms. The Membership Reporting Form reports information such as the name of the employee and specific individual membership he/she receives. In the case where each employee has two or less individual memberships, supervisory (normal budgetary) approval is appropriate. Upon completion, these should be forwarded through the appropriate approval process.

In situations where employees request more than 2 individual memberships, pre-approval on the "Individual Membership Dues" reporting form by the President, Provost, or Vice President-level administrators will be required (per Fiscal Responsibility Policy).

An Excel Spreadsheet should be completed by the cost center (Vice President and/or Provost Administrators) and forwarded to the President’s Office for reporting purposes and will be useful for collecting the data.