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Policy Contact: Accounts Payable

1. Purpose

   This policy and its procedures set forth the University position to ensure resources are appropriately and equitably used for only those memberships professional, trade, business, or licensure organizations deemed essential to and necessary for University business.

2. Definitions
    
   1. Institutional Representation or Institutional Membership: The University is the member and has participatory rights. If an individual is named, it is only as an institutional representative holding the appropriate administrative appointment to represent the University.
       
   2. Collegiate or Departmental Membership: The College or Department is the member and has participatory rights because they are a part of the University. Individuals do not belong to the organization, but may be listed as the contact person, to whom certain organizational rights are granted such as voting, receiving special updates, or publications.
       
   3. Individual Memberships and Individual Professional Memberships: These memberships are individual memberships in professional and business organizations.
       
   4. Individual Licensure fees: These fees are licensure fees of an individual.
      1. Notary Public registration for University business purposes approved through applicable purchasing processes is not an individual license fee subject to this policy and its procedures.
          
3. Policy
    
   1. To the extent allowed by SDBOR Policy 5.11 and in conformity with applicable law, University resources may be used to pay for appropriate Institutional Representation or Institutional Membership in organizations. University and South Dakota State University Foundation, Inc. resources will not be used to pay or reimburse the cost of professional memberships, which solely or primarily benefit an individual. Such payments may only be made upon the proper prior approval of the applicable Vice President or University President or President’s designee as set forth as follows:
      1. University funds may be used to pay for Institutional Representation or Institutional Memberships when an organization provides representational, non-partisan political, or voting benefits of importance to the University. Individual Memberships shall not be paid in lieu of Institutional Representation or Institutional Memberships.
      2. University funds (from the applicable college or department accounts) may be used to pay for Collegiate or Departmental Memberships when the college or department is the member on behalf of the University.
      3. Individual Memberships in professional and business organizations may not be paid with University or South Dakota State University Foundation, Inc. funds.
      4. Individual Professional Memberships that are required in order to receive a professional journal will be made in the name of the University library (or in the name of University department, if needed). If the professional organization does not allow an Institutional Membership or the membership is restricted to individuals, the University or the South Dakota State University Foundation, Inc. will not pay for the membership for the purpose of the professional journal unless the actual beneficiary is the University.
      5. University and South Dakota State University Foundation, Inc. funds will not be used to pay or reimburse for professional credential or licensure fees or costs for mandatory continuing education.
          
   2. Exceptions to this policy may only be granted on a case by case basis in conformity with and to the extent allowed by state laws, rules, and regulations by the University President, or President’s designee. Appropriate exceptions to this Policy include:
      1. Individual Memberships, Individual Professional Memberships, and Individual Licenses may be approved for payment if allowed by law from University or South Dakota State University Foundation, Inc. funds if the essential responsibilities and position description of the employee require the membership or license as a condition of employment, the employee is required to devote their best professional efforts solely to the service of the University, and the University benefits from said membership or license.
      2. Individual mandatory continuing education may be approved for payment if allowed by law by the University or the South Dakota State University Foundation, Inc. funds if the essential responsibilities and position description of the employee require the membership or license as a condition of employment, the employee is required to devote their best professional efforts solely to the service of the University, the continuing education assists in the fulfillment of the essential position responsibilities, and benefits University business necessity.
          
   3. To ensure consistent policy interpretation, payments for memberships and licensures may only be approved by the applicable Vice President, the University President, or President’s designee as set forth in this policy and its procedures. Information and forms concerning Memberships and Licenses will be maintained in the Accounts Payable Office.
       
4. Procedures
    
   1. The Membership and Licensure Approval Form is completed by the party requesting the expenditure and must include an explanation of the University business necessity.
       
   2. The completed form, along with the invoice, must be submitted to the supervising Dean or Director for review, as applicable. The Dean or Director will ensure compliance with this policy prior to further routing.
       
   3. Upon review and recommendation for approval by the applicable Dean or Director, the completed form will be routed to the appropriate University Vice President for their approval. The applicable University Vice President will ensure compliance with this policy prior to further approval or routing.
       
   4. If the membership or license fee request is approved in conformity with this policy by the University Vice President without requirement for policy exception, a payment document will be completed and entered in the appropriate systems with the Membership and Licensure Approval Form and invoice attached as documentation.
       
   5. If the membership or license fee requires a policy exception approval, the University Vice President will document their approval and route the completed form to the University President, or President’s designee, for exception consideration in accordance with this policy. If the University President approves the request for a policy exception in conformity with this policy, a payment document will be completed and entered in the appropriate systems with the Membership and Licensure Approval Form and invoice attached as documentation.
       
   6. Direct reports to the University President will submit requests directly to the University President. If the University President approves the request in conformity with this policy, including requests for exception to the policy, a payment document will be completed and entered in the appropriate systems with the Membership and Licensure Approval Form and invoice attached as documentation.

5. Responsible Administrator

   The University Controller, designee, or successor is responsible for annual and ad hoc review of this policy and annual review of procedures. The University President is responsible for approval of this policy and its procedures.

Approved by President on 11/1995; Revised, approved 01/14/2014; Revised, approved 02/10/2015. Revised 01/30/2024 (clerical).

Sources: ; ; SDBOR Policies , and

Associated Forms: Membership and Licensure Approval Form