HR12 Professional Organization Memberships 
Policy CP03 Penn State Purchasing Card - Specific Restrictions of Goods and Services (see ‘Memberships’ section)
HR54 Retirement Qualifications and Retirement/Posthumous Benefits

PURPOSE

To standardize guidelines for the sub-units of the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences (EMS) to provide consistent application of rules around reimbursing faculty for memberships in professional societies, associations, or organizations.

GUIDELINES

1. INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIPS

Institutional memberships may be paid by the subunit, with the subunit head’s approval, when they appear to be in the best interest of the subunit.

2. INDIVIDUAL MEMBERSHIPS

Normally, the University will not pay for individual memberships to organizations. However, some organizations are structured in such a way that only individual memberships are available. In rare instances where, in the judgment of the subunit head and the Dean, the University can only be represented in such a manner, charges for individual memberships will be processed for payment. Subunit head and Dean approval is required.

Subunit head and Dean approval is NOT required if external funds are being used AND one of the following two situations applies:

1. If the membership is being purchased in conjunction with a registration fee  AND the combined membership/registration fee is less than or equal to purchasing the registration fee alone as a non-member.  Note that such purchases must be documented as being less than or equal to purchasing the registration fee alone as a non-member and coded as ‘registration’ (not membership). Because these purchases are NOT considered memberships they can be paid on external awards according to sponsor guidelines.
2. If, in the case of journals or other data sources, membership is required to obtain the journal or information, and that information is not available through the Penn State libraries free of charge. Note that such purchases must be coded as ‘books or journals’ (not membership). Because these purchases are NOT considered memberships they can be paid on external awards according to sponsor guidelines.

Adopted: EMS Executive Council, January 14, 2025