• Section 1 - Purpose
• Background
• Scope
• Section 2 - Policy
• Eligibility
• Faculty Staff
• Non-faculty Staff
• Payment
• Compliance and Breaches
• Section 3 - Procedures
• Section 4 - Guidelines
• Section 5 - Definitions

Section 1 - Purpose

(1) To outline the circumstances under which the University will reimburse staff (both academic and professional) for personal professional association membership fees, i.e. memberships in the name of an individual staff member.

Background

(2) The University recognises the importance of staff maintaining their professional memberships. In stating this, though, it is equally important that staff are aware of who is responsible for the payment of these memberships.

(3) For the sake of clarity it must be understood that the University will not pay personal professional association membership fees on the basis that membership is desirable from a professional viewpoint or that it enables the staff member to maintain professional currency or receive a professional journal.

(4) In these cases, personal professional association membership fees are a personal decision with the expenditure to be met by the staff member. The staff member in turn may be entitled to claim a personal tax deduction for the expenditure on the basis of its relevance to the generation of taxable income. Staff are to seek their own advice on this issue.

(5) This Policy has been developed following consultation with other NSW universities in order to ensure that Macquarie University is in step with NSW state higher education sector practices. The aim is to ensure that all staff are treated in an equitable and consistent manner in relation to personal professional association memberships.

Scope

(6) This Policy applies to all staff, students and contractors of Macquarie University including all its Controlled Entities.

Section 2 - Policy

Eligibility

(7) The University will only pay or reimburse a personal professional association membership fee where:

1. a staff member is required by legislation to be a member of a professional association in order to discharge their professional University duties; or
2. membership of an association or registration to a body is a mandatory requirement imposed by the University in the staff member’s employment contract.

(8) For example, in order to practice as the University Solicitor, the University Solicitor is required to be a member of The Law Society of NSW. The Law Society of NSW membership is therefore an expense incurred as a requirement of employment of the University Solicitor.

Faculty Staff

(9) All requests for payment of these memberships by Faculty staff must be endorsed by the Faculty Executive Dean. The Executive Dean is responsible for confirming that the membership is a mandatory requirement of the staff member’s position.

Non-faculty Staff

(10) All requests for payment of these memberships by non-faculty staff must be endorsed by the relevant member of Executive Group (Vice-Chancellor, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Vice-President, Finance and Resources, Vice-President, People and Services). The relevant member of Executive Group is responsible for confirming that the membership is a mandatory requirement of the staff member’s position.

Payment

(11) Where payment is approved, it is to be made directly to the association or body by the University.

Compliance and Breaches

(12) The University may commence applicable disciplinary procedures if a person to whom this Policy applies breaches this Policy (or any of its related procedures).

Section 3 - Procedures

(13) Nil.

Section 4 - Guidelines

(14) Nil.

Section 5 - Definitions

(15) Commonly defined terms are located in the University Glossary.