Policy Detail:

• When a membership is deemed essential an institutional or organizational membership should be the first option considered.
• A University business address, including email address should be listed for all memberships.
• Because not all professional societies, associations, etc., offer institutional or organizational memberships, individual memberships may be purchased under the following circumstances:

• No institutional or organizational membership is available.
  OR
• The cost of the individual membership is considerably less than an organizational or institutional membership and there is a clear advantage to the University in obtaining the individual membership. Advantages should include the following:
• Reductions in fees for conferences and seminars which departmental personnel normally attend
  AND/OR
• Receipt of publications, newsletters, or other mailings that are an important part of departmental operations, particularly those that would ordinarily be ordered at additional cost to the University.
• If it is deemed a necessity to have more than one individual membership to the same organization in a department of division, the Dean or Director should provide adequate justification.
• The payment of memberships for employees in CPA (Certified Public Accountant) societies, Unions, Wisconsin Bar Associations, and the like is prohibited.
• A membership should not be paid more than 90 days in advance.
• If the membership is purchased with grant funds, the term of the membership or subscription should not exceed the grant ending date.
• Membership renewals are allowable on a University purchasing card (PCard). However, the initial payment of a new membership must be processed through ShopUW+ via a Non-Catalog Item Request to allow for appropriate approvals.
• The same membership or subscription should not be paid twice in one fiscal year without the approval of the Business Services Office. Approval will be considered for instances in which the vendor changes their billing cycle as well as instances in which the department wishes to change their annual payment date moving forward. 
• Amazon Prime memberships are prohibited.