F-4. Campus Sponsorships
Policy and Procedure Statement
Units may use university funds or Indiana University Foundation account funds to participate in sponsorship activities or full-table purchases with external community-oriented, charitable, or business-related events and organizations that enhance the unit’s mission or image. Planned participation with such external organizations, within the scope of the policy, must be submitted to the Office of the Vice President for Government Relations and Economic Engagement (GREE) in advance of the participation.
GREE will review all requests and coordinate participation with units expressing similar interests. GREE will also maintain sponsorship records to extend opportunities for increased participation and to comply with federal lobbying regulations.
Any sponsorship/table request with a cost of more than $10,000 total must also be approved by the vice president and chief financial officer.
For additional information on Indiana University’s policy on sponsorships for external organizations, including tables for events, please see policy VPE-02 for campus sponsorships.
All sponsorships by academic or administrative units of Indiana University Southeast must be compliant with all applicable policies of Indiana University and Indiana University Southeast.
Any unit may use its own funds to sponsor organizations, events, and activities as long as it is in compliance with all applicable policies is ensured.
If a unit receives a request specifically for campus-level sponsorship (sponsorship by Indiana University Southeast), the request must be submitted to the Office of the Chancellor to be considered for sponsorship.
Additionally, if a unit receives a request for which unit funds are not sufficient or available, a request may be submitted to the Office of the Chancellor to be considered for sponsorship.
The criteria and procedure outlined below will be used by the Office of the Chancellor when considering such requests.
Definitions
Donation/contribution – Financial gift to an external organization. Donations and contributions are not permitted using university funds.
Sponsorship – Financial or in-kind support of an event, organization, or activity that is given in exchange for acknowledgement, recognition, or promotion.
Sponsorship expense object code 4880 – Includes payments to external entities such as community or charitable organizations for the purposes of donation, acknowledgment, event participation, or attendance. Although the goal of the sponsorship may include some recognition/acknowledgement for the university, or a specific unit, the sponsorship object code should be used if the funds go to an organization whose main mission is not public relations or advertising. For example, purchasing a table for a non-profit event in a local community may result in the university being acknowledged in a program book for its sponsorship of the event. In this case, the event should be reported on the sponsorship object code. However, if the university or unit of the university purchases an ad in a publication by the non-profit then this is to be considered advertising and would be reported under the current advertising object code (4802).
Policy Statement
As a public institution, Indiana University Southeast, and its representatives, often receive requests to sponsor external events or organizations. When considering such requests, campus administrators must be compliant with all relevant university, state, and federal rules and regulations. Additionally, administrators must be mindful of campus priorities, and must coordinate between, and among, units to facilitate prudent fiscal stewardship. Administrators also have an obligation to protect the name and reputation of Indiana University and IU Southeast to limit liability and maintain a level of decorum suitable for a distinguished academic institution. Therefore, decisions regarding the nature and scope of sponsorship activities must be made in a strategic and coordinated manner.
As a regional campus of Indiana University, the mission of IU Southeast involves, in part, engagement with the civic and professional organizations, events, and activities of the community. Sponsorships are valuable and important ways in which IU Southeast demonstrates engagement in the life of the region.