Gifts and Invitations to Events and Conferences

Can I accept gifts from third parties (non-university) given to me in my role as a university Employee, Academic Staff Member, Appointee, or Volunteer Appointee?

Yes, but there are restrictions on the value and type of gifts.

What is the maximum value of a single gift that I may accept from a third party?

The value of a single gift from a third party cannot exceed $250.

Can I accept more than one gift per year from a single third party source?

Yes, you may accept more than one gift from a single source, but the maximum value for all gifts from one source in a calendar year is $500.

Can I accept gift cards or money?

No. Gift cards and money cannot be accepted.

Can university researchers give gift cards to individuals who volunteer for a research study?

Yes, university researchers can give gift cards to individuals who volunteer for a research study, subject to approval by the relevant Ethics Board. The restrictions on gifts in the revised Code of Conduct only apply to gifts received by Employees, Academic Staff Members, Appointees and Volunteer Appointees that are related to the performance of their university responsibilities.

May I accept a gift on behalf of the university?

Yes. The dollar restrictions do not apply to Employees, Academic Staff Members, Appointees, or Volunteer Appointees accepting gifts on behalf of the university. However, the gift must be taken to the university and left there. The gift cannot be kept at the Employee, Academic Staff Member, Appointee, or Volunteer Appointee’s home.

May I accept a gift from someone within the university?

• Yes, the Code of Conduct only governs gifts from third parties (non-university). For clarity, the Students’ Union, the Graduate Students’ Association, the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees, and the University of Calgary Faculty Association are all third parties and consequently the restrictions on gifts apply to gifts from those organizations..  
• Rules pertaining to internal Gifts are found in the Gifts, Donations and Sponsorship Policy.

Can an Academic Staff Member receive cash or cash equivalents to speak at a University of Calgary conference or do grant reviews?

• If an Academic Staff Members is asked by UCalgary to speak at a conference or do a grant review, the Academic Staff Member can accept cash or cash equivalents for doing so. The cash or cash equivalents will be paid through UCalgary’s payroll as income and is not considered to be a gift.
• Academic Staff Members can receive cash from a third party to do grant reviews if it is reasonable to characterize the cash as an honorarium, not a gift. It is more difficult to characterize a cash equivalent as an honorarium and if the cash equivalent was viewed as a “thank you” gift, the Academic Staff Member should not accept it. In terms of receiving cash or cash equivalents from a third party to speak, if the cash or cash equivalent could reasonably be viewed as a “thank you” gift and if the speaking engagement related to the Academic Staff Member’s university responsibilities (teaching, research or service), the Academic Staff Member should not accept the cash or cash equivalent.

If I receive a gift through a paid appointment or concurrent employment am I subject to the gifting rules in the Code of Conduct?

No. The rules in the Code of Conduct relating to gifts only apply to gifts received by you in your position at the university.  If you receive a gift in association with your concurrent employment or appointment, the rules do not apply.

Who should I contact if I require advice with respect to a specific gift?

• An Employee may contact their Executive Leadership Team (ELT) Manager for advice in respect of a specific gift. The ELT Manager is the ELT member who has management responsibility for your faculty or department. 
• An Academic Staff Member (including sessionals) or Appointee may contact their SLT Member for advice in respect of a specific gift, which advice must be confirmed by the Provost before it can be followed.
• A Voluntary Appointee (member of the Board of Governors, a committee of the Board of Governors, Senate or Alumni Board of Directors) may contact the Chair of the Board of Governors, Chancellor, or Chair of the Alumni Association Board, as applicable, for advice in respect of a specific gift.

Who are the members of the Executive Leadership Team (ELT) at the university?

ELT members are the President; Provost; General Counsel; and the Vice-Presidents of Facilities, Finance and Services, Research, and Development and Alumni Engagement.

Can I request approval of an increase to the dollar limits with respect a gift?

You may request an increase to the limit. However, it is unlikely that your ELT Manager will approve an increase to the $250 limit for a single gift, or to the $500 cumulative limit from a single source.

What should I do if I receive a gift that exceeds the limits or includes a gift card or other cash equivalent?

Contact the person who gave you the gift, indicate that you are not able to accept it and return the gift to that person.  

Examples

• You are a MaPS Employee, and vendors sometimes send you products to try.  You may accept the products if you are testing them on behalf of the university.  However, if the products are being sent to you to try personally, the gift limitations outlined above apply.

• You give a presentation at an event organized by the Petroleum Services Association of Canada. At the end of your speech, the organizer provides you with a thank you card and a gift certificate a restaurant downtown. Unfortunately, you may not accept the gift certificate and will have to discretely advise them of this and return it.

May I accept an invitation from a third party to attend an event if the invitation is received by me as a university Employee, Academic Staff Member, Appointee, or Volunteer Appointee?

Yes, you may accept an invitation from a third party if the value of the event is $500 or less.

Can I accept more than one event invitation from a single source in a year?

Yes, however the cumulative maximum cash value limit for event invitations from a single source in a calendar year is $500.

How would I know the value of the ticket that I’ve been offered to an event?

You could ask the individual who has offered you the ticket and explain that the university, has rules pertaining to the acceptance of gifts and event invitations. You might also look up the value on the internet or call the event provider.

If I am gifted a second ticket to an event for my spouse, do the Code of Conduct rules apply?

Yes. The second ticket would be considered a gift to you and the value of both tickets (yours and your spouse’s) would have to be $500 or less. However, if your spouse was invited independently, though their job, that ticket would not be considered a gift to you.

As a Volunteer Appointee, how do I know if I am receiving an invitation in my capacity on the Board, Senate, or Alumni Board, rather than in my business capacity?

If it is not clear whether you are invited in your business capacity or as a Volunteer Appointee, you should make a reasonable determination considering factors such as: the purpose of the event, whether the purpose is related to the university in some way, and how the organizers know you. If, after considering these factors, you remain uncertain, then assume you are being invited as a Volunteer Appointee and comply with the Code of Conduct.

Am I permitted to accept a gift of the value of my expenses when, as a university Employee, Academic Staff Member, Appointee, or Volunteer Appointee, I am invited to speak at a conference?

If you are invited to speak or participate on a panel at a conference, seminar, workshop or similar event and your speech or participation relates to your university responsibilities or major academic interests, you may be gifted the total value of the transportation costs, registration fees, accommodation, meals and related incidentals to a maximum of $8,000.

Is there a limit to the cumulative cash value of the expenses I can accept as gifts when I participate in multiple conferences?

Yes. The cumulative maximum value of transportation costs, registration fees, accommodation, meals and related incidentals that you can accept from a single source in a calendar year may not exceed $16,000.

Does the cumulative maximum apply if I am invited to speak at seminars and conferences in the course of the year which are offered by different organizations?

No. The $16,000 cap is for participation at events offered by a single source.  If you participate in various conferences put on by different organizations, the $8,000 limit applies to each.

Does the cumulative maximum apply where various events are sponsored by the same organizations?

Not necessarily. The sponsors of an event are not necessarily the event organizer. The limit applies to events/conferences organized by the same provider.

Who should I contact if I require advice with respect to an event or conference invitation?

• An Employee may contact their ELT Manager for advice.
• An Academic Staff Member (including sessionals) or Appointee may contact their SLT Member for advice, which advice may be confirmed by the ELT member.
• A Voluntary Appointee (member of the Board of Governors, a committee of the Board of Governors, Senate or Alumni Board of Directors) may contact the Chair of the Board of Governors, Chair of the appropriate Board of Governors’ committee, Chancellor, or Chair of the Alumni Association Board, as applicable, for advice.

Can I request approval of an increase to the dollar limits with respect to an event, or conference invitation?

Yes. A request to increase the limit may be made to the ELT Member responsible for your department or faculty, or the Chair of the Board of Governors, or the Chair of the appropriate Board of Governors’ committee, Chancellor, or Chair of the Alumni Association Board, as applicable. You will be required to provide the decision maker with all material information pertaining to your request. 

What happens if I learn after the event that the conference expense reimbursements exceed $8,000 (or the $16,000 annual) threshold?

You should ask your ELT Member for permission to exceed the limit, after the fact.