Scholarly Capacity

The Scholarly Capacity Rule was created to provide flexibility to faculty[1] of New Jersey’s state colleges and universities. “Scholarly Capacity” means any pedagogical, academic, artistic, educational or scholarly activity performed by you in which you are representing the University or sharing your intellectual property "orally or in writing" to achieve the mission of the University, when Attending an Event.

Examples of such activities include: attending, participating in, or making presentations at colloquia, seminars, conferences, or similar scholarly gatherings. If you have a contract and/or agreement with the sponsor of the event you are attending, you are probably engaging in Outside Activity and you must disclose that activity via an Outside Activities Questionnaire.

When acting in a scholarly capacity, you may accept an honorarium, academic prize or other thing of value if the honorarium, academic prize or other thing of value reflects payment for orally or in writing sharing of your intellectual property. Also, you may accept direct or indirect benefit provided to you when acting in a scholarly capacity. This may include acceptance of reasonable travel and lodging, meals expenses and allowable[2] entertainment expenses.

If you are attending an event in a Scholarly Capacity, you should go to this link and prepare an "Attendance at Events Form".  This generates the associated travel forms (Domestic Travel Request and Travel Expense Form). The system notifies your supervisor of the filing. Failure to file the AAE form may delay receipt of reimbursable expenses. A record of your benefits, compensations, etc., for attending an event in a scholarly capacity, is automatically generated for your annual reporting requirements.

You may edit the amounts received prior to submission of the Annual Disclosure Form on July 1^st of each year.  The reporting period ends on June 30^th of each year. The Annual Disclosure Form must be reviewed by your supervisor and the Chief Audit, Compliance & Privacy Officer before submission to the State Ethics Commission (SEC).

[1] The Scholarly Capacity Rule may be applicable to non-faculty employees under certain 
     circumstances.  The University’s ELO must be consulted to make that determination.

[2] Not all entertainment expenses are allowable; only entertainment integral to the event is allowable
     (eg. Accepting additional lodging to attend a golf outing funded by the sponsor is not allowable.