Honorarium or contracted service

What is considered a honorarium?

The term is sometimes inappropriately used by faculty and staff as it relates to the payment of a professional for services rendered as a guest speaker, contest judge, etc. Webster's definition of "honorarium" is "a payment as to a professional person for services on which no fee is set or legally obtainable". In other words, the professional person does not discuss or expect any material or monetary compensation for his or her time and there is no verbal or written contract expressing payment for the services to be received by the University. A " honorarium" is offered strictly as a goodwill gesture to cover any transportation and lodging expenses the invited professional person may have to incur in response to an invitation to speak, judge or act in some other honorary capacity.

A " honorarium" amount shall be a reasonable estimate of the anticipated expenses to be incurred by the invited professional. Honorarium should be charged to expense code XXXX.

A Personal, Professional, Consulting or Social Service contract will not be required if the above criteria for a honorarium exist.