Membership terms and conditions

Membership terms and conditions – last reviewed June 2022

These terms and conditions govern your membership with The Chartered Governance Institute and should be read in conjunction the Charter and byelaws.   

Students should refer to Student Rules and Regulations.

1.  Membership

1. All members and graduates must satisfy the Institute’s prescribed admissions criteria as detailed in the Charter and byelaws.
2. Members and graduates may upgrade their membership at any time, on satisfying the prescribed admissions criteria for a higher grade of membership.
3. All chartered members are responsible for maintaining the mandated number of CPD hours/outputs, to uphold the professional standards required by the Institute. All chartered members are required to keep a record of their CPD activities. The Institute, at any time, may request/view evidence of CPD undertaken, for audit and monitoring purposes. Graduates and Affiliated members are strongly encouraged to undertake and log relevant CPD activities.
4. Membership entitles, where applicable, the use of post-nominal letters and chartered designations as recognition of the membership grade attained. Post nominals and chartered designations can only be used by individuals with an active, fully paidup membership subscription.
5. An application for membership, including re-elections, shall be determined by the CGIUKI board or the appropriate CGIUKI Committee, whose decision will be final.

2.  Professional conduct

1. All members and graduates must comply and shall promote the principles of the Code of Professional Ethics and Conduct and supporting conduct and disciplinary procedures.

3.  Voting members

1. All chartered and affiliated members shall receive notice of the AGM and may exercise a right to vote at a General Meeting. Affiliated members may only vote on items of business that directly affects their rights or obligations. CGIUKI may, at its discretion, permit non-voting members to attend General Meetings and, with the permission of the chair of the meeting, to speak but not to vote.

4.  Member services

The Institute is fully committed to providing quality services and benefits and maintaining the qualification standard. It shall:

1. Establish and make available training, education and CPD programmes to support professional development including access to our competency framework.
2. Develop and make available resources to support and guide our members professional practice.
3. Undertake, promote, and make available research and developments relevant to the governance profession.
4. Provide members with access to discounts and preferential rates as applicable.
5. Offer members the opportunity to apply for a concessionary membership fee, subject to meeting the prescribed criteria.
6. Establish, develop, and maintain links with other bodies and organisations to represent governance professionals and raise the profile of the governance profession.
7. Assign members to a local branch depending on where they are located. Members, Graduates and Students will have the opportunity to participate in all branch activities and to support the branch by volunteering and standing for election to the branch committee.
8. Provide members with the opportunity to join special interest groups (SIGs) and participate and support activities and to stand for election to SIG committees as applicable.
9. Provide members and graduates the opportunity to participate in the Institute’s mentoring scheme.
10. Give Fellows the right to stand for election to the CGIUKI Committee and other sub-committees in accordance with the Charter and bylaws.

The Institute reserves the right to:

1. Publish a list of its members and graduates in its online Directory of Members. Members can manage their Directory entry via their MyCG portal.
2. Alter, amend, change, modify or withdraw the benefits and services that comprise the membership offering. It is the member's responsibility to keep up to date with any such changes. However, every attempt will be made to communicate changes in good time.

5.  Membership term and fees

1. The membership year is a fixed year, commencing on 01 August to 31 July.
2. Membership of the Institute in each category and access to membership benefits and services including the right to use post nominals and chartered designations is conditional upon the payment of the annual subscription fee.
3. To renew membership, members and graduates must pay or make arrangements to pay (i.e. set up a Direct Debit) before the renewal date each year i.e. 01 August.
4. The Institute reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to charge additional fees to renew membership which is renewed after the renewal date.
5. In accordance with the byelaws, a grace period will be applied to members and graduates who do not renew by the renewal date. During the grace period access to member benefits and services may be suspended. Once the grace period has expired a lapsed notification will be issued and the member/graduate will be removed from the register of members. The member/graduate will also lose the right to use the post nominals and chartered designations associated with the grade.
6. Members and graduates shall have the right to cancel their membership within 14 days of their registration being confirmed
7. . In such cases a full refund will be given minus a £58 administration fee.

6.  Membership termination

A member or graduate shall cease to be a member or graduate:

1. If their annual renewal fee is not paid within the stipulated timeframe.
2. By giving notice to the Head of Membership. If no monies are outstanding the resignation will be processed within 10 working days. If monies are outstanding the contact centre team will contact the member to seek payment.
3. If a conduct panel exercises its right to sanction a member or graduate with expulsion from membership in accordance with the Institute’s Conduct Procedures.
4. By transfer to another Division upon meeting the eligibility criteria.
5. Any member or graduate who ceases to be a member or graduate will be liable for all subscriptions and any other monies owed up to and including the date when their membership ceases. Members who resign their membership part way through a membership year are not entitled to a refund of any subscription fees.

7.  Personal data

1. Personal data will be collected, stored, and used as prescribed in our Privacy Policy. Members and graduates can manage their communication preferences and update the personal details we hold via the online member’s portal MyCG.
2. Your personal data may be shared with third party organisations in order to fulfil some benefits of membership such as the delivery of G+C magazine. Your data will be shared on the legal basis of ‘contract’ under a formal written data processing agreement and you will always have the option to opt out. Please refer to our Privacy Policy for further information.    

8.  Intellectual property

1. All Intellectual Property which exists in the materials as part of the benefits and service we provide are owned by The Chartered Governance Institute and/or its content providers.
2. Membership does not confer any right to use the Institute’s Intellectual Property including the Institute’s brand and logo except where permission has been requested and is expressly agreed in writing.
3. A member/graduate shall not license, sell, rent, lease, transfer or otherwise commercially exploit materials including passwords and logins provided to the member/graduate by the Institute or license, sell, rent, lease, transfer or otherwise commercially exploit the services and benefits of membership to any other third party.

9.  Force Majeure

1. In the event of Force Majeure, the Institute shall not be deemed to be in breach of these Terms and Conditions of membership in particular the Institute shall not be liable for a delay or non-performance of any of its obligations under these Terms and Conditions or for any loss or damage occasioned thereby. To the maximum extent permitted by law, all losses arising for this reason shall not be recoverable by the member.

10.  Variation

1. It is the member’s/graduate’s responsibility to keep up to date with changes to the provision of benefits and services as stipulated in clause 4.
2. Acceptance of membership and the membership renewal shall be deemed acceptance of any changes to these Terms and Conditions of membership.

11.  Governing law

1. These Terms and Conditions shall be interpreted in accordance with English law and disputes shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.

12.  Definitions

The following definitions apply in these Terms and Conditions:

13.  Questions and feedback

If you have any questions or feedback, please contact the Membership team, [email protected]