Emeritus AG® Policy

The ICAPGen℠ Commission offers Emeritus AG® Status. This honorary status received approval on 25 October 2002 and revised by the ICAPGen Commission on 21 March 2019 and updated on 22 April 2020. The Commission recognizes that the Accreditation Program is over forty years old, and many distinguished Accredited Genealogist® researchers are now retiring from professional research. Many of these retiring AG professionals have expressed a desire to continue being associated with ICAPGen and its credential. Likewise, ICAPGen wants to have continuing association with these individuals and recognize them for their achievements as professional researchers.

An Emeritus AG® is best described as someone who is retired from paid professional genealogical activities. The Emeritus AG® is not a credential; it is an honorary designation recognizing retired individuals as having been accredited in the past. To qualify for nomination as an Emeritus AG®, the Accredited Genealogist® must have met these criteria:

1. Be in good standing with a current accreditation.
2. Remained accredited continuously for at least 10 years prior to requesting emeritus status.
3. Paid current all annual fees before the Emeritus AG® status is requested, and
4. Submitted to the current secretary of ICAPGen a written request for designation as an Emeritus AG®.

If accreditation lapses prior to retirement, the emeritus status will not be available except under extenuating circumstances, determined solely at the discretion of the Commission acting by at least a two-thirds majority favoring granting emeritus status.

While using the designation Emeritus AG® or Emeritus Accredited Genealogist®, the retired professional may continue to lecture, write, or research on a volunteer basis. The following points describe the use of the Emeritus AG®.

1. The Emeritus AG® researcher may continue to use the nomenclature Emeritus AG® or Emeritus Accredited Genealogist® indefinitely, unless notified otherwise in writing.
2. The Emeritus AG® research will not be required to renew, since this is not a credential.
3. Emeritus AG® researchers will have their names displayed on the ICAPGen website indicating their retired status, with no more information listed than a personal email address.
4. Emeritus AG researchers are encouraged to:
   1. Volunteer and share their vast knowledge with other AG researchers
   2. Assist those aspiring to become accredited
   3. Assist the genealogical community as a whole.
5. Royalties for genealogical writing, moneys received as minimal compensation and/or cost reimbursement for lecturing or volunteer research are not considered as payments for professional genealogical research activities.
6. Emeritus status will be withdrawn by action of the ICAPGen Executive Board (appealable to the entire Commission by the affected AG) for violations of any of the above.

Emeritus AG Professionals