Contract Review
A contract is any document that legally binds the university to another party. Contracts can take many forms, including affiliation agreements, memorandum of understanding (MOUs), terms and conditions (T&C’s), letters of agreement, online click-through agreements and a variety of other labels. Not all contracts involve the payment of money.
As a state agency, NC State University is subject to certain legal requirements and restrictions that affect its ability to accept certain contract terms. Therefore, the review and execution of all university agreements MUST follow the appropriate university procedure as administered by these offices:
| CONTRACT TYPE | RESPONSIBLE FOR REVIEW |
| Goods Purchased | Contract Review Services |
| Services Rendered | Contract Review Services |
| Confidentiality Agreement | Contract Review Services or Office of Research Commercialization |
| Testing Agreements | Sponsored Research & Regulatory Compliance Services (SPARCS) |
| Research or Sponsored Programs | Sponsored Research & Regulatory Compliance Services (SPARCS) |
| Conflicts of Interest | Research Administration and Compliance |
| Real Property — Lease or Purchase | Real Estate |
| Employment Contracts | Human Resources |
| Academic (student focused) | Provost Office |
Signature Authority
Only the chancellor and those delegated by the chancellor have the authority to execute contracts for the university. Anyone else executing a contract that purports to bind the university or its sub units is acting without authority and could be held personally liable for the breach of the contract or for the full value of the contract. For general business agreements, the chancellor delegated the signature authority to:
| POSITION | DELEGATED AUTHORITY |
| Assistant Director, Procurement Services | Up to $5,000 |
| Director, Procurement & Business Services | Up to $50,000 |
| Associate Vice Chancellor, Finance and University Treasurer | Up to $250,000 |
| Vice Chancellor, Finance and Administration | Over $250,000 |
The Delegation of Signature Authority chart summarizes the signature delegations for all types of university agreements, including sponsored programs, extension services, and design/construction.
Standard University Agreements
- The NC State Office of General Counsel authored a set of agreements approved for use by all NC State colleges, divisions and affiliates.
- Available agreements include: Academic, Athletics, Extension, Equipment, Facilities Use, General Business, Independent Contractor, and Research.
- These agreements cannot be modified without the prior approval from the Office of General Counsel.
Contact Us
Questions? Contact the Contract Review Services team at purcontracts@ncsu.edu