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&Cs), 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 process as administered by the following offices:

CONTRACT TYPERESPONSIBLE FOR REVIEW
GoodsContract Review Services
ServicesContract Review Services
Confidentiality AgreementContract Review Services or Office of Research Commercialization
Testing AgreementsTesting Services Agreements (SPARCS)
Research or Sponsored ProgramsResearch Administration and Compliance (SPARCS)
Conflicts of InterestResearch Administration and Compliance
Real Property (Lease or purchase)Real Estate
Employment ContractsHuman 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 subunits is acting without authority and could be held personally liable for the breach of the contract or for the full value of the contract.

Please refer to the Signature Authority limits table for specific amounts.

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
  • Research

These agreements cannot be modified without prior approval from the Office of General Counsel.

Questions?

Contact the Contract Review Services team at purcontracts@ncsu.edu.