PROPOSED REVISION TO: REG 01.20.02 – Delegation of Authority to Sign Contracts

Rationale: Residential facilities on campus are sometimes used to provide accommodations for a variety of groups. Most of these camps/conferences occur during the summer, but some are during the academic year, space permitting. Currently, Campus Life provides housing and coordinates other services for nearly 100 groups per year. A detailed contract is developed with each group that specifies services to be delivered, dates, pricing, and other related matters. These arrangements are negotiated by the Campus Life staff who report to the Director of Business Administration for Campus Life. Delegation of authority to sign these contracts to the Director of Business Administration for Campus Life will enable the responsible administrator to directly review and approve each document in a timely manner. Likewise, any adjustments to those contracts can be handled in a timely manner.

Consultation Process:

2/1/2015 Vice Provost for Campus Life authorizes transmittal of PRR for review

2/12/2015 General Counsel review (2/11/2015)

2/17/2015 EOM review (02/12/2015)

2/17/2015 Chancellor approval

_3/9/2015 University Council Information


Policies, Regulations and Rules / Authority
Issued by the Chancellor. Changes or exceptions to administrative regulations issued by the Chancellor may only be made by the Chancellor.
Title
Delegation of Authority to Sign Contracts
Classification
REG01.20.02
PRR Subject
Delegation of Authority
Contact Info
Vice Chancellor and General Counsel (919-515-3071)

History: First Issued: April 11, 1987. Last Revised: November 25, 2014.

Related Policies:
UNC Policy Manual 600.1.1.1[G] - Guidelines on the Delegation of Authority toExecute Construction Contracts
UNC Policy Manual 600.1.3 - Leasing and Acquisition of Real Property Authority
UNC Policy Manual 200.5 - Initiating and Settling Lawsuits
NCSU Purchasing Regulations
NCSU REG07.05.02 – Payments - Small Purchases
NCSU REG01.25.06 - Use of the University's Names, Marks, Symbols, Images, and Copyrights
NCSU RUL01.25.01 - Trademark Licensing Rules
NCSU REG01.25.05 - Procedure for Formatting, Adopting, and Publishing Policies, Regulations and Rules
NCSU REG01.20.01 - Delegations of Authority for Appointments, Compensation and Other Personnel Actions for Employees Exempt from the State Personnel Act (EPA)
NCSU POL01.20.02 - Authority of Vice Chancellor for Finance and Business
NCSU POL01.20.01 - Authority of the Chancellor

Additional References:
Contracts and Purchasing
SPARCS Standard Operating Procedure, Delegations of Signature Authority
The Code of the Board of Governors of the University of North Carolina
Standard Form Agreements Approved for Use by the Office of General Counsel
Delegation of Signature Authority Chart

1. BACKGROUND AND SCOPE OF REGULATION

1.1 Full executive and administrative power is vested in the Chancellor by N.C. Gen. Stat. 116-34(a) and Section 502A of The Code of the Board of Governors of the University of North Carolina. Inherent within this power is the authority to sign contracts binding North Carolina State University, and to delegate and permit the further delegation of such authority not otherwise retained by the Board of Governors, the Board of Trustees or other state administrative agencies or officials.

1.2 This regulation sets forth the Chancellor’s approved delegations and sub-delegations of contract signature authority to various administrative officials for contracts signed on or after the regulation’s effective date. All other delegations of contract signature authority are superseded.

1.3 For purposes of this regulation, a contract means an agreement between two or more persons that creates a legally binding obligation to do or not to do a particular thing. A contract may be titled as an agreement, a memorandum of understanding, memorandum of agreement, a promise to pay, or may use other terminology. A contract may or may not involve the payment of money.

1.4 This Regulation excludes the delegation of authority for faculty, EPA professional and administrative personnel appointments, compensation and related personnel actions. Such delegations are governed by NCSU REG01.20.01 - Delegations of Authority for Appointments, Compensation and Other Personnel Actions for Employees Exempt from the State Personnel Act (EPA).

2. UNAUTHORIZED CONTRACTS

2.1 North Carolina State University does not recognize contracts signed by University employees or agents as binding on the University unless the employee who signed the contract has duly delegated signatory authority.

2.2 Employees who sign contracts purporting to bind NC State without authority properly delegated under this Administrative Regulation may be personally subject to legal action by the contractor, and may be subject to University disciplinary action.

2.3 All previous delegations of authority are superseded and rendered void as of the effective date of this regulation.

3. GENERAL DELEGATIONS OF AUTHORITY

3.1 The Chancellor retains residual executive authority to sign contracts for North Carolina State University, notwithstanding the delegations of authority contained in this regulation.

3.2 The Vice Chancellor for Finance and Business is delegated the authority to sign all contracts for which the Chancellor has signature authority that may be further sub-delegated.

3.3 Executive Officers delegated signature authority retain residual signature authority notwithstanding further sub-delegations of signature authority that are set forth in this regulation.

4. SPECIFIC DELEGATIONS OF AUTHORITY

Specific delegations of contract signature authority for specified contracts to Executive Officers and their delegates are set forth in this section. An individual with delegated signature authority who signs a contract on behalf of the University has the responsibility to ensure that the contract follows University and State policies, regulations, rules and guidelines and that all necessary insurance coverage is in force. Delegations and sub-delegations of authority to sign a Standard Form Agreement do not include authority to make changes to the Standard Form Agreement. A Standard Form Agreement is one that has been approved as to legal form and sufficiency by the Office of General Counsel. The Office of General Counsel must review any changes to the Standard Form Agreement before the agreement may be signed. Except as otherwise set out in this regulation, the Office of General Counsel must review any contract offered by another party for signature by the University.

4.1 Academic Contracts

4.1.1 Authority to sign contracts related to academic exchange and academic cooperative agreements, academic personnel, scholarly leave agreements requiring University signature, academic placements (such as field work internships), and academic matriculation and curriculum exchange that do not involve purchases of goods or services by NC State is delegated to the Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor, and is sub-delegated to the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs.

4.1.2 The authority to sign Standard Form Academic Cooperation Agreements between the North Carolina Agricultural Research Service (NCARS), the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and public school systems for the placement of students at research stations that do not involve the purchase of goods or services and that are not research agreements is delegated to the Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor, and is sub-delegated to the Dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

4.2 Research and Sponsored Programs

4.2.1 The authority to sign contracts, including grants and cooperative agreements, for research, public service, scholarship, and other creative sponsored activities is delegated to the Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation. This authority also includes the authority to grant exemptions to claiming maximum allowable indirect costs.

4.2.2 Signature authority to approve those contracts listed in 4.2.1 is sub-delegated by the Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation to the following positions:

a. Associate Vice-Chancellor for Research Administration

b. Director of Sponsored Programs And Research Compliance (“SPARCS”)

c. Associate Director of SPARCS

d. Senior Contract Negotiators within SPARCS

4.2.3 Signature authority for the standard Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) that is used for sponsored programs of twenty five thousand dollars ($25,000.00) or less (including overhead) is sub-delegated by the Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation to the Deans of all the Colleges and to their Associate Deans for Research (or equivalent position). The standard MOA may be used only where (1) funding is not federal or state; (2) the approved MOA form found at SPARCS website is used; (3) funding does not exceed twenty five thousand dollars ($25,000.00); and (4) an overhead rate of at least 15% is applied to the total direct cost.

4.2.4 Signature authority for proposals for research, public service, scholarship, and other sponsored creative activities to be funded by grant, cooperative agreement, memorandum of agreement, contract, purchase order or any other form of funding agreement is sub-delegated to those administrators listed in 4.2.2 and to other administrators as may be approved from time to time by the UNC Office of the President and documented in SPARCS Standard Operating Procedure, Delegations of Signature Authority.

4.3 Technology Transfer

4.3.1 The authority to sign contracts necessary for the operation of the university’s technology transfer program, including but not limited to licenses, options, confidentiality agreements, material transfer agreements and documents required for the prosecution and maintenance of University intellectual property rights is delegated to the Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation.

4.3.2 The Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation sub-delegates signature authority for contracts relating to the operation of the university's technology transfer program, including but not limited to licenses, options, confidentiality agreements, material transfer agreements and documents required for prosecution and maintenance of University intellectual property rights, to the Director of the Office of Technology Transfer. This sub-delegation of signature authority includes granting of licenses for software for which NC State owns the copyright and for other works of copyright owned by NC State where the license will generate revenues beyond direct cost recovery.

4.4 Permissions to use University Name, Marks, Symbols, and Copyright

4.4.1 With the exception of permissions for the use of University owned software or permission for use of copyrighted works generating revenue beyond direct cost recovery, which are within the delegated authority of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation, the authority to sign agreements granting permission to use copyrighted works such as text, graphics, photography, and similar copyrighted material, is delegated to the Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor.

The Provost sub-delegates the foregoing signature authority to the Director, Copyright and Digital Scholarship Center, NCSU Libraries to be exercised in accordance with NCSU REG01.25.06 - Use of the University's Names, Marks, Symbols, Images, and Copyrights.

4.4.2 The authority to sign contracts necessary for the operation of the university’s trademark licensing program, including but not limited to the authority to register such marks, symbols and other indicia of the University in the various states and with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office as the Vice Chancellor deems appropriate, to enter into a contract with an agent for the licensing of NC State University’s marks, symbols, and indicia in a manner deemed consistent with the purposes and needs of the University, and to sign agreements granting permission to use the University’s names, logos, and other trademarks in connection with the University’s trademark licensing program is delegated to the Vice Chancellor for Finance and Business.

The Vice Chancellor for Finance sub-delegates the foregoing authority to the Director of NC State’s Trademark Licensing Office, such authority to be exercised in accordance with NCSU RUL01.25.01 - Trademark Licensing Rules.

4.5 Extension, Engagement and Economic Development

4.5.1 The authority to sign Extension Service Agreements that have been approved by the Office of General Counsel (“Extension Service Agreements”) for extension service (teaching and professional services provided to the public and that are not research) is delegated to the Provost.

4.5.2 Signature authority for Extension Service Agreements where the value does not exceed fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00) is sub-delegated by the Provost to the Vice Provost for Extension and Engagement and the deans and associate deans for extension and the directors of non-college units providing the services.

4.5.3 Signature authority for Extension Service Agreements where the dollar value exceeds fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00.00) is delegated to the Provost and may not be sub-delegated.

4.6 Settlement Agreements

4.6.1 Signatory authority for the settlement of lawsuits that require the University to pay fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00) to seventy five thousand dollars ($75,000.00) remains exclusively with the Chancellor. Signatory authority for the settlement of lawsuits that require the University pay greater than seventy five thousand dollars ($75,000.00) remains with the University of North Carolina Board of Governors, as provided in UNC Policy 200.5, and is not within the scope of this delegation. Signatory authority for settlement of lawsuits that require the University to pay less than fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00) are delegated to the Vice Chancellor for Finance and Business.

4.6.2 Signatory authority for settlement agreements that are not within the signature authority in section 4.6.5 is delegated to the Vice Chancellor for Finance and Business.

4.6.3 Authority to sign settlement agreements for the Veterinary Teaching Hospital (“VTH”) where the VTH forgoes receiving payment for services and the other party releases the VTH is delegated to the Hospital Administrator.

4.6.4 Authority to sign standard release forms that have been approved by the Office of General Counsel where the University is paid actual damages for damages to real or personal property are delegated to the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Facility Operations and to the Associate Vice Chancellor and Dean for Academic and Student Affairs (DASA) for releases involving students.

4.6.5 Settlement Agreements for Employment Cases or Disputes

4.6.5.1 Authority to sign settlement agreements for settlement of lawsuits involving employees subject to the State Personnel Act (SPA employees) that require the University to pay less than fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00) is delegated to the Vice Chancellor for Finance and Business.

4.6.5.2 Authority to sign settlement agreements for settlement of lawsuits involving Faculty that require the University to pay less than fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00) is delegated to the Provost.

4.6.5.3 Authority to sign settlement agreements for settlement of lawsuits involving non-faculty employees exempt from the State Personnel Act (EPA non-faculty employees) that require the University to pay less than fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00) is delegated to the Executive Officer having responsibility for the employee’s unit.

4.6.5.4 Authority to sign settlement agreements with SPA employees regarding disputes not involving lawsuits is delegated to the Vice Chancellor for Finance and Business.