Rules for Certain Contract Categories

Contract Categories

All of the following must be submitted to the Office of General Counsel for legal review and approval before execution and/or processing. Individuals who sign contracts on behalf of the University without delegated authority may be held personally liable under the contract and for any damages caused to the University and may be subject to discipline. 

1. After acquiring all necessary departmental approvals and except as otherwise stated on this page, all contracts for the procurement of goods and services (including professional services), leases and rentals of personal property, and contracts for leases and purchases of real property should be forwarded to Procurement Services for further processing.  Contracts for Leases and/or rentals of Real Property in which the University is a lessee or licensee should be forwarded to the Office of General Counsel after review and approval by the relevant department head. Leases in which the University is a lessee must also be approved by the Chancellor or designee and the SIU President, following review in the Office of General Counsel.

2. Artistic (performance) contracts should, after undergoing the necessary departmental and administrative approvals, be forwarded to the Office of General Counsel for review. Once the terms are agreed to by the parties the contract should be signed by the artist (or a designated representative) and submitted to Procurement Services for processing and execution.  Procurement Services will have its administrative requirements with which you will be required to comply.  Neither Purchase Requisitions nor Invoice Distribution Forms are substitutes for a contract.

3. Formal agreements or contracts for the lease or rental of equipment should be forwarded to the Office of General Counsel for review.

4. Educational affiliation agreements shall be forwarded for review and approval through the respective Dean or unit head and then through the functional area head to the Office of General Counsel for approval.

5. Contracts/Agreements/Grants funded by external organizations that meet the definition of sponsored projects shall be managed by the Office of Sponsored Projects Administration (OSPA). OSPA will advise on the appropriate contractual vehicle and negotiate on the University's behalf, with review by the Office of General Counsel.

6. Subgrants, subleases, and other sub-agreements where the University intends to reimburse the recipient with funding from a sponsored project shall be managed by OSPA. OSPA will advise on the appropriate contractual vehicle and negotiate on the University's behalf with review by General Counsel.

7. Contracts/Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with foreign entities must be forwarded to the Office of General Counsel for review and signed by the Chancellor and the SIU President.

8. Faculty-Staff Contracts shall be forwarded through channels to the appropriate functional area head, then to the Director of the Office of Human Resources (or Chancellor as appropriate) and, if required, to the President and the Board of Trustees. Such contracts are not effective until approved by the Chancellor and, if required, by the President and/or Board of Trustees.

9. Software Contracts must be reviewed by Information Technology before being reviewed by the Office of General Counsel or forwarded for processing and execution by Purchasing.  For more information on Software Contracts, please see the Procurement Services webpage.  Be advised that online click-through agreements, which do not require a physical signature, are nonetheless a binding contract whose terms and conditions should be reviewed in the Office of General Counsel or submitted to Procurement Services regardless of the purchase price.

10. All other contracts shall be forwarded to the Office of General Counsel for review and legal approval prior to execution in accordance with the procedures set forth by the Office of General Counsel from time to time.