Contract Overview
A contract is an agreement between two or more entities which creates an obligation to do or not do a particular thing (Black’s Law Dictionary, fifth edition). A business contract/agreement is one of a variety of formats used to document and carry out the business relationships of the campus.
Examples of documents that constitute a contract are memorandum of understanding (MOU), Purchase Orders containing terms and conditions, permits, or applications that are signed to accept terms and conditions. The University requires that all of its contracts/agreements be put in writing in advance to protect the interests of both parties and to reduce any misunderstandings.
Only certain University administrators have the authority to sign contracts. Please refer to the policy whenever you have a question about signature authority.
Authority to Execute
Only the President of the University of California has signature authority for contracting, unless that authority has been specifically delegated pursuant to the University’s Delegation of Authority-Signature Authority Policy, D-224-17. These delegations are limited to specific contract types and dollar amounts. If you do not have authority delegated under this policy, you are not authorized to enter into contractual relationships on behalf of The Regents.
For more information please refer to the following: Board of Regents and Standing Orders of The Regents.
Contracting Offices
Several offices regularly handle contracts depending on the subject matter. The chart below provides general information about the campus office that is responsible for certain types of contracts. This list is not all inclusive.