Authority to Sign, Responsibilities, Execution & Record Retention
- Authority to Sign Only individuals who have express, delegated signature authority may sign contracts for SIUE. Any contract that is signed by an individual who does not have delegated signing authority may not be binding on SIUE. In addition, an individual who signs a contract without delegated signing authority may be held personally liable for the contract and any damages caused to SIUE, and may be subject to discipline up to and including termination.
- Responsibilities Individuals who sign contracts on behalf of SIUE are responsible for ensuring compliance with all university policies and procedures pertaining to contracts. Requesting departments remain accountable for compliance with the obligations in any contracts they request, regardless of who executes the contract.
- Execution Once all terms have been agreed to by the contracting parties and all required approvals have been received, a contract may be executed. Electronic signatures (digital signatures and scanned signatures) are generally acceptable, but before execution you should verify with the Office of General Counsel (OGC) that electronic signatures are acceptable for your contract. The department requesting the contract is responsible for coordinating the signature process. A copy of all fully executed non-procurement contracts should be sent to the OGC. Copies of all executed procurement contracts are maintained by the Purchasing Department.
- Record Retention The requesting department is responsible for maintaining copies of fully executed contracts in accordance with SIUE’s policies and procedures. Visit SIUE Records for more information.
