NUMBER:   BTRU 1.04
SECTION:  Board of Trustees   

SUBJECT:  Authority to Sign Contracts                             
  
LATEST REVISION:  February 20, 1997

DATE:     April 23, 1993(Rev.)
                     
Policy for:     All Campuses
Procedure for:  All Campuses
Authorized by:  Thomas Stepp
Issued by:      Board of Trustees

________________________________________________________________

I.  Policy

1.   All previous delegations or appointments of authority to
sign contracts, checks, vouchers and agreements or to negotiate
and accept contracts and  grants binding upon the University are
rescinded, and all previous  resolutions on motions delegating
such authority are revoked, provided, it  is understood that all
contracts executed pursuant to this policy shall be within the
scope of existing Board Policy and including all procedures
established by Board Policy.

2.   The Secretary of the Board of Trustees is authorized to sign
Board documents and resolutions for and on behalf of the Board of
Trustees; and such Assistant Secretaries as may from time to time
be designated in writing  by the Secretary of the Board are
authorized to perform the same duties in the absence of the
Secretary or at his discretion.  (All  designations of Assistant
Secretaries heretofore made by the Board are  rescinded.)  

3.   The President of the University and the Secretary of the
Board of  Trustees are delegated authority to sign contracts and
agreements which are binding upon the University, and no contract
or agreement shall become binding upon the University unless such
contract or agreement shall be in writing and shall  have the
signature of the President or the Secretary of the Board of 
Trustees affixed thereto or except as set forth below:

     (a)  the Secretary of the Board of Trustees is authorized to
     appoint in  writing an Assistant                        
     Secretary to perform this duty in the absence of the
     Secretary or at his discretion;
      
     (b)  the Secretary of the Board of Trustees is authorized to
     delegate to the chancellors of the four-year           
     campuses, and the Vice Provost for Regional Campuses and
     Continuing Education the authority to sign contracts and
     agreements which do not exceed $25,000 excepting sponsored
     research grants and contracts and personnel agreements;

     (c)  the Associate Vice Provost for Sponsored Programs shall 
     have the responsibility to review and evaluate all sponsored 
     program proposals, awards, contracts, accountability statements 
     and agency approval requests, and the authority  (including 
     the authority to delegate same to an associate director) to 
     sign such documents on behalf of the University of South 
     Carolina System;

     (d)  the USC-Columbia Athletic Director shall have the
     authority to sign agreements engaging the University of
     South Carolina to participate in intercollegiate athletic
     contests provided that a duplicate original of such athletic
     contest agreements shall be deposited in the System Legal
     Department not less than fifteen days from the date of
     execution thereof;

     (e) the Director of Purchasing shall have the sole authority
     to sign official University of South Carolina purchase
     orders; and


     (f) in addition to the signature of the President or the
     Secretary, all contracts with a total value in excess        
     of $250,000 shall require the approval of a majority of the
     Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees.

4.  Special ventures, exchanges and agreements to provide
academic services must be viewed as contracts and any such
agreement must be routed through the Vice President for Academic
Affairs and Provost for review prior to execution as provided for
herein.  Except as provided otherwise in this policy, no element
of the institution is authorized to prepare contracts and offer
the same for acceptance by outside parties without prior review
of such contracts in the Office of the Secretary of the Board of
Trustees and the System Legal Department. 

5.  Except as provided otherwise in this policy, authority to
sign contracts on behalf of the University is now centralized in
the Office of the Secretary of the Board of Trustees with
authority to review for approval  before contracts are signed. 
The Office of the Secretary shall maintain a file containing all
original contracts and agreements or duplicate originals as the
case may be to which the University is a party; provided,
however, that the Office of Sponsored Programs and Research  may
forward a copy of the final "Proposal/Award Processing Form" to
this central repository on a timely basis.  The Secretary of the
Board of Trustees shall have the authority and duty to review and
evaluate all aspects and implications of University contracting,
reporting to and advising the President and the Board of Trustees
thereon.

This page copyright © 1995-96, The Board of Trustees of the University of South Carolina.
URL http://www.sc.edu/policies/btru104.html