Only the President of The University of Akron have the authority to sign contracts, unless the Board of Trustees has specifically delegated that authority in writing to other individuals. These delegations are limited to specific contract types and dollar amounts. Please refer to the following sources if you have questions about the appropriate administrator to approve and sign a contract. If you do not have contract signature authority designated to you under one of these categories and you do not have a signed copy of a letter designating authority to you, then you may not enter into contractual relationships on the university’s behalf. Failure to follow university policies on contracts may result in the employee’s loss of insurance coverage and personal liability.

Contracts for the purchase of goods and services where the price exceeds the delegated signature authority must be referred to the Department of Purchasing. Contracts related to a grant or sponsored project must be administered through Research Services and Sponsored Programs.

Before the university may enter into a contract, it may be necessary to go through a competitive bidding process. Examples of some contracts that are subject to competitive bidding are as follows. Any purchase of construction contracts in excess of $25,000 must be by competitive bid. Purchases of goods or services that exceed $150,000, with limited exceptions, must receive the prior approval of the board of trustees. Purchases of goods and services for amounts between $25,000 and $150,000 must be reported to the board of trustees. Any purchase of goods or services that is less than $25,000 may be subject to competitive bidding. For more information about competitive bidding and contracts subject to competitive bidding, please contact the Department of Purchasing.

If you still have questions about contract signature authority after referring to the relevant policy, please contact the Office of General Counsel.