Signature Authority
Unless you have written authority to execute specific contracts, you should not sign anything in the name of UGA. Under Georgia law, individuals who do so without authority may incur personal liability under any contracts they sign. The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia retains the right to execute certain contracts on behalf of the system institutions and delegates contracting authority to the President for others. The President must specifically delegate authority for a UGA employee to enter into a contract that binds UGA. Such delegation must be in writing, and the delegee may not further delegate the authority unless specifically authorized to do so. Unless you have written authority to execute specific contracts, you should not sign anything in the name of UGA. Under Georgia law, individuals who do so without authority may incur personal liability under any contracts they sign. If you need assistance to determine who is authorized to sign a specifc document, please contact the Office of Legal Affairs.
A contract is any agreement between UGA and another individual or entity, whether or not it is titled a contract. This includes any agreement made on behalf of UGA in which the parties make legally enforceable commitments. Other terms sometimes used to refer to a contract include, but are not limited to, agreement, letter of agreement, letter of intent, non-disclosure agreement, confidentiality agreement, memorandum of understanding, memorandum of agreement, operating agreement, lease, license, use permit, and equipment loan.
For more information, please see the Contract Review and Execution Policy.