9.4 Signature Authority Policy

The President of the University, pursuant to his general authority and responsibility for the operation of the University and in accord with the General Policies laid down by the Board may execute any documents unless they go beyond or deviate from the Board's established objectives. The Chair, the Vice Chair, the Secretary, and the Treasurer of the Board are authorized to sign and execute documents within their general powers as officers, or in certain cases, under specific authority.

The following types of specific agreements may be executed only by the officers or persons noted (unless otherwise designated by the president):

  1. Employee Patent Agreement, Employee Patent, Research and Proprietary Rights Agreement, Adjunct Professor Patent, and Proprietary Rights Agreement, Graduate Student Patent, Research and Proprietary Rights Agreement.

President, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, Vice President for Research, or Treasurer, provided that the President or Treasurer may delegate the authority in writing, to any member of the staff.

  1. Licenses for patents or technology owned by the University, including licenses and options for licenses contained in research and other agreements.

President, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, Treasurer, or Vice President for Research.

  1. Technology transfer agreements.

President, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, Treasurer, or Vice President for Research.

  1. Non-disclosure Agreements, including for purposes of the Freedom of Information Act; Confidential Research and Investment Information Act. Uniform Trade Secrets Act and any other State or Federal Law or Regulation relating to disclosure or non-disclosure:

President, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, Treasurer, Vice President for Research, or Director of Innovation and Commercialization.

  1. Software and trademark licenses from or to another party.

President, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, Vice President for Research, Chief Information Officer, Director of Innovation and Commercialization, Treasurer, or those staff members designated in writing by the Treasurer.

  1. Easements received from another party.

President, Secretary, or Treasurer.

  1. Rentals and leases, to and from other parties.

President, Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President for Administration, Vice President for Research, Secretary, or Treasurer, provided that the Treasurer may delegate in writing, to any staff member the authority to execute agreements for room and board and apartment rentals.

  1. Research, training, educational, and other sponsored activities proposed, gift requests, agreements, and grant applications requiring assurance of compliance with federal and/or state law, including subcontracts/agreements and service agreements related to these agreements.

President, Vice President for Research, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, Secretary, Treasurer, provided that the Vice President for Research may delegate in writing, to any staff member, the authority to execute such documents.

  1. Labor agreements with Local 1166, AFSCME and Local 5000, UAW.

President, Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President for Administration, or Director of Human Resources.

  1. Educational and International agreements.

President, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, Secretary, or Treasurer.

  1. Agreements for payment of tuition, fees, room or board by domestic and foreign organizations.

President, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, Secretary, or Treasurer.

  1. Purchase order for services, including personal services for University enrichment, supplies, or equipment.

President, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, Treasurer, or Manager of Purchasing, or those staff members designated in writing by the Manager of Purchasing with the approval of the Treasurer. Purchase requisitions must be signed or countersigned by the Treasurer and/or President when required by the Board policy relating to capital additions.

  1. Dispositions of real property.

The president may sell and execute deeds of conveyance of real property, including easements, having a fair market value of $3,000,000 or less. President, Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President for Administration, Secretary, or Treasurer may sell and execute deeds of conveyance of real property, including easements, having a fair market value of over $3,000,000 only upon approval of the Board of Trustees.

  1. Capital outlay projects funded by special state appropriations.

President, Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President for Administration, Treasurer, or any staff member designated in writing by the Treasurer.

  1. Casualty and property insurance.

President, Secretary or Treasurer provided that the President or Treasurer, may delegate this authority in writing, to any staff member.

  1. Employee benefits.

President, Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President for Administration, or Treasurer provided that the President, Vice President for Administration, or Treasurer, may delegate this authority in writing, to any staff member.

  1. Agreements with domestic governmental and foreign governmental organizations except those specifically mentioned earlier.

President, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, Secretary, or Treasurer.

  1. Athletic agreements or contracts and contracts for game officials.

President, Vice President for Student Affairs, or Athletic Director or Department Chair of Kinesiology and Integrative Physiology.

  1. Programmer and/or Analyst Proprietary Rights Agreement.

President, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, Vice President for Research, Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President for Administration, or Treasurer, provided that the President, Vice President for Research, or Treasurer, may delegate this authority in writing, to any staff member.

  1. United States Department of Treasury, Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms annual report.

President, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, Secretary, or Treasurer.

References

Board of Trustees Policy 11.13


Revised:
07/02/2019 - Updated University titles, "VP for Administration is now CFO and Sr. VP for Administration" and Innovation and Industry Engagement is now Innovation and Commercialization."
1/26/2018 - Annual Review: to reflect current policy 11.13, changed the first paragraph to current language. Also added "references" section to BOT Policy 11.13.
01/17/0217 - Annual Review: to reflect current language, added "(unless otherwise designated by the president):" to "by the officers or persons noted (unless otherwise designated by the president):" Added "including for purposes of the Freedom of Information Act; Confidential Research and Investment Information Act. Uniform Trade Secrets Act and any other State or Federal Law or Regulation relating to disclosure or non-disclosure:" to "4. Non-disclosure Agreements" title. Removed "6. Easements given to another party. President, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, Secretary, or Treasurer, only after having been formally approved by the Board of Control." Renumbered #7-21 to reflect new section order. Removed "Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs" from 6. "President, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, Secretary, or Treasurer." Changed 7. "President, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, Vice President for Research" to "President, Vice President for Administration, Vice President for Research". Changed "...Administration, Treasurer, or Director of Human Resources" to "...Administration, or Director of Human Resources". Added "secretary" to 11. "...Academic Affairs, Secretary, or Treasurer." Changed 13. "President, Vice President for Administration, Secretary, or Treasurer upon formal approval of the Board of Control." to "The president may sell and execute deeds of conveyance of real property, including easements, having a fair market value of $3,000,000 or less. President, Vice President for Administration, Secretary, or Treasurer may sell and execute deeds of conveyance of real property, including easements, having a fair market value of over $3,000,000 only upon approval of the Board of Trustees." Removed "and/or" from 14. "Vice President for Administration, and/or Treasurer". Changed 18. "President, Vice President for Student Affairs, or Athletic Director/Department Chair of Exercise Science, Health and Physical Education." to "President, Vice President for Student Affairs, or Athletic Director or Department Chair of Kinesiology and Integrative Physiology."
12/08/2016 - Annual Review: To reflect current language, Changed "Director of Technology & Economic Development." to " Director of Innovation & Industry Engagement". Changed "Vice President for Administration" to "Vice President for Student Affairs". Added "Secretary" to 17. "Academic Affairs, Secretary, or Treasurer."
02/03/2015 - Annual Review: To reflect current practice, the email address for questions is now policy@mtu.edu. No changes made to content.
02/26/2014 - Annual Review: Updated Michigan Tech and Handbook banners. Numbering scheme was revised from alphabetical to numerical to be consistent with Board Policy 11.13. Under item 9. the first and second sentences read: ".. compliance with federal and/or state law. This also includes subcontracts/agreements and service agreements related to these agreements" and now reads: " ...compliance with federal and/or state law, including contracts/agreements and service agreements related to these agreements." The second paragraph read: "President, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, Vice President for Research, Secretary, Treasurer, provided that the Vice President for Research may delegate in writing, ...." and now reads: "President, Vice President for Research, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, Secretary, Treasurer, provided that the Vice President for Research may delegate in writing, ...". Under item 21, the second sentence read: "President, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, Secretary, Treasurer" and now reads: "President, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, Secretary, or Treasurer."
03/28/2013 - Annual Review: The first and second paragraphs which read: "The President of the University, the Chair, the Vice Chair, the Secretary, and the Treasurer of the Board are authorized to sign and execute documents within their general powers as officers, or in certain cases, under specific authority. The following types of specific agreements may be executed only by the officers or persons noted:." now reads: "The President of the University, pursuant to his general authority and responsibility for the operation of the University and in accord with the General Policies laid down by the Board may execute any documents unless they go beyond or deviate from the Board's established objectives. The Chair, the Vice Chair, the Secretary, and the Treasurer of the Board are authorized to sign and execute documents within their general powers as officers, or in certain cases, under specific authority. The following types of specific agreements may be executed only by the officers or persons noted unless otherwise designated by the President." Item "D. Non-disclosure Agreements" now reads: "Non-disclosure Agreements, including for purposes of the Freedom of Information Act; confidential Research and Investment Information Act; Uniform Trade Secrets Acts and any other State of Federal Law or Regulation relating to disclosure or non-disclosure." "Director of Technology and Economic Development" now reads "Director of Innovation and Industry Engagement" as a signature authority from Easements given to another party and Easements received from another party (items F and G). "Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs" was changed to "Vice President for Academic Affairs" in item H. Rentals and leases, to and from other parties. "Treasurer" was removed as a signature authority from item J. Labor agreements with Local 1166, AFSCME and Local 5000, UAW. "Secretary" was added as signature authority in item L. Agreements for payment of tuition, fees, room or board by domestic and foreign organizations. "Vice President for Administration, and/or Treasurer," was changed to "Vice President for Administration, or Treasurer," in item O. Capital outlay projects funded by special state appropriations." "Secretary" was added as signature authority in item R. Agreements with domestic governmental and foreign governmental organizations except those specifically mentioned earlier. Item S. Athletic agreements or contracts and contracts for game officials. - President, "Vice President for Administration, or Athletic  Director/Department Chair of Exercise Science, Health and Physical Education." now reads "Athletic agreements or contracts and contracts for game officials. - President, Vice President for Student Affairs, Athletic Director, or Department Chair of Kinesiology and Integrative Physiology." And "Secretary" was added as signature authority in item U. United States Department of Treasury, Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms annual report.
07/20/2011 - Annual Review: Was previously 9.5. To reflect University titles and practice, the email address for questions is now hbwebmaster.
09/20/2010 - Updated to reflect changes to Board policy and format changes.