General Contracts
Yes, all agreements requiring an authorized signature need to be reviewed and signed regardless of the length of the document.
It is not okay to sign off on a contract even though you have been signing them in the past. Contracts should be signed by individuals who have been designated to sign on behalf of the University and that are authorized in the Contract Processing Guidelines.
Yes, this needs to be reviewed by contract management, but quotes are no longer being signed. If paid by purchase order, the University terms and conditions will govern the purchase. If paid by credit card, the quote does not need to be signed. If the requesting department confirms that the quote must be signed prior to the goods and services being received, please forward it to contract management..
The governing law or choice of law clause specifies which state’s laws will govern the interpretation and enforcement of the terms of the contract. Any claim against the University must be made through the Alabama State Board of Adjustment. Alabama law, without regard to its conflicts of law provisions, shall exclusively apply to the Agreement, Addendum, questions of immunity related to the University, and any disputes between the parties.
The University has sovereign immunity. This entitles it to certain immunities under the law; therefore, the University cannot indemnify another party or individual. The University does not waive and specifically reserves all immunities to which it is entitled by the constitution, laws, and statues of the United States and State of Alabama, including, without limitation, the immunities contained within Article 1, Section 14 of the Constitution of Alabama 1901, the Eleventh Amendment of The United States Constitution, or any other applicable provision of law.
Professional Services
No, any PSAs already in place do not need to be re-done using the new template. Please use the new template for new services after the existing term on the current PSA has ended.
No, a PSA is not required.
In this case, please continue with your current process, no additional paperwork is needed for mileage reimbursement only.
No, assuming the dollar amount is going to exceed $5,000 for the year, one PSA can be done for the year including the date range and a not -to -exceed total amount for the year.
Yes. All travel should be in compliance with the UA Travel Policy.
The independent contractor assumes all responsibility for appropriate licensing and insurance, tax obligations, and accepts legal responsibilities and exposure associated with performing the job.
No. Independent contractors are not eligible for benefits the University makes available to its employees. The independent contractor is self-employed and therefore responsible for his/her own benefits.
Please use the standard mileage rate for the University.
Original hard copies are not needed.
Yes, after reviewing the agreement, the independent contractor should sign where indicated including answering the disclosure question and signing that page. There should be two signatures from the independent contractor when the agreement is submitted.
No. This is an important question that has to be answered and the agreement cannot be countersigned until the disclosure form has been completed and signed along with the agreement.
No, the not-to-exceed amount should be an estimate of the total charges that should not be exceeded for the year.
No, a Professional Services Agreement is not needed; the Personnel Action Form should be completed instead.
DocuSign
When you receive the email from DocuSign there will be a “review document” link, if you click that link it should open the signed contract. Once it is opened, if you click the printer button directly above the contract it will automatically print to a .pdf where you can print/save or treat as you like.
All parties who have signed the contract and the requester will receive a copy of the signed document.
Yes, with the DocuSign console, we are able to give you the status of the contract. (It is recommended that you give the contractor a head’s up that they will be receiving the agreement from DocuSign).
No, contracts can be signed electronically from any computer or smartphone device.
Procurement Contract Portal
The Contract Portal uses central authentication, so you’ll be able to login using your myBama username and password.
No, all contracts requiring a signature must be submitted through the Contract Portal.
Please add any additional information that you feel might be helpful in the review of the contract. This could include:
- Previous contracts with this vendor.
- Email communication with the vendor.
- Copies of any terms that may be referred to in the contract including click through terms or documents that are hyperlinked in the contract.
Your contract request will be routed to Contract Management. They will review it to determine which other departments need to be involved based on the contents of the contract.
Users will have access to view all of their contract requests from the Contract Portal home page. From there, you will be able to see where your request is in the process.
Once the contract has been signed, you will receive a copy by email.
All contracts that require a signature, should be submitted through the Contract Portal.
The Procurement Contract Portal gives us a good way to track the progress of contracts that may have to be reviewed at multiple levels. It also creates an archive of contracts that may be referenced later on. The system helps us get your contracts completed quickly and ensures that nothing gets lost along the way.
Absolutely. One of the advantages of the Contract Portal is that it gives you access to your previously submitted contracts. You will see them listed on your home page.
You will be notified by email when your contract is complete. You will also be able to access it from the home page of the Contract Portal.
It is our goal to process your contracts quickly and efficiently. In fact, 99% of all contracts submitted to Contract Management are completed within 24 hours. However, it may take longer to review more complex contracts and time must be allowed for negotiating terms if necessary. Please submit your contracts as soon as possible to allow plenty of time for processing.
All UA employees already have what they need to a use the system. Simply log on using your myBama user ID and password.
The guidance for preparing documents is essentially the same whether you are submitting a standard contract through email or uploading a contract through the Procurement Contract Portal. Please visit our Contract Quick Tips page for more detailed instructions.