Policy Manual

The President has delegated authority for signing agreements and contracts for the University as set forth below.

1. Authority of Board. The University of Iowa is governed by the Board of Regents, State of Iowa, under Chapter 262 of the Iowa Code. Among the powers and duties of the Board are management and control of the properties, both real and personal, belonging to the University, directing the expenditure of all appropriations made to the University and of any other monies belonging thereto, and the performance of all other acts necessary and proper for the execution of the powers and duties conferred by law upon the Board. Particularly, these powers include not only management and control of property, but also the administration of trusts and the securing of letters of patent or copyright.
2. Delegation to President. The Board is also empowered to make rules for the governance of the University and has delegated their authority to make contracts and agreements to the President of The University of Iowa pursuant to Chapter 681 of the Iowa Administrative Code. The President is empowered to approve agreements and contracts for all goods and services purchased by the institution except for those specifically requiring approval of the Board which include certain agreements for municipal services including fire protection, major capital improvements and related consulting contracts, contracts for the sale, lease for purchase of real property, lease purchase agreements for equipment, and contracts for professional services by outside counsel, architects, and engineers.
3. Delegation by President. The President may further delegate this contracting authority to others. Pursuant to Rule 12.5 (262) of Chapter 681, Iowa Administrative Code, the President has delegated the authority to sign:
   1. Contracts relating to:
      1. Employment matters involving deans to the Executive Vice President and Provost;
      2. Employment matters involving departmental executive officers and directors of academic programs to the Executive Vice President and Provost or deans; and
      3. Employment matters involving faculty and agreements to form educational consortia for joint educational projects and for cooperative education to the Executive Vice President and Provost, deans, departmental executive officers, or directors of academic programs.
   2. Applications and agreements for grants for economic development and for research to the Vice President for Research or the Executive Director of the Division of Sponsored Programs;
   3. Nonfinancial agreements including Material Transfer Agreements, Confidentiality Agreements, and Non-disclosure Agreements relating to grants and contracts for economic development and for research to the Vice President for Research or the Executive Director of the Division of Sponsored Programs;
   4. All procurement contracts relating to the purchases of goods and services from sources outside of the University to the Assistant Vice President for Finance and Operations and Director of Purchasing and Business Services, the University's Business Manager, or the Senior Vice President for Finance and Operations;
   5. All contracts relating to the clinical operations of University of Iowa Health Care, including all educational affiliation agreements where University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics is the site of training or its residents or trainees are receiving training elsewhere, all patient transfer agreements, all outreach agreements, lease agreements for University of Iowa Health Care staff to provide services, physician service agreements, third-party payor agreements, publishing agreements, affiliation agreements involving medical students or residents employed by the University, clinical trial hosting agreements, to the Vice President for Medical Affairs; and
   6. All other contracts and agreements which the President could sign, including specifically pharmaceutical service agreements and all leases of space and other facilities, to the Senior Vice President for Finance and Operations, University Business Manager, or the Assistant Vice President for Finance and Operations and Director of Purchasing and Business Services.
4. Notwithstanding the foregoing, purchases for a department headed by the Director of Purchasing or the University Business Manager, shall be countersigned by a senior official of the University who will have an independent, objective position regarding the transaction when these transactions are $5,000 or greater.
5. Other delegations of the President's contracting authority may be made by the President from time to time.
6. Within the limits prescribed by the Board of Regents or The University of Iowa's Operations Manual, the President or any vice president may further delegate the authority that vice president has received to other employees of the University to sign contracts and agreements.
7. The CEO of the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics may subdelegate any authority delegated to the CEO to an individual designated to act in the absence of the CEO pursuant to Article II, Section 2(B)(7) of the Bylaws, Rules and Regulations of the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics and Its Clinical Staff.
8. No other subdelegate of a vice president or a subdelegate of the President has the authority to further subdelegate the authority granted to that subdelegate.
9. Any delegation or subdelegation made by the President or any other person authorized to make a subdelegation shall be evidenced in writing that is signed by hand or electronically and dated.
10. Those to whom contracting authority has been delegated or subdelegated are responsible for ensuring that contracts have been reviewed and are being entered into for the best interests of the University and in accord with all applicable laws and rules. Those signing contracts must consult with the University Offices of the General Counsel and Risk Management when major and/or non-standard contracts are pursued to minimize exposure to the University. Likewise, those signing contracts shall consult with the Office of Finance and Operations should they have any question regarding the University's financial capacity to perform pursuant to the contract.