General Contract Information

Contract Definition

An agreement between two or more parties creating obligations that are enforceable or otherwise recognizable at law. A contract may be called many different names. In higher education, a contract may be referred to by other names, including agreement, affiliation agreement, amendment, letter of agreement, letter of intent, lease, license, memorandum of agreement, memorandum of understanding, non-disclosure agreement, release, renewal, waiver, or terms and conditions.

Contract Review

All contracts must be reviewed by Legal Affairs.

Georgia Gwinnett College's status as a state college and a state agency imposes certain restrictions on its contracting activities that a private university/college or company does not face. Many standard clauses typically found in commercial contracts cannot be accepted by GGC. The restrictions on acceptable clauses are based on Georgia’s constitutional and statutory prohibitions.

Signature Authority

At GGC, there are only three people who may sign contracts. Those employees are the VP for Business and Finance/CBO, the Director of Purchasing, and the Provost. No one else may sign a contract without the express permission of GGC’s President. Download signature blocks (Word doc) for the three GGC employees who may sign contracts to add to contract signature sections. 

The GGC Foundation should be made aware of any contracts for activities and/or rental space in buildings that are owned by them. These buildings include: Buildings D, E, F, G, I, Residence Life, Parking Deck, Athletic Fields, or Intramural Fields.

Contract Management: CobbleStone

GGC has a contract management system that is used for routing contracts for approval. Once your contract has been finalized, please visit CobbleStone to submit your contract for approvals and signature. You will use your GGC login credentials for this system. If you try logging into this system and do not have access, please email @email to request access to CobbleStone. A CobbleStone instruction sheet as well as other resources regarding contracts can be found below. All GGC standard contracts and other contract resource documents may be found in the GGC Form Contracts / Resource Library in CobbleStone.

Training

General contract training and training for CobbleStone is available upon request. Please contact @email if you would like to schedule training for your area. Other resources regarding proper contract processes may be found below.

Documents and Forms

Contract FAQs

    What is GGC’s legal name?

    The Board of Regent of the University System of Georgia by and on behalf of Georgia Gwinnett College.

    Who is authorized to sign contracts on behalf of GGC?

    The Director of Purchasing and the Vice President for Business and Finance/CBO have been designated by the President to have signature authority for GGC. The Senior Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs / Provost has signature authority for non-monetary agreements and international agreements that require the expenditure of  funds not to exceed $20,000.00 for Academic and Student Affairs only. 

    How do I know if a contract is needed?

    If GGC makes an agreement which commits the funds, personnel, facilities, equipment, property, or other resources of the college, a contract is needed.

    May I sign a contract, MOU, etc. on behalf of GGC?

    You do not have the authority to bind GGC or the Board of Regents, and you should not sign a contract unless you have express written authorization from the President to do so. You may incur personal liability under any contract you sign without written permission. If you need assistance to determine who is authorized to sign a specific document, please contact Legal Affairs.

    What do I do if I have a MOU, agreement, license, etc. that needs to be reviewed?

    Please email the document to @email to be reviewed by Legal Affairs.

    What is the dollar amount that a contract must be bid or sole sourced?

    If the dollar amount of your contract is $25k or more for a fiscal year, it will need to be bid. Please contact @email for assistance with this process.

    Attorney General of Georgia

    The mission of the Department of Law is to serve the citizens of the State of Georgia by providing legal representation of the highest quality to the agencies, officers and employees of state government and by honorably and vigorously carrying out the constitutional and statutory responsibilities of the Attorney General (AG). Visit the AG Opinions Website.