Martha,

At my institution, authority to execute any legal document rests with the Board of Trustees who, for operational efficiency, delegates that authority down to the various campuses in the system.

On my campus, various authority has been delegated to the President, the VPs (Provost, CFO, Advancement) and myself the Director of Sponsored Programs. As you might expect, my authority is limited to any contract or grant-related actions. My associate director also has been delegated such authority but uses it only in my absence in cases where an ink signature is required. For electronic submissions, she is authorized to submit in all of the major grant portals, as am I.

And, most of us sit by our computers all afternoon, and all morning, since you never know what they might do if not closely watched.

Larry

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Larry Waxler, Director
Office of Sponsored Programs
University of Southern Maine
1 Chamberlain Avenue
P.O. Box 9300
Portland, ME  04104-9300
Telephone: 207-780-4413
Telefax: 207-780-4927

>>> Martha Taylor <xxxxxx@AUBURN.EDU> 3/7/2013 2:20 PM >>>
How do you manage signature authority on your campus?  Who is identified as your Authorized Official?  If VP level or higher, does your AO sit by their computer all afternoon to log in and submit proposals?  Does your AU sign ever contract, grant, licensing or compliance document that crosses the threshold of your office?  Do you sign on their behalf?  Do you sign their name per you or your name or what?  What documents do you have in your file showing your authorization or protecting you from liability?

Any info you can provide is appreciated.

Martha M. Taylor
Assistant VP for Research
Auburn University
310 Samford Hall
Auburn, AL 36849
xxxxxx@auburn.edu

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