Contract review process hits new high — help needed to keep up with trend

According to UNT policy, all proposed contracts for goods and services must be reviewed by the Office of the Vice Chancellor and General Counsel before they can be executed.

UNT Assistant General Counsel Chong Choe reports that, last year, about eight out of 10 contract proposals were processed in three days or less. However, as the numbers continue to grow, he says, the legal office will need help from other university
departments to maintain the high efficiency rate.

The legal office reviewed 1,882 contracts between the
university and providers of goods or services in the 2001-02 fiscal year. Of that number, Choe says, 82.7 percent were reviewed and forwarded for approval within 72 hours. An additional 10.8 percent of the contracts were reviewed and forwarded for approval within two weeks — raising the percentage of the total in that time frame to 93.5.

The trend over the past three years indicates that the number of contracts to be processed will continue to increase, Choe says. During the 1999-2000 fiscal year, 1,429 contracts were reviewed, and 1,599 contracts were reviewed during the 2000-01 fiscal year.

Choe has outlined several ways that university departments can help in the contract review process:

• Forward electronic copies of contracts to the legal office for easier review and faster turn-around.
  
  
• Provide contact names and addresses of individuals who have the ability to negotiate changes.
  
  
• Whenever possible, negotiate state-mandated changes prior to forwarding contracts for legal review. (Such changes include the addition of standard alternative dispute resolution, the deletion of indemnification and arbitration provisions and the changing of governing law clauses to Texas.)
  
  
• Always feel free to contact the legal office at 565-2717 as soon as possible when the need for a contract arises or for items such as language for standard alternative dispute resolution and arbitration provisions.

BY RODDY WOLPER rwolper@unt.edu

Other featured articles in this issue

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• Department of Veterans Affairs chooses UNT business college to develop cyber security
• Interim title holders named to positions permanently
• Student development faculty, staff have new way to demonstrate UNT pride
• Campus Catalog settles into new location
• SLIS book drive to benefit library in Thailand
• Faculty Senate kicks off 2002-03 year
• Dance, theatre arts season tickets for sale through Oct. 16
• Contemporary women's issues writer to speak at UNT Oct. 9

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