Contract & Certificate of Insurance Management

Every year Baylor University enters into an untold number of contracts that focus on a wide array of activities, including outside services, supplies, facilities use, construction, copyright, and research. Each of these contracts has the potential to result in unexpected financial harm to Baylor if the faculty and staff involved in the contract negotiation process are not informed about appropriate management of contracts and Baylor's contracting policies and procedures. This webpage is intended to help Baylor avoid problems stemming from poor contract negotiation by helping non-legal faculty and staff to gain an understanding of contracting policies and procedures.

Contract Administration page for information regarding Baylor's contracting policy.

*To help protect Baylor University, please understand insurance coverages, requirements, and provide a Certificate of Insurance when working with any contract. If you need further assistance or clarification regarding requirements, email Risk@baylor.edu and Paul_Fox@baylor.edu.

The following is a brief list of weak contracting practices that have the potential to result in a financial loss to any party to a contract.

• Relying on an oral agreement when a written contract would have memorialized and clarified the rights and obligations of each party to the contract
• Behaving in a way that implies a contract when none exists
• Using a written agreement that lacks details or includes ambiguous terms
• Entering into an agreement that cannot be performed as written or is onerous for the institution to perform
• Signing a form contract offered by a vendor that would put the institution at a disadvantage if a problem arose
• Failing to allow adequate time to negotiate the most favorable terms possible

Certificate of Insurance (COI) requests can be made to obtain evidence of Baylor University insurance.