Domestic Agreement Proposal and Approval Process

The Process to Develop a New or Renew an Existing Academic Agreement 

The process of developing an academic agreement ensures that the agreement meets with university policies regarding term of agreement, partner obligations, anti-discrimination, and credit transfer, to name a few.  The process remains the same for the renewal of a retiring agreement, with the exception of Steps 1 and 2.  

Step 1
Confirm with the appropriate Dean(s) and the Chancellor’s Office(s) that the proposed new academic partnership agreement is approved. If it is not an already approved program, see Academic Program and Organizational Approvals | University Academic Affairs (rutgers.edu) for information on the process.

Step 2
Contact the Office of Academic Assessment and Accreditation (OAAA), to determine if there is an existing relationship with a potential partner or if a new agreement is needed, and to determine the appropriate agreement template. You may also discuss the need for approval by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education for written agreement/substantive change requests. Agreement templates are available for your use on this webpage.

Step 3
The originating department or program should follow the guidelines for their local program approval process (i.e., Faculty, Deans, Provost) during this initial phase of the agreement creation. Agreements that include insurance, indemnification, and/or any limits of liability will also require review by the University’s Office of Risk Management. Contact Heather Finer, Manager of Contracts and Claims, at heathleo@finance.rutgers.edu to discuss. If you are unsure if you require insurance or any of the above items, please reach out to Risk Management to discuss and confirm any potential agreement adjustments.

Step 4
Edit the Domestic Academic Agreement template as needed and send the draft agreement to the OAAA.  If an external agreement partner has initiated the written agreement, send the document to the OAAA in lieu of a completed Agreement template. The OAAA team will review the draft and offer suggestions for complying with various university academic affairs policies, including MSCHE accreditation expectations, before sharing the draft with the Office of General Counsel’s (OGC) for additional review and guidance. Do not collect signatures on the draft at this point, regardless of the initiating party. Signing an Agreement before OAAA finishes reviewing the draft may lead to substantial delays if revisions invalidate previously collected signatures.

Step 5
Review and revise the applicable agreement in partnership with the OAAA, the OGC, and your partnering institution. Partnering on revisions reduces the risk of further delays when executing the Agreement.

Step 6
The originating department or program is responsible for collecting signatures other than the signature of the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs (EVPAA) before sending the signed agreement to the OAAA for final signature by the EVPAA. Once the agreement is signed by all Rutgers parties and accepted by the partner, the agreement is finalized.