II. University Contracts and Transactions - Where to Start

University contracts and transactions may be initiated in a variety of ways, but generally, there are three (3) different contract initiation areas within the university. More detailed instructions on how to engage these offices are outlined in the following sections of this Guide.

P2P Services

The purchase of most goods and services needed by the university community is managed by Procurement and through the procurement process.

Essentially, whenever a university office seeks to buy something or pay for something (a procurement transaction), the office should be working with P2P for that purchase.
The following is a list of commonly purchased goods and services:

  • Consultants and professional service providers
  • Speaker and performance engagements
  • Temporary staffing services
  • All kinds of supplies (office, lab, scientific, computer, operations)
  • Technology products and services, software and hardware, SaaS, cloud and web based services
  • Copier and printer leasing
  • Translation and interpretation services
  • Furniture and fixtures
  • Coffee and water service for offices
  • Catering
  • Goods and services related to sponsored research
  • Hotels and event spaces)
  • Event related services, such as audio/visual, production, staging and tents
  • Vehicle leasing and purchasing
  • Mobile (cell) phones and service
  • Shipping services
  • Subscriptions and periodicals
  • Amendments and addendums to, and additional services under existing contracts managed by P2P

See Section III of this Guide for more information on P2P managed contracts and purchases.

Specific University Offices

There are also specific university offices that manage certain specialized transactions that are not handled through P2P.

Examples of specialized transactions include:

  • Sponsored projects/research
  • Patents, technology transfer agreements
  • International affiliations
  • Gifts and bequests
  • Real estate transactions, including leases and licenses for the use of space
  • Employment matters and temporary employment (but, not staffing service contracts)
  • Licenses to film or record on campus
  • Disposal of surplus property
  • Rental of event and meeting space on campus
  • Data use agreements
  • Use of university name or image

See Section IV of this Guide for information about specific offices that handle specialized transactions.

Office of the General Counsel

If a desired transaction is not handled by either P2P or another specific university office, the matter should be brought to the attention of Office of General Counsel, such as:

  • Academic affiliations and collaborations (domestic and international)
  • Outside legal counsel
  • Real estate
  • Matters involving works of art, special collections or relics
  • Banking and financial operations
  • GW Benefits providers
  • Copyright, trademark and patent licenses and related agreements
  • Booking performance agreements
  • Liability waivers and releases
  • Confidentiality and Non-Disclosure Agreements (when not a part of a P2P transaction)
  • Amendments to existing contracts handled previously by OGC
  • Other unique or specialized transactions

See Section V of this Guide for further information concerning contract review with OGC.