Custodian of Records:  What is a custodian of records?

Signature Authority:  Do I have the authority to sign a contract on behalf of the University?

Notary:  What is a notary and where can I go to get a document notarized?

Liability Insurance: Does the University have liability insurance and what does it cover?

Usage of University's Name and Logo: Who can give me permission to use The University of Memphis name and logo?

Custodian of Records:  What is a custodian of records?

 A custodian of records is a person or institution that has charge or custody of documents, papers, property or other valuables.

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Signature Authority:  Do I have the authority to sign a contract on behalf of the University?

All University of Memphis contracts should be reviewed by the Purchasing Department, the Office of Legal Counsel or Business Services for compliance with policy and to obtain signature by the appropriate party.  A Contract/Agreement Routing Form, which is available on the website of the Office of Legal Counsel, must be completed and submitted with the proposed agreement.

If you sign an agreement on behalf of the University, and do not have the authority to do so, you may be personally liable.  Very few people on campus have the authority to sign on behalf of the University, so ASK FIRST!

 If you have any questions, please contact the Office of Legal Counsel.

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Notary:  What is a notary and where can I go to get a document notarized?

 A notary public is someone authorized by the State of Tennessee to verify the authenticity of a signature.  If you need to have a document notarized, be sure to wait to sign the document until the notary can actually witness you signing the document.  There are several notaries on campus located in the Human Resource Department. 
Contact them at (901) 678-2601 during normal business hours. There are also two notaries in the Office of Legal Counsel, who can be contacted at (901) 678-2155.

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Liability Insurance: Does the University have liability insurance and what does it cover?

 The State of Tennessee is self-insured in the areas of general liability, automobile liability, professional malpractice, and workers compensation.  By statute, the limits of liability for general liability, professional malpractice and automobile liability are $300,000 per person and $1,000,000 per occurrence.  The limits of liability under workers’ compensation are set forth in Tennessee Code Annotated Section 50-6-101 et. seq.

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Usage of University's Name and Logo: Who can give me permission to use The University of Memphis name and logo?

The University's Office of Marketing and Communications is charged with reviewing and approving requests to use The University of Memphis' name and certain logos, and for licensing the name and certain trademarks. For more information call 678-2943. For information on using the University's Athletic logos, please contact 678-2337.

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