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Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost

Memorandums of Understanding or Agreement

Getting Started

NC State collaborates with many external entities to provide opportunities for student learning outside of the classroom. In order for these partnerships to work, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) or a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) must be completed to ensure that there are clear expectations of both parties. 

The university has several standard contracts that can be used to facilitate the agreement process. In some cases, the external entity may have an agreement that they would prefer to use.

Once the agreement has been drafted and reviewed by both parties, it can be submitted for university review and signature through the Provost’s Office.  

For academic agreements, the MOU/MOA or Cooperative Agreements must be authorized by the Provost or his designee to protect NC State from unplanned financial or legal obligations.

How to Establish New MOUs and MOAs

  1. The initiating unit obtains a university standard agreement or an agreement created by the external entity and works with the external entity to complete all the details of the agreement.
    • If using a NC State template without changes, the external entity should sign the agreement prior to submitting it for review.
    • If not using a NC State template, or are requesting changes to a template, then submit the draft document for review prior to the external entity signing.
  2. The unit submits the agreement as a PDF to the Provost’s Office through the online form.
    • Please note that we cannot accept agreements via DocuSign or other electronic signature applications.
  3. The Provost’s Office sends the agreement to the Office of General Counsel for their review.
  4. After the Office of General Counsel provides their approval, the Provost or his designee signs the agreement.
  5. Once the agreement is signed, the Provost’s Office will return it to the unit. If the agreement was not signed by the external entity prior to university review and signature, a copy of the fully signed agreement should be sent back to the Provost’s Office for records retention.
Submit an MOU/MOA as a PDF

Once an agreement is submitted, the document review and approval process usually takes 3-5 business days.

Contact Us

Have a question about MOUs or MOAs? We’re happy to help. Contact Kelly Maxey (kihill@ncsu.edu or 919.515.1284) for assistance.