Contract Policies

All organizations that sponsor a performer (DJ, Band, Speaker, Entertainer) on campus must execute a formal contract agreement before the program can take place. The Department of Student Activities & Student Organizations has been charged by the university to manage this contract process for all registered student organizations. The only people on the UM campus who can bind the university to an agreement are those authorized by the Executive Vice President for Business and Finance and Chief Operating Officer.

Student organizations cannot sign contracts on behalf of UM or in any way represent that they are agents of or signing on behalf of the university. Such action may constitute civil or criminal fraud. In many instances, a verbal agreement is binding; students should check with their advisors before making offers for any performers.

Contracts are important because they identify what each party is committed to providing, specify agreed payment amounts and accommodations, dictate the details of the program (time, location, length of performance), and safeguard the university and organization members.

Contracts should include key points about the event, such as the date, time, location, and performance length, and should contain information about hotel accommodations, ground transportation, and hospitality (if agreed upon). The timing of payment should also be addressed; it is recommended that payment be provided after goods are received or services are rendered, and not in advance.

Simple Contracts

The university created a Simple Contract Agreement for performers on campus. Student organizations or individual students who participate in on-campus entertainment programs do NOT need to fill out the simple agreement to perform (for example, one student organization performing at the event of another student organization).

To process a simple contract:

1. Complete the top section of the contract, including fee amount and details of the program.
2. Send the document with instructions to the agent or artist to complete the performer's section. Instruct the agent or artist to email, fax, or mail the completed, signed contract back to the organization representative or advisor.
3. Have the sponsoring organization advisor sign the simple agreement.
4. Submit the signed contract to the Department of Student Activities & Student Organizations at least three to four weeks prior to the date of the function. Contracts must be turned in with artist and advisor signature at least two weeks prior to the day of the event or the performance will be cancelled.
5. After the contracts are received and processed, they are forwarded by Student Activities & Student Organizations staff to the appropriate departments on campus.
6. Once approved, the student organization will be e-mailed a copy of the signed contract from the Department of Student Activities & Student Organizations.
7. The organization should send a copy of the fully executed agreement to the agent or artist.
8. A copy of the fully executed contract and W9 will need to be sent with the online check requisition if payment is to be made. The Department of Student Activities & Student Organizations DOES NOT handle the payment process for student organizations. Advisors are responsible for submitting the proper paperwork through the UMeNet system.

Agency Contracts

For larger events, a simple contract may not be adequate to cover all of the necessary terms of the agreement. In these instances, an agency contract may be issued by the artist or his/her representative.

To process an agency contract:

1. Make a copy of the original contract provided by the agent/artist to serve as a working document. If possible, ask the agent to send the contract electronically.
2. Review the contract and verify the details of the program (time, date, venue, length of performance, payment, etc.).
3. Send the reviewed contract – with any necessary markups - to the Department of Student Activities & Student Organizations (SC 206). In addition to submitting the hard copy version, please also send a digital copy if available.
4. The Department of Student Activities & Student Organizations will review the legal components of the contract and edit it to reflect University of Miami standards.
5. Once the contract has been reviewed and edited, the contract will be returned to the organization representative.
6. Send the edited contract back to the agent/artist for signature. The agent or artist should also initial any changes that were made to the contract.
7. Once signed by the agent/artist, the contract should be returned to the organization representative or advisor. The organization advisor should sign the University of Miami Rider, and submit the signed contract to the Department of Student Activities & Student Organizations.
8. Contracts must be received in Student Activities & Student Organization with the artist and advisor signatures at least four weeks prior to the day of the event or the performance will be cancelled.
9. After the contracts are received and processed, they are forwarded by Student Activities & Student Organizations staff to the appropriate departments on campus.
10. Once approved, the student organization will be e-mailed a copy of the signed contract from the Department of Student Activities & Student Organizations.
11. The organization should send a copy of the fully executed agreement to the agent or artist.
12. A copy of the fully executed contract and W9 will need to be sent with the online check requisition if payment is to be made. The Department of Student Activities & Student Organizations DOES NOT handle the payment process for student organizations. Advisors are responsible for submitting the proper paperwork through the UMeNet system.

Sponsorship Contracts

This contract is utilized when a student organization is having an off campus vendor sponsor a program or event. Sponsorship agreements are not required when one student organization or department is sponsoring the event of another student organization or department.

It is strongly recommended that you reach out to the Department of Student Activities & Student Organizations for assistance with generating sponsorship agreements. Student Organization sponsorships greater than $5,000.00 must be approved by the Department of Student Activities & Student Organizations. Please contact 305-284-6399 or SASO@miami.edu for more information.

To process a sponsorship contract:

1. Complete the necessary portions of the contract, including fee amount and details of the program.
2. Send the document with instructions to the sponsoring business. Instruct the agent or artist to email, fax, or mail the completed, signed contract back to the organization representative or advisor.
3. Have the sponsoring organization advisor sign the sponsorship agreement.
4. Submit the signed contract to the Department of Student Activities & Student Organizations.
5. After the contracts are received and processed, they are forwarded by Student Activities & Student Organizations staff to the appropriate departments on campus for the remaining signatures.
6. Once approved, the student organization will be e-mailed a copy of the signed contract from the Department of Student Activities & Student Organizations.
7. The organization should send a copy of the fully executed agreement to the vendor.
8. If the vendor is sponsoring the event through monetary funds, the advisor is responsible for making sure those funds get deposited into the Student Organization Non-SAFAC accounts. Please refer to the Student Organization Donation Policy for further detail.

The contract process can take time. Please plan ahead! When in doubt about a contract, please contact the Department of Student Activities & Student Organizations at (305) 284-6399.

Contracts are not required when an organization is purchasing promotional items, if the agency is an approved vendor, or if the agreement is between two UM entities (departments or organizations).

Insurance Policies

All performers are required to carry insurance policies that meet the University of Miami requirements. The requirements include certain levels of general liability insurance and specific language with regards to endorsements. The complete policy can be found at http://www.miami.edu/finance/index.php/risk_management/vendor_insurance_requirements/.

In some instances, the insurance requirement may be waived or additional insurance may be required by the Department of Risk Management. For more information on insurance requirements, contact the Department of Risk Management at (305) 284-3163.

If an event is taking place at any of the SCC locations a Certificate Of Insurance (COI) must be filed by the vendor(s) at least two business days prior to the event occurring. COI paperwork can be obtained at the SCC Reservation Office.