Board of Regents Policy Manual

Official Policies of the University System of Georgia

5.1 General Policy

The Board of Regents recognizes that public service, including lifelong education and economic development support activities, are fundamental responsibilities of all colleges and universities; that they are important means by which the USG extends and applies the knowledge available in its instruction and research programs to the needs and problems of Georgia citizens, government, businesses, and organizations, and; that such programs can assist the state and nation in providing solutions to major challenges.

Public service includes a wide array of assistance that the USG and its member institutions provide to the state and the community. Such service can be academic or nonacademic, provided under contract or informally, and funded through external, internal, or a combination of sources, depending on the extent of the assistance and the availability of funds.

The Chancellor shall identify statewide needs and develop system-wide initiatives using the USG’s collective networked resources to meet USG public service responsibilities. Presidents shall identify local and mission-related needs and develop methods to respond to these. The Chancellor shall periodically provide to the Board a comprehensive assessment of the way in which the USG and its institutions are applying their resources to serving the people, governments, businesses, and organizations of Georgia (BoR Minutes, October 2002).

5.1.1 Service Agreements with Local and State Agencies

As part of the USG’s mission of public service, institutions are encouraged to provide expertise and services to local governments or state agencies, as needed and appropriate.

The Chancellor delegates to the presidents of the institutions the authority to sign service agreements between the institution and a government or agency. The president must report monthly to the University System Office that a service agreement has been signed. As part of that report, the president should provide:

  1. A summary of the service that the institution has contracted for;
  2. The agency or agencies involved;
  3. The length of the agreement; and,
  4. The amount of money that the institution will receive for the service.

The University System Office shall provide a summary of the service agreements to the Board at each meeting through the Committee on Education, Research, and Extension (BoR Minutes, October 2002).


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