FAQs

Alcohol may only be served at events held on the Georgia State University campus upon receipt of permission to do so by the universitypresident or the president’s designee. In order to receive permission to serve alcohol at an on-campus event, the event sponsor must review the University’s Policy on Alcohol and other Drugs, and complete the required Request to Serve Alcohol process.

The Office of Legal Affairs cannot provide legal advice or representation to members of the University community in connection with matters against the University’s interests or with any personal matters. If you are interested in finding an attorney to represent you in a personal matter, the following resources may be helpful.

• Atlanta Bar Association’s Lawyer Referral and Information Service
• State Bar of Georgia Membership Directory
• Atlanta Legal Aid Society (ALAS)

University faculty, staff, and students are encouraged to report any suspected occurrences of fraud, illegal activity, or harassment through their supervisory chain of command or other trusted administrators. However, faculty, staff, and students may also report such occurrences to the Police Department, the Office of Human Resources, the Office of the Ombudsperson, the Office of Opportunity Development and Diversity Education Planning, University Research Services & Administration, or University Auditing and Advisory Services. Finally, any member of the University community may report occurrences of fraud, illegal activity, or harassment 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by calling 1-877-217-4674 or online at Georgia State University Ethics and Compliance Reporting Hotline.

With a few rare exceptions, the OLA must review all contracts involving the University, its Units and Departments, and its affiliated organizations, regardless of amount, prior to signature by an authorized signatory of the University. For more information about University contracts, and the procedures for processing and executing such contracts, please visit the Contracts Section under Legal Services and Forms.

The University follows the record retention schedule of the University System of Georgia, which may be accessed Registar's website.

Information about hiring an independent contractor/consultant for a university unit or department can be obtained by reviewing the Payments to Independent Contractors/Consultants guide or by contacting the Office of Disbursements at 404-413-3040.

Current University policies can be accessed on the University Policy Library website.

Download a copy of the Routing Form (effective as of September 20, 2019)

Only individuals who have written Signature Authority delegation from the University President or one of the President’s authorized delegatees can execute a contract binding on the University. Faculty members, including Department Chairs, generally do not have such authority to execute contracts on behalf of the University. Individuals who execute contracts without official Signature Authority delegation may be personally responsible for fulfilling the terms of the contract (including payment of any required charges under the contract). Individuals seeking Signature Authority on behalf of the University should contact their supervisors or the Division of Finance and Administration at 404-413-3000. View the current list of individuals at the University who have Signature Authority.

The OLA does not provide personal legal advice to faculty, staff or students. Attorneys in OLA provide legal counsel to Georgia State University (including all of its Units and Departments) and its cooperative organizations (i.e., Research Foundation, Foundation, Athletic Association, and Alumni Association). The OLA advises these entities’ administrators, faculty, and staff, in their official capacities, on various issues impacting the University.