Student Affairs covers a broad spectrum of issues affecting student life and education—from admission, to student finance, to housing, to student conduct, to student privacy, to graduation and departure from the University. While OGC can advise in any of these areas, you might find some of the following information helpful. Contact Carrie Ryan Gallia for advice and counsel regarding these issues.
Arnie Frishman and Liz Lim are OGC's primary counsel and contacts for the Office of Sponsored Projects Administration (SPA). OGC advises SPA regarding non-standard terms in grants, contracts and other sponsored project agreements and assists in drafting and negotiating complex agreements. In the first instance, the principal investigator/project director (PI/PD) should direct a proposed agreement to SPA.
A unit considering an external sale should begin by contacting the Internal and External Sales Unit of the Controller's Office, which will assist in providing advice on the best approach, pricing, etc.
According to University Administrative Policy, the Real Estate Office
Under Regents Policy, all University contracts must be on University standard contracts or they must be reviewed and approved by the OGC and signed by an individual who has been expressly delegated to sign it. See Delegations of Authority.
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) governs the privacy of student records. Under FERPA, information about personally identifiable students is private, except for “directory information.” Directory information is information that has been determined by the Board of Regents to be public. Even directory information must be kept private, however, if a student has exercised the right to “suppress” directory information—suppression status should always be checked before disclosing data as directory information.
The University of Minnesota has a long history of innovation and discovery in many different fields leading to numerous commercially significant inventions. University Regents Policy for Commercialization of Intellectual Property Rights provides that these inventions are owned by the Regents.
The OGC represents the University in all disputes. Those disputes include state and federal lawsuits, arbitrations, Human Rights and EEOC claims, and grievances and other proceedings when the other person is represented by a lawyer.
According to University Administrative Policy, the Real Estate Office must approve any agreement to use or lease real estate (land and buildings, including space within a building). University real estate, whether owned or leased, must be used for purposes that contribute to the University’s mission, unless a written agreement provides for another approved use of the real estate by a non-University entity.
Brent Benrud and Neil Goldsmith provide legal advice to Human Resources and University Departments on a host of employment-related matters.