Agreements with international partners are subject to university policy and the respective laws of each national government. One important function of The Office of International Partnerships is providing support to the campus schools and colleges to ensure that these agreements are created, executed, and managed properly.
All international contracts, Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs), and Memoranda of Agreement (MOAs) as well as any other legally binding international partnership agreements must be created in consultation with Office of International Partnerships within the Office of Global Engagement and Innovation.
See Provost's statement
Template MOU Process
Step One. Communicate with unit leadership, including the Chair and/or Dean to ensure the prospective partnership has their support.
Step Two. Contact the Director of the Office of International Partnerships, who can draw up a foundational MOU between PSU and the partner university using the General Council vetted and approved MOU template.
Step Three. Upon approval of the content of the foundational MOU with the partnership initiator, the Director of the Office of International Partnerships will collect the necessary signatures from PSU designees.
Step Four. Either the partnership initiator or the Partnerships Office will share the partially executed document with the partner university for signature by their designees.
Step Five. Upon receipt of the signed document, the Partnerships Office will ensure it is shared with PSU’s Contract Office, where it is filed and held.
FAQs
Who has to sign my MOU on the PSU Side?
The designated authority in the Office of Global Engagement and Innovation and the Contracts Office must sign.
The Dean wants to sign the MOU. Is that possible?
Yes! It's not required, but it's definitely possible.
What process do I use if the MOU is only between my department and the partner university department?
The process is the same whether between a unit, department, school/college, or PSU as a whole and an internatioanl partner.
I need to make one small change to the MOU template. How should I proceed?
Don't. When the template MOU is used, absolutely no changes can be made to the template text. This includes insertions and/or deletions.
I want to create an exchange program with an international partner. Where do I start?
The template MOU is a great first step. Once this foundational MOU is on the books, you, the partner, and the Office of International Partnerships can work together to create a more specific, detailed agreement.