
The Office of Legal Affairs is Augusta University's in-house legal counsel. Attorneys
in the Office of Legal Affairs provide legal advice and counseling to the University
through its administrators, faculty, and staff in the course of their duties on behalf
of the University.
The Augusta University Legal Affairs Office provides advice on a variety of topics
including contracts, employment and discretionary issues, inventions, copyrights and
other intellectual property, and risk management. In addition to providing legal counseling
to the University, other areas of responsibility for the Office of Legal Affairs include
policy interpretation and advice, administration of the University's grievance and
dispute resolution procedures, contract review, and – in conjunction with the Attorney
General – management of actual or threatened litigation in which the University is
involved. The Office of Legal Affairs is also available to provide training and informative
programs on legal issues applicable to units of the University.
The information contained on this site is for use by Augusta University. Forms or
documents provided are not intended to serve as legal advice. The Office of Legal
Affairs does not provide legal advice to administrators, faculty, staff, or students
in their individual capacities. Employees and students should generally consult with
their supervisor or faculty member before contacting the Legal Affairs Office.
Service Areas
We are guided by operating principles of: integrity and the highest ethical standards;
a commitment to excellence; continuously updated legal expertise; professionalism;
creativity; sound decision-making; prevention; effectiveness; risk management; teamwork;
effective communication; courtesy and respect; consensus-building; timeliness; and
professional growth.
Contract Routing
Instructions for routing AU contracts and required form.
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Open Records Requests
With limited exceptions, public records of AU are subject to the Georgia Open Records
Act, O.C.G.A.-50-18-70 et seq.
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Mediation Program
Informal process mandated by BOR whereby employees experiencing disputes can come
together with a trained neutral (intermediary) to try to work out mutually agreeable
resolution.
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Medical Malpractice
Litigation for professional negligence involving doctors whose patients have been
injured by a doctor whose actions were below the applicable standard of care pursue
damages.
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Standard Agreements
Template agreements that contain the University's preferred terms for specific types
of collaborations
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Policies & Guidelines
In order to streamline the process for drafting, revising, and approval of policies,
AU has implemented a management system.
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Policy Guidelines
Legal Affairs serves as the single source for university-level policies and information
pertaining to policy drafting and review.
The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) governs the release of educational
records. Students must file educational records request with the Registrar’s Office.
Statutory device whereby a patient informs a healthcare provider how he/she desires
their care to be delivered given a particular set of medical conditions.
AU has a system for processing contracts. All contracts must be approved by the Office
of Legal Affairs prior to execution by employees with written signature authority.
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Employee conduct that improperly benefits his/her financial interest or those of his
or her family members or any business with which the person is associated.
Intellectual property is a category of property that includes intangible creations
of the human intellect. The most prominent types are copyrights, patents, and trademarks.
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AU has a system for processing contracts. All contracts must be approved by the Office
of Legal Affairs prior to execution by employees with written signature authority.
Non-disclosure agreements (NDA) are legal commitments prohibiting the release of specific
information, e.g., proprietary research, health and educational records, etc.
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Unit News
“A comprehensive and ongoing policy process is a critical component of creating and supporting a culture of ethics and integrity, which reflects our mission and values,” said Chris Melcher, vice president and general counsel for Augusta University.
Preventing the spread of COVID-19 makes it an unusual circumstance for coordinating volunteer efforts.
The Office of Legal Affairs assumed responsibility for the university’s policy system in January and is working to update and streamline the policy process.
In July 2018, President Keel asked the Office of Legal Affairs to assume responsibility for the management and implementation of university policies and the Policy Library.
Statutes of Augusta University
The Faculty of Augusta University sets forth the following regulations for the governance
of the university.
These Statutes seek to encompass basic principles of operation and organization of
the Faculty of Augusta University; to delineate the rights and responsibilities of
each component of the university; and to provide means for communication among the
components so that, through cooperative action, the purposes of the university can
best be served.
View Statutes