Agreements

To strengthen its academic mission, Lindenwood University actively cultivates partnerships with a wide range of institutions-leveraging shared resources, encouraging academic exchange, and expanding opportunity.

The Office of the Provost leads university-wide coordination of these efforts by maintaining a comprehensive inventory of academic agreements and associations.

Agreement Types

Agreements at Lindenwood University encompass a variety of formal partnerships that support teaching, learning, and scholarly engagement. These include, but are not limited to:

• Memorandum of Understanding (MOUs) - An agreement referred to as a "handshake" agreement between Lindenwood University and another partner institution. This agreement is generally not a legally binding contract with term ranges between one to three years. With mutual agreement, this contract is typically renewable. LU template recommenced.
• Clinical or Field Placement Affiliations - An agreement between Lindenwood University and partner facilities for clinical placements. This agreement details the responsibilities and obligations between both institutions and describes clinical opportunities educational/training experience for students. LU template recommended. Terms for this agreement range from one semester to up to five years and can be renewable.
• Study Abroad Agreements - A partnership between Lindenwood University and an international institution
  that enables students to study and train outside the U.S. These agreements define the academic framework, terms and conditions of the partnership, student responsibilities, and renewal options.

Any agreement not specifically listed above or if the appropriate process for an agreement is unclear to an academic unit initiator requires prior review and approval in consultation with the Office of the Provost.

Agreement Process

The process to execute an agreement is determined by the type of agreement. Agreements initiated through academic affairs are expected to follow these steps:

1. Discovery Meeting - An initial meeting is held between the Lindenwood academic unit initiating the agreement and the Associate Provost to discuss intent, scope, and alignment with university priorities.
2. Partner Review of Template (If applicable) - Note: If a Lindenwood University agreement template is being used, the initiating party should share the draft with the partner affiliate for suggested updates prior to initiating the Workday process.
3. Review and Editing in Workday - Drafts of the agreement are submitted, reviewed, and revised within the Workday platform. This step includes legal, academic, and administrative considerations
4. Finalization and Signatures - Once approved, the finalized agreement is signed by the appropriate parties and shared with institutional partners. The completed document is recorded and archived in Workday.

Initiating the Agreement

1. Template Use (Before Submission): Partner affiliates should be encouraged to use the Lindenwood agreement template to review and revise their documents. This ensures alignment with institutional standards and can streamline the review process.
2. Suggested Updates: Any proposed changes or updates based on the template review should be addressed before the document enters Workday.
3. Only after using the template and incorporating necessary revisions should the initiator upload the final, affiliate signed agreement to Workday to initiate the formal review.

Document Format

• All submitted agreements in the review and editing stage should be in the form of a Word document for tracked changes.
• Once the final document is amended, the document should be uploaded as a PDF to have the ability to digitally sign the document.
• In cases where the document format does not support digital signatures, the agreement will be printed, physically signed, and then uploaded into Workday. Once uploaded, the initiator may proceed to complete the process within the Workday system.