As part of the University of Illinois System's procurement realignment, Sr. Assistant Vice President for Procurement and Payment Services Aaron Carter has established a new System Contract Management Office, effective July 1, 2026.
The office, led by Sr. Director Brad Henson, has been created to provide a more coordinated approach to contract management while supporting consistent processes and service across the University of Illinois System.
This is one of several organizational changes designed to strengthen collaboration, improve consistency, and enhance procurement and contract services throughout the system.
Effective July 1, the System Contract Management Office will be responsible for the review and negotiation of the following contract types:
- Receivable / revenue-generating agreements (i.e., agreements where the other party is paying the university money)
- Certain no-fund agreements, including:
- Student Experiential Learning Agreements, including Affiliation/Student Placement Agreements and Course Project Agreements
- International Study Abroad Agreements
- Nondisclosure Agreements
Responsibilities Remaining with Campus Purchasing Offices
The respective purchasing offices — Urbana Purchasing under Sr. Director Justin Johnston, Chicago Purchasing under Sr. Director Aaron Rosenthal, Springfield Purchasing under Sr. Director Jill Menezes and System Purchasing under Sr. Director Daniel Szajna — will continue to review and negotiate the following contract types:
- Payable / purchasing agreements (i.e., agreements where the university is paying money)
- Contracts related to a purchase (e.g., NDAs before a purchase)
- "Hybrid" agreements (i.e., agreements where the university is both paying and receiving money)
- No-fund agreements for goods and services
- All athletic game agreements
The university's contract management system, Contracts+, has been updated to ensure correct routing of contracts to the appropriate office based on contract category.
As implementation continues, additional information regarding responsibilities, processes, and resources will be shared with the university community.
Thank you for your continued partnership as we work to strengthen procurement and contract management services across the University of Illinois System.
