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Getting Help

Contracting involves a large portion of the campus community, so who you should contact for help varies depending on the contract or issue. Please see below for a list of on-campus contact to assist with your contracting process.

Forming/Managing a Contract

Five College Compliance & Risk Management

Contact the Five College Office of Compliance & Risk Management. The Director of Risk Management, can advise on template forms, contract structure, risk issues, insurance and indemnity agreements, professional services, contract management, and getting and giving certificates of insurance.

Ruth Rauluk
Director of Risk Management
413-538-3092
rrauluk@fivecolleges.edu

The Purchasing Office

The Purchasing Office can be contacted for contracts dealing with the purchase of goods and services, such as car sharing and rentals, office supplies and copiers, purchase orders, procurement issues, consulting agreements, etc.

purchasing@smith.edu
 

The Dean or Director of the Department

The Dean or Director of the department initiating the agreement may be contacted to understand or clarify what the subject of the contract is, what points may be negotiable, cost limitations, etc.

Information Technology Services should be consulted on IT purchases or contracts, including software, hardware, consulting on information technology issues, computing, wireless infrastructure, networking services, etc.

Mark Umstot
Assistant to the Vice President for Information Technology Services
413-585-2618
mumstot@smith.edu

Contracts for Entertainment

Office of Student Engagement

All student-hired events or entertainment must go through the event registration process on the Smith Social Network. All questions regarding student contracts should be directed to the Office of Student Engagement.

Tamra Bates
Director of Office of Student Engagement (OSE)
tbates@smith.edu
413.538.2478 

Patrick Connelly
Assistant Director of the OSE for Student Programs
413.585.2633
pconnell@smith.edu

Events Management Office

Events Management must be consulted on all contracts initiated by faculty and staff that involve the use of college facilities and related college resources for events. 

Peg Pitzer
Director of Events Management
413.585.2163
ppitzer@smith.edu

Dining Services

Dining Services should be contacted when the contract or contracting issues involves food, beverages, or catering on campus.

Patrick Diggins
Purchasing/Business Operations
413.585.2311
pdiggins@smith.edu

Accounting Issues

Office of the Controller

For billing questions, payment to non-resident aliens, reimbursement, and accounting-related contracting issues, you should contact the Controller's Office. For your reference, their website also contains a list of related policies that may be able to answer contract-related questions.

Matthew Motyka
Controller
413.585.2204
mmotyka@smith.edu

Construction Contracts (Including Maintenance and Repairs) 

Facilities Management

Construction agreements or agreements for facilities maintenance and repairs must all be entered into and managed by Facilities Management. If you have a project that you are thinking of calling a contractor for, call Facilities Management FIRST!

Smith College Facilities Management
413.585.2400
126 West Street
Northampton, MA 01063

Hiring a Casual Employee or Independent Contractor

If you are looking into hiring either an independent contractor or a casual employee, please see the Controller's policy, Employee vs. Independent Contractor (Word Doc).

Casual Employee

If you are looking to hire a casual employee, please contact Human Resources.

Serena Harris
HR Specialist, Recruitment
sharris@smith.edu
413.585.2289

Independent Contractor

If you are looking to hire an independent contractor, please contact the Controller's Office.

Michael Ford
Assistant Controller
mford95@smith.edu

Questions About Guest Lecturers & Speakers

Questions about guest lecturers and speaker cannot be answered by just one person. Please see the following steps for the complete procedure: