Case Study: Utah State University achieves rapid approvals and cuts contract turnaround from weeks to minutes with DocuSign

Modernizing Utah State University’s Agreement Process with DocuSign

Utah State University, a public research university serving more than 28,000 students across regional campuses, faced major inefficiencies from a paper-based signature process. Sponsored Programs (which submits 1,500–2,000 proposals a year) and Purchasing Services regularly dealt with last‑minute submissions, multi‑day or multi‑week contract turnarounds for remote campuses, and an inability to legally enforce student loan agreements—risking missed grant deadlines, increased costs, and unrecoverable loans.

USU implemented DocuSign eSignature—using an intuitive interface, rule‑based templates, and real‑time workflow visibility—to route proposals, contracts, and loan documents electronically. The results: more than 50% of 115 pilot proposals were completed within one hour and 70% within a day; contract turnaround shrank from weeks to a day for regional campuses; paper handling dropped about 70%; and electronic signatures made student loans legally enforceable, reducing risk and freeing staff for higher‑value work.

Utah State University

Corey Burger

Contract Administrator - Sponsored Programs Office Company