All lease, lease-purchase and rental of equipment, supplies, vehicles, etc. are subject to the same acquisition process including competitive bids that apply to regular purchases. All potential lease situations must be discussed with and approved by the Controller and Purchasing.
The University has set certain standards for furniture acquisition, and has several contracts in place where educational discounts are available. Standard office furniture should be purchased through the Purchasing Department, and furniture associated with remodeling projects or any specialized furnishings should be discussed first with Facilities Planning before proceeding with the actual purchase.
All requests for non-standard/specialized furnishings should be requested through Associate Director for Architectural and Engineering Services, Facilities Planning.
Purchasing encourages the use of procurement cards for most emergency purchases. Or a department could have someone pay for the purchase personally and seek reimbursement.
In situations where the dollar amount is substantially higher than recommended for a procurement card, the department can request the purchase electronically and then alert Purchasing to search for and create the purchase order as soon as possible. The order number will be assigned by the system when the order is created and Purchasing can then notify the department and/or the supplier.
All purchases of the University as a general rule must have a public purpose. The personal use of the purchasing or payment systems is prohibited by law and can result in discipline, up to and including dismissal from employment. Refer to Policy 9.73 University Policies and Procedures for more information.
Examples of items that are prohibited from purchase include, but are not limited to:
The Purchasing Department is responsible for the general procurement of supplies, equipment and services for the University. Board of Regents Policy mandates competitive bidding at $25,000 or greater for supplies and equipment, and $25,000 for professional services. The bid threshold for services is based on a one-time cost, or on a cumulative cost for on-going services under the terms of the project engagement. Signing a contract or agreement does not relieve a department's responsibility to coordinate the acquisition through the Purchasing Department.
The Board of Regents has a comprehensive policy as to what constitutes a conflict of interest (1.3 Conflict of Interest) . The policy, in general, provides that Regent employees shall not sell any goods or services to any Regent institution if the value exceeds $2,000 per transaction or $2,000 annually unless pursuant to pre-approval by the Board of Regents.
The Procurement Manager shall be responsible for establishing procedures to ensure that goods and services are competitively selected. Written bids are required for purchases that are expected to exceed $50,000. Competitive selection may incorporate multiple criteria of award, with awards made based on the bidder whose proposal provides the best value as determined by the institution/purchasing department. Non-competitive and sole source purchases are recognized as proper procurement procedures only under appropriate circumstances such as:
Cellular or wireless phone service may be provided for employee use with a defined business need and departmental approval. Employees are encouraged to utilize the university preferred supplier of cellular service. This service is bid and negotiated periodically to ensure competitive rates.
Consideration for service should include, but may not be limited to:
All car rentals connected with University travel must be approved in advance by the appropriate department head. The University has discounted car rental agreements; check the Purchasing Contracts page for further detail.
Note that other rental companies may have better rates available at certain times due to specials. It is usually beneficial to compare rates. The agencies which handle University air travel can check these rates and make reservations for the traveler.
