PURCHASING POLICY (GENERAL) No university employee may enter into a purchase agreement, make commitments to purchase, or otherwise obligate expenditure of university funds except on proper authorization and through the established procedures involving requisitions, purchase orders, delivery, invoice, and payment, and including strict compliance with the state bid law and sound business practices, and University of North Alabama purchasing policies and procedures. Budget For each fiscal year (October 1 - September 30), the university budget includes funds approved for each university cost center to purchase and requisition equipment, supplies, and services. The University's budget procedures are available in the Business and Financial Affairs Office. Purchasing Office The purchasing office coordinates with cost centers in taking advantage of special discounts, services, and shipping arrangements, and of the economies of large-scale purchases. All such purchases and services are charged back to the cost center originating the request, and cost center heads are responsible for keeping requests within their budgetary allocations. For requests of an unusual type and those that exceed budgetary allocations, cost center heads should consult the appropriate dean and/or director. The University is not responsible for purchases made by persons other than the University’s purchasing agent by official purchase order. Purchase orders are not issued after the fact. When these procedures are violated, the transaction is the personal obligation of the person making the arrangement. Off-Campus Purchases Any expenditure from university funds of $200 or more requires a university purchase order. To receive a university purchase order, one must be requested from the purchasing office. Purchase order requests are created in Self-Service Banner under the finance section. A requisition must be properly completed to identify the cost center, budget account number, and details of the item(s) required. The form must be printed for appropriate signature by the cost center head and submitted to the purchasing office. If all the details are in order, a purchase order will be created. A minimum turn-around time of two workdays must be allowed for issuance of a purchase order, but normally a longer time period is required. Those employees with requests requiring bid submission must allow a minimum of four weeks for processing. No purchase order numbers are assigned by telephone except in emergency circumstances. Orders delivered or picked up must be inspected for conformity to the order before acceptance and invoice approval. All invoices for orders received must be promptly approved by the cost center head and sent to the Business and Financial Affairs Office for payment. Order cancellations or modifications, invoice errors, and other matters related to purchases should be cleared through the purchasing office. On-Campus Purchases Purchases to be made from the University supply room or the University Bookstore are requisitioned on the intra-campus request form, properly completed as to the identification of the cost center, the budget account number, and the signature of the cost center head. Cost centers should maintain a record of purchases by requisition from the supply room and the bookstore.
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