Statement and Purpose
This policy exists to define the thresholds of budget authority for University employees.
Who is impacted by this policy?
All faculty and staff.
Purchasing Authority Thresholds (from July 17, 2023)
| President | 1 | - Any operating budget expenditures included in the annual operating budget approved by the Board of Trustees. - Any amount for institutional contracts with designated funding source. - Any amount for capital projects as long as any projects greater than $250,000 have prior approval by the Board of Trustees (or assigned Committee) as required by policy. |
| VP Business and Finance | 2 | - Up to $150,000 for operating budget expenditures included in the annual budget approved by the Board of Trustees. - Up to $250,000 for institutional contracts and capital projects with designated funding source. - Up to $500,000 for Board of Trustees approved capital projects. |
| Provost/CAO/Other VPs/Asst Provosts | 3 | Up to $75,000 |
| Direct reports to Provost/CAO/VPs/Asst Provosts | 4 | Up to $50,000 |
| Named positions listed below reporting to Level 4 | 5 | Up to $10,000 |
| Named positions listed below reporting to Level 5 | 6 | Up to $5,000 |
Named positions listed below (other roles determined to require purchasing authority) | 7 | Up to $2,000 |
Current Purchasing Authority Thresholds are attached: Purchasing Authority Levels
No exceptions for any roles are allowed.
Remember, once an approved Purchase Order is in place, no further approvals for Requests for Payment are required.
Purchasing Authority Thresholds (prior to July 17, 2023)
All documents initiating expenditure of University resources must be approved according to the following schedule:
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Note: These thresholds apply to transactions that follow prescribed procedures (i.e., Purchases $5,000 and over without a purchase order require additional VP approval).
Exceptions are made for deans and directors whose operational responsibility requires routine large expenditures. They are as follows:
The executive director of Computer and Information Systems may sign for the full amount for all telecommunications services once an overall contract has been approved:
- Cellular Telephone Services
- Telecommunication Services
- Long Distance Services
- Paging Services
The director of Facility Management may sign for the full amount for all utilities once an overall contract is approved or the rate is negotiated:
- Electricity
- Natural Gas
- Garbage
- Water
- Sewer
- Hazardous Waste
The director of Human Resources may sign for the full amount for all benefits once an overall contract has been approved:
- Retirement Plan Payments
- Life Insurance Payments
- Disability Insurance Payments
- Medical Insurance Payments
- Dental Insurance Payments
The director of University Services may sign for the full amount for all Sodexo and AT&T Broadband cable invoices once an overall contract has been approved.
The associate director of project design (Facilities) may sign for the full amount of all IKON and Kinkos invoices once an overall contract has been approved.
The above payments are typically routine and contractual in nature (approval is secured prior to activating service) and therefore do not require a purchase order or VP override.