REQUISITION AND PURCHASE ORDER PROCEDURES

The University requisitioning and purchasing procedures for supplies, equipment, contracts, lectures, consultants, maintenance agreements, or any other expenditures are outlined below. Each and every item must have a requisition and purchase order before the order is placed.

1. Requisitions for purchases may be entered into the Banner system before an approval is entered by the authorized person for the respective department. However, the requisition cannot be processed by the purchasing agent until the requisition is properly approved. The approver is stating that the item(s) being purchased is needed (needs assessment). The amount must include all freight, handling, insurance and any other miscellaneous charges. Materials, equipment, supplies, and/or services should not be ordered, picked-up or performed until the department has received the computer generated purchase order from the Business Office. No employee of Cameron University is to pick up merchandise from a store unless he/she has a properly executed Cameron University purchase order. No employee is to pick up merchandise from a store by providing only a purchase order number. He/she must have an actual purchase order in his or her possession at the time the goods are picked up. No telephone orders of any kind should be placed by any employee of Cameron University. All orders placed must be in the proper purchase order format with proper authorization by the Business Office of Cameron University.
2. The Purchaser must have quotations from possible vendors for any requisition between $10,000.00 and $100,0000.00 before submitting a purchase order request to the Purchasing Agent; these can include telephone quotes, written quotes, and e-mail quotes as long as a written confirmation is available. If a question arises, the Request for Quote may be sent to the Purchasing Agent for assistance. The received quotations will be reviewed by the department before a purchase request is made. The lowest priced vendor quotation received will normally be awarded the order, however, “best value” is a factor in the decision process. If the requisition is for a “sole source” vendor, or for an item(s) that is on a “state contract,” it can be processed through the computer generated Banner system. However, a “sole source” requisition must have a “Sole Source Affidavit” submitted to the purchasing agent in the Business Office at the time the requisition is entered into the Banner system. If the item(s) being requested is on a “state contract” there must be an entry included in the body of the purchase requisition, after the last item is entered, that states; STATE CONTRACT and its number. The quotation process can take several days to finalize.
3. Departments cannot split the purchase of like items costing $10,000.00 or more between vendors to avoid the quotation process requirement. Like items costing $10,000.00 or more must be combined on one requisition, approved by the Dean, Department Chairman, and/or Director and submitted to the Purchasing Agent in the Business Office for processing.
4. All requisitions $100,000.00 and over require sealed bids to be received before the item(s) can be ordered. This process must be sent through the Purchasing Agent for processing. Also, any requisition $100,000.00 and over that is deemed to be for public improvement must go through the bidding process and be processed accordingly.
5. Any requisitions for $250,000.00 or over are agenda items requiring Board of Regents approval. It is the department head's responsibility to see that these requisitions are submitted to the Purchasing Agent in the Business Office for inclusion on the agenda for the next Board of Regents meeting. Notices are sent out monthly by the President's Office advising each department when the next board meeting will be and when all requisitions should be in the Business Office to be included on the agenda. It is the responsibility of the Deans, Directors, etc. to check the agenda each month to be sure that all required items have been submitted for inclusion on the agenda.
6. Departments may only order materials, supplies, services, etc., approved on the purchase order. No substituting of items is allowed, nor can items be added to the order. If materials are needed that are not included on the purchase order, a new purchase order must be obtained. If items requested on a purchase order are not available, departments cannot substitute other items.