Policy
In order to provide various goods and services for the purpose of conducting official activities of the College and to maintain fair and equitable business relationships with vendors, all purchasing is subject to Washington State laws and regulations as overseen by the Department of Enterprise Services (DES) and the provisions of the Higher Education RCW.28B.10. The College will comply with all direct-buy limits and prevailing wage requirements. Existing Statecontracts will be used whenever possible.
Employees are responsible for compliance with established procedures. The College will not assume responsibility for any obligation incurred that is not processed according to state and college procedures and regulations.
Procurement reform law (RCW 39.26.110) requires that those developing, executing, or managing procurement complete training. Use the following link to identify what training is needed.
Signed Policy
Procedure
Purchase Requisitions
Purchases for $200 or less should not be made by purchase order but rather with cash or credit card. With the exception of petty cash and credit card purchases, no other purchase may be made, order placed, or request made for goods until a purchase order is issued. With the exception of emergency repairs, purchase orders are issued only after Purchasing receives a completed and approved purchase requisition.
Reimbursements to individuals may only be made when evidenced by a receipt for cash spent out of pocket. Air travel miles, gift cards, rebates, personal discounts, etc. may not be included in a reimbursement.
The Purchase Requisition Form must be completed in its entirety. Complete descriptions, prices, vendor information, and budget account coding must be provided. The completed requisition should only be forwarded to the Director of Budget and Finance after the necessary signatures and budgetary approval are completed. Once the fully completed requisition is in Purchasing, allow at least five business days for processing.
When it is necessary to change a purchase order, a purchase requisition change order must be completed.
When patronizing a particular vendor for supplies on a repetitive basis, a blanket purchase order may be requested.
Petty Cash
An employee may be reimbursed for small purchases of supplies and materials (not food). Approval from the supervisor with budget authority is required prior to purchase. $100 is the maximum amount per request but any purchase over $50 will need to be approved prior to reimbursement by the Procurement and Supply Specialist. Purchases may not be split to avoid the limit. All petty cash disbursements must comply with purchasing regulations.
Credit Card
Requests for credit cards should be made through the department director/dean and approved by the Vice President then forwarded to the Procurement and Supply Specialist. They will issue the card, require a signed user agreement, and will provide instructions to the end user.
Cards are for college purchases only and are meant to supplement purchasing needs.
In general, cards cannot be used for: cash advances, personal purchases, purchasing from a family member, or purchasing equipment, materials, or supplies restricted by policy, guidelines or contract agreements. Review the “instructions for use” for a more comprehensive list.
The end user is responsible for keeping all receipts. Monthly reconciliation is required by a date supplied by Accounts Payable. Misuse of the card or past due reconciliation will be grounds for loss of card privileges.
Report lost or stolen cards to the bank immediately and then to the Purchasing Office. Fraudulent and incorrect charges must be resolved by the cardholder directly with the bank in a timely manner.
Incorrect charges must be resolved by the end user, supplier, and the credit card company.
Services
Service purchases may be subject to direct buy limits and prevailing wage requirements. Before contracting with a service provider, employees are encouraged to contact the Purchasing Office in order to ensure compliance with the most current purchasing requirements. All contracts with outside vendors must be approved by the Vice President for Finance and Administrative Services.
Industry Specific (Program) Equipment Repairs
Instruction is generally financially responsible for repairs of their equipment. Facilities is responsible to provide the instructional department with up to three approved vendors whenever their staff is unqualified to perform the repair. Normally, the department should contact one of the approved vendors to schedule the repair and to confirm that sufficient funds are available. Facilities is financially responsible for repairs of equipment that would exist whether or not the program was in that space. They are also responsible for repairing existing utilities for the equipment.
Purchase Orders
A purchase order must be in place before any work can start or before any item is ordered. This will ensure proper vendor approval and setup, verification that sufficient budget exists, that L&I requirements are being met, that there will be a proper matching of the order to the receipt, and notification to the vendor of prevailing wage requirements.
