1. Authority
1.1 Persons delegated by the President, Provost, and the Vice Presidents, as defined by the Contract Authorization Policy, are authorized to commit the University for the procurement of materials, supplies, equipment and services.
1.2 Limited delegation of purchasing authority has been given to several areas of the University because of their unique purchasing requirements. These are:
- Human Resources: Benefits Programs
- Office of Dining Services: Food and Supplies
- Murray Library: Acquisitions
- University Bookstore: Retail Items
1.3 Refer to the the Purchasing Product Matrix to determine the need for approval of a purchase by another department on campus. (For example, the facilities department must approve the purchase of any equipment that will be connected to the infrastructure of any building on campus, or the Messiah Press must approve the use of an outside printing company.)
2. Authorization Levels (established by the Department of Procurement Services, in accordance with the Contract Authorization Policy)
2.1 Messiah University utilizes levels of authority within set approval queues to approve purchases.
2.2 Requisitions utilize a tiered approval process designed to move a requisition through authorized personnel. The approval process is established by Purchasing in conjunction with the Vice President and the Contract Authorization Policy.
2.3 An employee is not permitted to approve their own requisition.
2.4 A Purchase Order is a legal and binding contract between Messiah University and a company or individual. No individual, except as indicated above, has the authority to obligate Messiah University in any way for any purchase. Any other commitments are considered unauthorized, and the individual may encounter a personal obligation to the supplier.