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PURCHASE AUTHORIZATION

Material & Disbursement Services (MSD)

POLICY 1

Effective Date: 07/01/1993

Last Modified Date: 11/12/2003


Budgetary Head's Responsibilities

Allotment

The University operates on the principle of budgetary allotments to the various agencies, schools, and departments. The administrative head of each area is responsible for expenditures from the allotment.

Authority

The authority to make purchases from the allotted departmental budgets for services or materials is furnished to Purchasing Services by online approval or by the signature of the departmental or school administrator, as budgetary head, on an authorizing Purchase Requisition.

Delegated Authority

In some cases, the budgetary head may delegate authority to approve charges written against a department's budget. Written notice to Purchasing and to Disbursement Services is required. This delegated authority does not relieve the budgetary head from responsibility for the allotted budget.

Principal Investigator's Responsibilities

Authorization

Spending of budgeted funds from grants and contracts must be authorized by the principal investigator. In addition, certain grants and contracts require the approval of a second party before funds can be expended. It is the responsibility of the principal investigator to obtain all necessary authorizations for expending such funds. Requests not properly authorized will be returned by Purchasing for necessary authorization.

Contract Administration

See the Sponsored Research table of contents for further information on contract and grant expenditures and principal investigators.


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