Purchase Authorization

Departmental Funds

Allotments

The University operates on the principle of budgetary allotments to the various schools and departments. The administrative head of each department is responsible for any expenditures from the allotment assigned to that department.

Authority

The authority to make purchases from the allotted departmental budgets for services or materials is furnished to the Procurement Services Office by the signature of the departmental or school administrator as the budgetary head on a purchase requisition.

Delegated Authority

In some cases, the authority to approve charges against a department’s budget is delegated. This delegation of authority does not relieve the budgetary head from responsibility for the allotted budget.

Contracts and Grants

Authorization

Spending of budgeted funds from contracts and grants must be authorized by the Principal Investigator or the Project Director and preferably the administrative head of the investigator's school or department. In addition, the approval of the office of Contracts and Grants is required before purchase requisitions can be processed by the Procurement Services Office for certain types of purchases. It is the responsibility of the Principal Investigator or Project Director to obtain the necessary authorization for expending such funds prior to submittal of the purchase requisition to the Procurement Services Office.

Contract Administration

For further information on contract and grant expenditures, please refer to the Project Director's Manual and the Office of Research Administration.

Purchase Commitments

Under the authority delegated to the University by the State of North Carolina, Department of Administration, Purchase and Contract Division, and in compliance with the provisions of the General Statutes of the State of North Carolina and, further; under authority delegated by the Chancellor, the University Procurement Services Office has the exclusive responsibility for making all purchase contracts entered into for the University (rental or purchase of real property excepted). This authority covers materials, equipment and contractual services.

Personal Responsibility

Purchases charged against University funds that are not made in accordance with policies as stated in this manual will be the personal responsibility of the individual placing the order, as the University will not assume any financial responsibility.