Original Date: 1/26/2021 * Last Revision Effective: 1/26/2021
Policy Contact: Vice President, Administrative Services
Purpose
The following procedures are established to meet the requirements for implementing policy #1150 – Contract and Purchasing Signature Authority.
Procedures
These procedures provide a list of approved delegated signature authorities and purchasing limits. Employees executing contracts and/or making purchases on behalf of Bellevue College are responsible for completing appropriate state training and ensuring they have authority to act on behalf of the college. They must exercise that authority in compliance with applicable laws, conditions, restrictions, and guidelines.
Contract Review
All college contracts, regardless of signature authority, must be submitted with a Contract Signature Approval (CSA) form to contracts staff for legal review. After reviewing the contract and CSA form, contracts staff fill route the documents to the appropriate parties for approval and signature. Contracts are not considered valid until signatures have been obtained by all parties. Contracts must be fully signed before any exchange of goods or services. It is recommended the contract be submitted for review at least two weeks prior to the expected delivery of goods or services. Because of security and accessibility requirements, contracts related to software and databases may take up to two months. Contractors will not be paid for goods or services without a valid, signed contract.
The CSA form includes routing instructions for signatures. In addition to legal review, other offices involved in the review/approval process include:
- The appropriate cabinet member must sign any CSA under consideration.
- The vice president of information technology services (ITS) approves all software purchases, software service agreements, and statements of work on consulting projects involving ITS technology and software.
- The procurement manager ensures compliance with purchasing regulations.
- The grant accountant and/or the finance director review and approve purchases for all grant budgets.
- Contracts exceeding $250,000 must include a CSA form signed by the college president.
Contract Signature Authority
The following list shows the approved delegated signature authority.
| Type of Contract | Signature Authority |
|---|---|
| Articulation Agreements | Provost |
| Banking Agreements | Vice President of Administrative Services |
| BC Non-disclosure Agreement | Director / Dean or higher position of the department overseeing the purchase |
| BC Data Sharing Agreement | Director / Dean or higher position of the department overseeing the purchase |
| Building Leases | President (after review by Vice President of Administrative Services) |
| Catering and Facility Rental Contracts | Director of Food Services and Events |
| Client Services Contracts | Vice President of Administrative Services |
| Clinical Agreements (if college template is used with no changes) | Provost |
| Clinical Agreements (with changes to college template or template from facility) | Provost (after review by Vice President of Administrative Services) |
| Continuing Education Contract Training Agreements (if college template is used with no changes) | Vice President of Economic and Workforce Development |
| Continuing Education Contract Training Agreements (with changes to college template or template from another organization) | Vice President of Administrative Services |
| Debt Agreements / Certificate of Participation | President (after review by Vice President of Administrative Services) |
| Distance Ed Online Course Development Contracts | Provost |
| Employment Contracts / Administrator and Exempt | President |
| Employment Contracts / Faculty Full-time | Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs |
| Employment Contracts / Faculty Part-time | Dean |
| Enterprise Software License Agreements | Vice President of Administrative Services |
| Equipment Leases | Vice President of Administrative Services |
| Goods and Services (from Request for Proposal [RFP]) | Procurement Manager |
| Goods and Services >$10,000 | Vice President of Administrative Services |
| Goods and Services (non-RFP) <$10,000 | Procurement Manager |
| Grant Applications <$100,000 | Vice President of Administrative services (unless Presidential signature is required by grant) |
| Grant Applications >$100,000 | President (after review by Vice President of Administrative Services) |
| Grant Awards <$100,000 | Vice President of Administrative Services |
| Grant Awards >$100,000 | President (after review by Vice President of Administrative Services) |
| Interlocal / Interagency Agreements | President (after review by Vice President of Administrative Services) |
| International Student Programs Recruitment Agreements | Vice President of Administrative Services |
| Internship Worksite Agreements | Vice President of Administrative Services |
| Labor Contracts | Union Representatives; State of WA Labor Relations Board Representatives; President |
| License Agreements | Vice President of Administrative Services |
| Memorandum of Understanding | Per type of contract |
| Personal Service / Provision of Services Contracts | Vice President of Administrative Services |
| Professional / Collegiate Membership Agreements | President |
| State Agency Host Services | President (after review by Vice President of Administrative Services) |
| Vendor Software License Agreements | Vice President of Administrative Services |
Purchasing Signature Authority
Employees authorized to make purchases using purchase orders or procurement cards will follow all purchasing guidelines and observe the following limits, regardless of purchase method.
- Administrative assistants (and employees holding comparable positions within the department): <$5,000
- Directors and deans with budget signature authority: <$100,000
- Vice presidents and associate vice presidents: <$250,000
- President: >$250,000
Purchase Card (p-card) Transactions
The following guidelines apply to procurement cards:
- Single transactions are limited to $3,000, with a total monthly limit of $10,000.
- Unauthorized uses of the procurement card include, but are not limited to: cash advances, gifts/donations, items for personal use, alcoholic beverages, food, business cards, gasoline, hazardous materials, airline tickets, lodging and other travel expenses, computers, clothing and moving expenses.
- Splitting purchases to circumvent or to avoid competitive bidding limits or purchasing authority limits is prohibited.
Certain purchases may require an exception to these guidelines. Requests for exceptions must be submitted in writing to the vice president of administrative services.
Relevant Laws and Other Resources
- BC Policy #1150 – Contract and Purchasing Signature Authority
- RCW 39.26 Procurement of Goods and Services
Revision History
Original: 1/26/2021
Approved By
President’s Cabinet
Last Updated January 27, 2021