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CSULB Purchasing Operations Manual

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Section 1: Authority for Transactions

1.01 Trustees’ Authority:

The Trustees of the CSU have the statutory authority to purchase personal property; enter into agreements for the furnishing of services; and lease, sell, or exchange any property of a state university for any purpose that they consider to be consistent with the functions of the CSU.

Ed Code 89036, 89046, 89048; Public Contract Code (PCC) 10295, 10430(c), 12100.5, 12120; CSU Policy 100; PSS 95-18.

1.02 Chancellor’s Authority:

The Chancellor of the CSU has delegated authority from the Trustees to make property and services transactions consistent with the provisions of statutory authority permitted in California’s Education Code and Public Contract Code (PCC).

Standing Orders of the Board of Trustees, Chapter III, Section 4-e; CSU Policy 101.

1.03 President’s Authority:

The President of each CSU campus has received delegated authority from the Chancellor to purchase, sell, lease, or license personal property and acquire or provide services in accordance with Trustees’ policy and law. Responsibility for the preparation of campus internal policies and procedures consistent with CSU Policy and California law remains with the President. This delegated authority is subject to the condition that certain of these transactions be submitted to the Office of the Chancellor for review and approval. These transactions are:

  1. Any transaction that exceeds $250,000 and is awarded without the taking of competitive bids (sole source). This condition does not apply, however, to sole brand acquisitions that are acquired under competitive procedures nor to contracts pursuant to a planned purchasing program or master agreement previously reviewed and approved by the Office of the Chancellor;
  2. Transactions that contain system-wide or multi-campus obligations, liabilities or encumbrances (requests for delegation shall be considered);
  3. Transactions that contain provisions for the tax-exempt financing of equipment or services;
  4. Contracts to obtain legal services to be performed by outside (non-CSU) counsel.

Transactions or requests related to the preceding conditions must be submitted with all related documentation and an explanation of the transaction to the Office of the Chancellor, in order to coordinate program & legal reviews.

Chancellor’s Executive Orders 615, 667, 669; CSU Policy 102; PSS 99-04.

1.04 Purchasing Office Authority:

The Director of Procurement & Support Services represents the campus President on all university property and services transactions and by virtue of that administrative appointment has been delegated the authority to prepare, process, and execute documents necessary to carry out that responsibility. In turn, the Director assigns various staff members of the Purchasing Office specific responsibilities for transactions falling within specialty areas that may require certain training, experience, and skills.

PSS 95-18, 96-07, 98-12, 98-21, 99-04.

1.05 Delegated Campus Authority:

As part of a campus planning process to further delegate the responsibility for certain acquisitions (including those made via procurement “credit” cards) that involve a limited expenditure of funds, the following policies have been implemented for on-campus instructional and administrative offices:

  1. Authority for issuing confirming orders is delegated up to a limit of $1,000.
  2. Subject to the approval of a Vice-President (or other official recognized by the Purchasing Office as having the proper approval authority), confirming orders may be increased, upon request, up to a limit of $2,500.
  3. Special on-going needs may warrant, with the approval of the Vice President for Administration or other designated campus official, an increase upon written request to a specified level not to exceed $10,000.

The Purchasing Office maintains a file of all current delegations of purchasing authority for confirming orders.

PSS 98-12.

Note: Policy for Public Works contracts and Professional Services agreements related to Public Works can be found in (1) State University Administrative Manual (especially Sections X and XII), (2) Major Capital Outlay Projects Construction Phase Manual, and (3) A/E Design Process and Requirements training manual.

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