Purchase/Payment Approval Process FAQ

This web page has the most up to date information regarding the new purchase/payment approval process that was put into place on March 23rd. Please disregard any prior messages sent out as they may now have outdated information. Refer to this FAQ page for the most up-to-date and accurate information.

General Information

Updated September 9, 2021

Effective immediately, cabinet approval via the purchase/payment approval request process is no longer required for purchases or payments less than $1,000. Emergency Management, Facilities, and IT remain exempt from this process. All applicable procurement requirements still apply.

Updated April 21, 2020

All purchases and/or payments, regardless of fund source (state, local, foundation, agency 8xxx), require Cabinet level approval prior to completion. All charge cards, both SPCC and Finance, except those in Facilities and Emergency Management departments, have been SUSPENDED as of March 23^rd until further notice. Purchases and payments can still be made; however, any new purchases or payments must receive approval from the appropriate Cabinet member first. Review by the Cabinet member is facilitated through submitting the Purchase/Payment Approval Request Form. Once approved or denied, you will be emailed with next steps on how to make the purchase or payment, including reactivation of your charge card if needed.

Some clarifying points:

If a purchase was placed prior to March 23rd, but payment is now due, approval for the payment is required. If an invoice for a purchase was received prior to March 23rd but we are just now looking to make payment on that invoice, then the payment needs approval, regardless if being paid by credit card or check.

Once you submit the request form, it will be sent by a member of Procurement to your appropriate cabinet member. Once that cabinet member responds, you will receive an update with an approval or denial from either Michelle Pickham or Lindsay Fare.

• If you are paying with state funds and a credit card, you will need to contact one of the SPCC Program Administrators to temporarily reactivate your SPCC to make the payment. The Program Admin will email you confirmation that your card has been reactivated and will include the date that the card will automatically return back to suspended by. Please try to ensure payments are made during this reactivation window. If the charge does not hit in that time period, you will need to contact an SPCC Program Administrator to extend the reactivation time.
• If you are paying with local funds and a credit card, you will need to contact Debra Cash, the program administrator for the finance card program, to temporarily reactivate your card. The SPCC Program Administrators do not have access to do this.
• If you are paying by check, please coordinate any invoices for payment with Accounts Payable if need be at payables@umw.edu.
• If you are paying with Foundation Funds and a credit card, please contact Ann Hodges, the UMW Foundation Senior Accountant, to reactive the Foundation AMEX card to make the purchase. Make sure to forward any cabinet approvals to Ann.

Purchase Requirements

All standard university and procurement requirements should be completed for the requested purchase or payment, regardless of Cabinet member approval. This includes but isn’t limited to business meal forms, micro business quotes, IT approvals, and eVA purchase orders. eVA entries that are required for applicable purchases must be done after Cabinet member approval is given or the eVA order will not be approved. Competition/quote requirements (micro-business quotes) should be completed after Cabinet-member approval is given, in an effort to not needlessly overwhelm our micro businesses in the event that approval for the purchase is not granted. If you need assistance with any of these procurement-related requirements, please contact Procurement Services for assistance.

Documentation

After receiving approval from your Cabinet member via this request process, make sure to document your purchase and/or payment with that approval. Include in the comments of your eVA orders “Approved by [Cabinet member Name] on [Date]” so that others approving the orders know it followed the proper approval process. Include the same information on any invoices submitted to Accounts Payable for check payment.

Frequently Asked Questions & Answers

Updated March 26, 2020

If you have a question that you do not see answered here, please contact Michelle Pickham at mmiller8@umw.edu for assistance.

Q: I have a current purchase order approved in eVA, but I want to issue a change order to add an item. Do I need Cabinet approval?

A: Yes. Any new purchases, including adding items onto an existing purchase order, will need Cabinet approval prior to adding.

 

Q: If I need to change the FOAP on a recurring order paid by check to include the COVID-19 Activity Code “EPLAN,” do I need to issue an eVA change order?

A: Not necessarily. Contact TESS for assistance with this.

 

Q: If I need to change the FOAP on my eVA order, do I need to receive Cabinet approval?

A: No, you do not need Cabinet approval for a FOAP change. If your eVA order is being paid by credit card, you do not need to issue a change order to change the FOAP; simply add a comment to your eVA order regarding the correct FOAP and make sure you allocate to the correct FOAP in Works. If your eVA order is being paid by check, contact the TESS department for assistance.

 

Q: I was notified by the vendor that an item I ordered through eVA is on backorder. I want to issue a change order to cancel and delete that item. Do I need Cabinet approval?

A: No. Issuing a change order to remove items or cancel orders does not require prior Cabinet approval. Please include a comment on your change order that indicates the reason for your change order so it can be approved.

 

Q: My purchase order in eVA was submitted and approved before March 23rd, but I just received the invoice for payment. The invoice includes shipping costs that were higher than originally expected. Do I need Cabinet approval?

A: Yes and No; You will need to receive Cabinet member approval to make the payment that just came in, but you don’t need approval to issue a change order in eVA to account for the increase in shipping costs.

 

Q: My Cabinet member approved my purchase. Do I still need to get a micro business quote?

A: All standard University and procurement requirements apply to your purchase, regardless of Cabinet member approval. Therefore, if your purchase is not being made on contract, isn’t exempt per the University Small Purchase Procedures, and you are not purchasing from a certified-micro business, then yes, you will need an accompanying micro business quote or proper justification prior to purchasing.

 

Q: I entered a purchase order in eVA and it was approved prior to March 23rd, but I need to make the payment now. Do I still need Cabinet member approval?

A: Yes. The approval process applies to both purchases AND payments. The purchase was made last week, but now that payment is due, Cabinet member approval is required before the suspension can be lifted from your SPCC or Finance card, if payment is being made with a credit card.

 

Q: I’m using grant funds for my purchase. Do I still need Cabinet member approval?

A: Yes. All purchases and payments, regardless of fund source (State funds, Non-State/local funds, Foundation Funds, Grant Funds) require Cabinet member approval.

 

Q: I’m using 8xxx Funds for my purchase. Do I still need Cabinet member approval?

A: No, and Yes. We recommend you work with your student organizations to make the best choices to use their funds, as always; however, 8xxx funds have received “blanket approval” from the Cabinet. You may still need PAYMENT approval in order to use the Finance Card to make payment for these purchases. In that case, you will need Cabinet approval for the card to be reactivated.

 

Q: I just tried to make a payment using my card but it was declined. Was my card really suspended?

A: Yes, all SPCCs and Finance Cards, except those in Facilities and Emergency Management, were put into a suspended status within the Works system. New payments cannot be made on the card unless the suspension is manually lifted.

 

Q: I have a refund due to my SPCC. If my card is suspended, will the refund still post on my account?

A: Yes. Your account hasn’t been closed, your card is suspended. Therefore, the refund will be applied to the account tied to the card, but any NEW purchases or payments will not authorize onto your account unless the suspension is lifted.

 

Q: If I receive Cabinet member approval for my purchase for a technology item, do I still need IT approval?

A: Yes. Any technology items still require IT approval per the normal process through the standard or non-standard technology request forms. IT approval should be received prior to requesting Cabinet member approval.

 

Q: I completed a purchase and noticed the payment that already hit my card prior to March 23^rd included shipping costs. Do I need Cabinet member approval to make the change order in eVA?

A: No. If the purchase and payment were already completed prior to March 23^rd when the notice of the new process was communicated, you do not need to get further Cabinet member approval to only issue an eVA change order to reflect actual prices charged. Please add a comment to the eVA change order reflecting that the purchase and payment was made prior to the new purchase restrictions and a change order is being issued only to reflect actual prices charged. Your order will then be approved.

 

Q: I have recurring monthly charges that hit my SPCC. How do I manage them now that my card is suspended?

A: Complete the Purchase/Payment Approval Request form and indicate that it is a recurring purchase/payment. You will need to contact your program administrator to lift the suspension from your card each time your card will be charged or you need to make payment for the recurring item. The activation will remain in place for a reasonable period of time for the payment to be applied. If you have multiple recurring charges, your program administrator will work with you to determine the best way to manage card activations.