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Laws, Policies and Procedures

All Procurement policies and procedures are approved by the agency head, and follow the Commonwealth of Virginia Purchasing Manual for Institutions of Higher Education and their Vendors.

Delegated Purchasing Authority

All University employees have delegated authority up to $10,000. Individuals who are not responsible for the payment of purchases (University Cardholders) are STILL responsible for adhering to all Procurement laws, policies, and procedures.

 

No employee shall contractually obligate the University, including verbal commitments, without receiving prior authorization and in accordance with applicable laws

 

  • The University shall not issue payment upon any voucher for any using department covering the purchase of any material, equipment or supplies, when such purchases are made in violation of law.
  • Contracts awarded in violation of the Governing Rules are voidable.
  • Contracts, agreements, or accepted quotes signed or otherwise authorized by individuals without authority to do so are void from the beginning.

University Signature Authority

FY23 Signature Card contains the names, titles and signatures of University officials with authority to sign procurement and surplus property documents issued by the University of Mary Washington.

Laws

The University of Mary Washington, an agency of the Commonwealth of Virginia, shall ensure that public procurement is accomplished in accordance with the Governing Rules as set forth by the Virginia General Assembly.

The University’s Procurement Team abides by the ethical standards set forth in the Ethics Section of the Virginia Public Procurement Act (VPPA), and is dedicated to upholding the shared values of transparency, accountability, and integrity.  In addition, the Code of Virginia requires all employees of public institutions to comply with the Conflict of Interests Act §2.2-3100 et seq., Ethics in Public Contracting §2.2-4367 et seq., and the Freedom of Information Act, §2.2-3700 et seq.

In short, employees cannot:

  • accept any money, gifts, transportation, lodging, meals, event tickets, etc. from vendors, with the exception of giveaways at trade shows that are available to all participants
  • participate in a procurement if employee is employed by a company involved in the transaction, or if the employee’s immediate family holds a position with a company or has a financial interest in the transaction
  • have a separate contract as a vendor to provide goods/services to the university
  •  have a financial interest in a contract with the university.  The most common way a financial interest occurs is if employee or a member of employee’s immediate family receives a salary in excess of $5000 from a contracting entity, even if the employee or family member does not work directly on the university’s contract.

More information regarding ethics, conflicts of interest, and the Freedom of Information Act can be found at:

Policies

Procedures