*Important Note: No member or group of members is empowered to enter into a contract, promise to pay or in any other way obligate their club, the SGAF, or the University without following proper procedures. All credit purchases, contracts, and other forms of purchase agreements must have the approval of the Student Activities Office and SABO.
A Purchase Order is a legally binding document between the vendor and your club and can be used to make a purchase where the payment will be made after you take possession of the goods. It guarantees the seller payment. The seller releases the goods based on this guarantee and a purchase order is often viewed as instant credit by a vendor for a valued customer. The vendor may only require the Purchase Order number to initiate the transaction or they may request a copy of the Purchase order.
To secure a Purchase Order you will need a Requisition Form with a copy of the minutes authorizing the purchase, supporting documentation of what is being purchased (if applicable), and the cost of the purchase. Five days prior to needing the purchase order, the completed paperwork should be submitted to the Assistant to the Director of Student Activities (for clubs) or the Director of Housing (for hall associations) for review, who will forward the documents to SABO for processing.
Upon the receipt of the merchandise and before payment can be made to the vendor, an authorized club member must sign the vendor's invoice acknowledging the acceptance of the goods. This signed vendor's invoice is then sent to SABO and payment is mailed directly to the vendor. An email approval is also accepted.
Purchase Orders cannot be used to contract services such as hiring a band, a comedian, disc jockey, or lecturer. Service purchases require a service contract such as a Personal Service Agreement (PSA) or Honorarium Payment Request Form.
Remember, no student is authorized to sign a sales agreement or other contract on behalf of their club, SABO, or the University without proper approval. Should a student sign a legal document or buy something without getting prior approval, they may find themselves financially responsible for the obligation. The club, SGA, or the University may not honor the student's action. Please be careful when you sign or order goods and use the Purchase Order system or you may end up personally paying for it.
Note: Purchase Order requests for a commodity costing over $10,000 must be accompanied by a completed form entitled "Request for Quotation for a Commodity Purchase costing over $10,000." These forms may be obtained either at the Student Activities Office or to Purchasing and will require you to submit three quotes for the item.
