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AP 8-61b Purchasing Approvals

Arapahoe Community College
Series 8 - Fiscal
AP 8-61b - Purchasing Approvals

Originated: November 1, 2005

Revised: June 16, 2025

Effective: July 1, 2025

References: State Board for Community Colleges and Occupational Education (SBCCOE) Board Policy (BP) BP 8-61 – Accounting and Internal Controls, Colorado Community College System (SP) SP 8-60a – Delegation of Signature Authority

Approved:

Stephanie J. Fujii, Ph.D.
President, Arapahoe Community College

PURPOSE

This Process provides guidelines for procurement and purchasing signature authority.

This Process contains pertinent information affecting employees, current through the date of its issuance. BPs and SPs are subject to change throughout the year and are effective immediately upon adoption by the Board or System Chancellor, respectively. Employees are expected to be familiar with and adhere to the BPs, SPs as well as College directives, including but not limited to this Process.

Nothing in this Process is intended to create (nor shall it be construed as creating) an express or implied contract or to guarantee employment for any term. The College reserves the right to modify, change, delete or add to this Process as it deems appropriate. 

To the extent that any provision of this Process is inconsistent with State or Federal law, State Board for Community Colleges and Occupational Education Policies (BPs) or Colorado Community College System Procedures (SPs), the law, BPs and SPs shall supersede and control.

This Process incorporates the requirements established in BP 8-61 and SP 8-60a that apply and are referenced above.

SCOPE

This Process applies to all ACC employees who have been granted purchasing or payment approval authority.

DEFINITIONS

Org Owner: The employee responsible for the budgetary authority of a specific organizational unit.

Delegated Signature Authority: Permission granted to an employee to approve purchases up to a specified dollar amount.

PROCESS

All arrangements to commit funds are subject to and must follow appropriate State of Colorado Procurement and Fiscal Rules, including approval by the State Controller or designee. There may be additional requirements outside the scope of this Process applicable to specific purchases, such as personal services reviews. In approving the transaction, the approver is charged with ensuring appropriate expertise is consulted to ensure that all legal requirements are met and that the purchase complies with State Procurement and Fiscal Rules.

Delegating Signature Authority by Vice Presidents

Delegation authority must be approved by the Vice President for the functional area; employees who have been delegated such authority may not further delegate.

Delegations greater than $10,000 to employees other than Vice Presidents must be approved by both the division Vice President and by the Vice President of Finance and Administrative Services (VPFAS).

Delegation forms will be maintained in the Fiscal Services office and changes to delegations may be made at any time throughout the fiscal year but will expire annually on June 30. Notification of delegations on file will be sent to each Vice President who may choose to renew all delegations or may alter delegations as desired.

Purchase Approval Requirements

For all purchase and payment requests, signatures from the appropriate functional area and approvers are required in accordance with the table below:

PURCHASE AMOUNTREQUIRED APPROVING AUTHORITY
$0 to $2,500Procurement Card - Card Holder with Supervisor Signature
$0 to $10,000Org Owner - Director I & II, Faculty Department Chair, Associate Dean, Associate & Assistant Director, and Department Manager
$10,001 to $25,000AVP, Cabinet-Level Director, and Deans
$25,001 to $50,000Vice President and Senior Information Officer
$50,001 to $200,000College President or VPFAS
$200,001 to $500,000CCCS Vice Chancellor of Finance
Over $500,000Board Approval

Purchase requests or voucher purchases that do not include the appropriate signatures will be returned to the department unfulfilled.

Invoices against an approved Purchase Order may be approved by the responsible org owner or delegate, regardless of dollar amount.

Certain disbursements, such as transfers of funding between colleges and disbursements of grants, are awarded annually, but partial transfers or payments are made throughout the year. These payments, if provided annually in a detailed schedule to the Vice President of Finance and Administrative Services, can be executed according to the approved document with the review and approval of the Controller. Any changes in amounts should be presented in an amended document to the Vice President of Finance and Administrative Services for review and approval.

Procurement card transactions are limited to $2,500 and are required to be reviewed and approved monthly by the purchase card holder and card holder’s supervisor, as noted in the Procurement Card Handbook. Cardholders and approving officials must be granted delegated authority by the appropriate Vice President to carry out procurement card purchases and approvals. Travel card statements are required to be reviewed and approved monthly by the travel card holder and card holder’s supervisor.

DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY WHILE ABSENT

 Employees who are out of the office due to travel, illness, approved leave, or other reasons are not permitted to assign or authorize another employee to sign documents, approve expenditures, or make official decisions on their behalf unless explicitly authorized in writing by the President or Vice President of Finance and Administrative Services and must be documented accordingly. Absence from the office does not constitute automatic delegation of signature authority.

REVISING THIS PROCESS

ACC reserves the right to change any provision or requirement of this Process at any time and the change shall become effective immediately.