Purchase Orders Policy

Authority: Business Affairs
Date Enacted or Revised: Revised February 2016; March 18, 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to provide information regarding University purchasing procedures and requirements.

Policies and Procedures

General

An emergency purchase of supplies on a non-recurring nature of $100 or less may be paid with petty cash with prior approval of the budget unit head. All other purchases must be paid through a purchase order or with the LaCarte Purchasing Card. The University will assume no other obligation. Employees making purchases without using a purchase order or LaCarte Purchasing Card may be required to personally pay for the purchase. Purchasing policies and procedures apply uniformly to all funds administered by the University.

Purchase Requisitions

All purchase requisitions are entered electronically in the Banner system. Each requisition is approved by the appropriate budget authority and then forwarded to the Office of Purchasing and Property Control for processing. A valid purchase order must be prepared before any order can be placed. A requisition does not serve as an order.

LaCarte Purchasing Card

The LaCarte Purchasing Card is a credit account issued in an employee’s name. The account is the direct liability of the state and is paid by the University. The LaCarte Purchasing Card enables employees to purchase items with the convenience of a credit card, while providing a means of maintaining control over purchases. The use of a LaCarte Purchasing Card can improve efficiency and effectiveness by reducing costs associated with processing purchases and payments and will allow for the receipt of goods on a timely basis. Employees issued the LaCarte Purchasing Card must use the card responsibly within the state’s LaCarte Purchasing Card policy. Employees may obtain more detailed information regarding the appropriate use of the LaCarte Purchasing Card from the Office of Purchasing and Property Control or from the Division of Administration website at http://www.doa.la.gov/Pages/osp/Travel/lacartepcard.aspx.

Communication

This policy is distributed via the Administrative Advisory Council and the University Policies webpage.