AP Newsletter

Dear UMBC Campus Community,

As of today, Procurement has introduced the new Unauthorized Procurement Justification form. The purpose of this form is to identify and document any unauthorized or “after-the-fact” purchases to ensure full compliance with university procurement policies and applicable regulations.

Unauthorized purchases occur when an individual enters into a transaction without proper delegated authority or outside established procurement procedures. This includes committing university funds or receiving goods or services without following the required purchasing processes. A common example is when a software or cloud service is purchased on a P-card prior to receiving proper approval, or when an order is placed before a Purchase Order (PO) is officially issued in the PAW Procurement System.

Please review the following important policy reminders regarding these transactions:

• Personal Obligation: Under UMBC policy, unauthorized purchases may be considered a personal obligation of the individual making the purchase.
• Payment Responsibility: The University is not obligated to assume payment for such transactions.
• Case-by-Case Review: Submission of this form constitutes a formal request for the University to review the circumstances and determine whether it will assume the payment obligation on a case-by-case basis.
• Form Requirements: The document requires the requester to provide the detailed facts of the violation, an explanation of price reasonableness, the benefit provided to the university, a corrective action plan, and required administrative approvals.
• Consequences: Repeated violations of these procurement policies may result in disciplinary action and/or personal financial liability. In addition, required training and loss of purchase privledges are possible.

The fillable form is available for immediate use when documenting non-compliant transactions. Thank you for your cooperation and commitment to upholding UMBC’s fiscal and procurement standards.

Sincerely,

Department of Procurement and Strategic Sourcing

University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Earlier today, Procurement held their first session in their new Supplier Spotlight series.  This series is designed to highlight strategic supplier partners that assist UMBC in conducting it's business for the campus community.

Today's session was with Club Colors, a company that specializes in supporting custom merchandise, custom apparel, and promotional products.

A recording of the session (34 minutes) can be viewed at this link.

Be on the lookout for information about future sessions in this series.

Big News from UMBC Procurement!

We are beyond excited to unveil the very first edition of our brand-new newsletter: Procurement Purpose! 

Consider this your go-to source for everything happening in our world. We’re moving fast, staying sharp, and we want to keep you in the loop with all the latest wins and updates from the UMBC Procurement Department.

Inside This Issue:

• Our New Mission Statement: See the vision that’s driving our department forward.

• The Dream Team: Celebrating our newly certified Procurement professionals! 

• On the Road: Go behind the scenes of our recent Department Field Trip.

• Essential Updates: Key info you need to stay ahead of the curve.

Dive In Now

Ready to see what we've been up to? Click the link below to read the full issue:

We hope you enjoy the read as much as we enjoyed putting it together. Stay tuned for more regular updates!

Happy Reading,

The UMBC Procurement Team

• Attached Newsletter for Procurement Purpose 1st Edition