Purchasing Services

NEW HIRE RESOURCES

Chaffey College maintains a centralized purchasing office that oversees the acquisition of supplies and equipment, contracting independent contractors, professional services and handles construction agreements. This webpage is designed to help explain these processes.

New Hire Checklist

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ'S)

1. How do I order office supplies?
2. How do I order business cards?

   First time ordering: A Publication Requisition must be submitted to Graphics (Extension 6741).

   Repeat ordering: A Publication Requisition must be submitted to Lithography (Extension 6741).  Standard quantity is 250.    

3. How do I order office furniture?
4. Did you know that you can purchase postage stamps at the bookstore?
5. Where do I pick up my mail?
6. How do I ship out a package?
7. What is a purchase order? blanket purchase order?
8. Can I choose my own vendor?
9. How do I contract services? There are several types of District contracts that are for construction, maintenance, professional services, independent contracts and other services.
10. How do I know what type of District contract to use?Use this link for a table view of the District contracts, or click here for the detailed descriptions of each contract type.
11. Who can sign contracts? Signing authority is designated by the Governing Board. Click here for a list of authorized signers.
12. How is e-waste (electronic waste) handled?
13. Does the College recycle?
14. Can I purchase items on my own and get reimbursed from the College?
15. Q. Can I send a requisition to the vendor and use it like a purchase order?

A. No, requisitions are internal forms that are used to help items to be purchased, price, and the method of funding. The purchase order is a legally binding contract between a vendor and the District. Purchasing has the responsibility to issue purchase orders with "authorized signatures.

16. Q. How do I indicate on the requisition that delivery or pre-payment is needed by a specific date?

A. If the specified date is essential, indicate it on the requisition comments.

Note: Comments such as "immediately", "at once", "ASAP" or "as soon as possible" indicate routine processing only.

17. Q: How long will it take to process my requisition?

A: The steps to process a requistion are: 1. Data Entry, 2. Budget Approval, 3. Source/PO Creation. The time it takes to process requisitions to a Purchase Order depends upon how long it takes to go through the departmental approval path as well as on the complexity of the PO. Once the requisition has been approved by the Budget Manager(s), the requistion will appear on the Daily Requistion Report. Prior to budget approval the requistion will appear on the Unfinished/Unapproved Requisition Report.

18. Q: What if there is an emergency and I don't have time to allow for the regular processing time required for the requisition/purchase order process?

A: Once your requisition has been approved by the Budget Manager(s), contact the Buyer responsible for the needed item or service and he/she can issue the order.

Keep in mind: An emergency purchase is one made in response to an unforeseen circumstance beyond the control of the college that presents an immediate threat to essential college functions, may result in excessive loss or damage to property, and/or may result in bodily injury or loss of life.

19. Q. Who do I contact in regard to questions about Purchase Orders?

A. For any and all issues relating to Purchase Orders you may contact Purchasing 6706, or you may contact the Buyer/Point-of-Contact directly.

20. Q: If the total of my order is less than say $1,000.00, and probably won't be sent out for bid, can't I just order the goods or services myself?

A: Regardless of whether or not bidding is required, any commitment/contract for the purchase or payment of goods or services shall be made by the issuing a Purchase Order.

Note: Items $100.00 and less may be purchased and submitted for reimbursement.

21. Q: Why does Purchasing need a complete vendor name, address, and telephone number on the Requisitions?

A: Most of the vendors/companies that the College does business with have several mailing addresses, and the only way we can ensure that your order and the payment for your items go to the correct division of any company is for you the supply us with complete and correct information. If this is a new vendor please also include their tax identification number.

22. Q: If I receive the invoice for my order directly from the vendor, what should I do with it?

A: Forward invoices to Accounts Payable upon receipt.

23. Q. Is it true departmental administrators and authorized signers on projects have the authority to procure (purchase) goods and services?

A. No. Only selected officials can sign contracts for the College. The Governing Board under Resolution No. [insert number] delegates the authority to contract for all purchased goods, service contracts and leases to the Vice President of Business Services, the Director of Purchasing Services and the Contracts Manager.

Any expenditure or commitment to expend funds made without a Purchase Order or prior delegated authority will not be the responsibility of Chaffey College to pay. The expense may become the personal responsiblity of the the individual for payment.

24. Q. What if I've made a mistake in ordering something and need to change the order. How do I do it?

A. For orders placed by the Purchasing office, please mail, fax, or email a memo stating the problem and the responsible buyer will contact you and issue a change order to the vendor.

25. Q. Why do I have to buy from State, College, and University contracts when I can get items cheaper from other vendors?

A. Saving money is always a prime consideration when making a purchase. All personnel are expected to secure maximum value for our dollars and conserve College funds. State, College, and University contracts are developed and competitively bid with those same goals in mind and generally offer quality products and services at fair prices. It's important to remember that these contracts are developed with much more than just lowest cost in mind. They also include value-added services such as prompt delivery, extensive reports, and other services that benefit the College as a whole. The competitive bidding process affords all interested vendors an opportunity to participate in our business and the contracts that result from such processes are legal binding documents that Chaffey College and the vendor must adhere to. Purchasing off-contract without justifiable cause subverts the bidding process, and lessens the volume and its related benefits.

26. Q. What does Sole Source and Proprietary mean? How do I order these items?

A. "Sole Source" is defined as a product or service that is available from only from one source. A proprietary specification restricts the acceptable product(s) or service(s) to one manufacturer or vendor. A common example would be specification by brand name that excludes consideration of approved "equals". Although all sole source specifications are proprietary, all proprietary specifications are not sole source. Proprietary items may be available from several distributors.

A sole source item is described as an item with only a single supplier. Sole source items are exempt from the formal bidding process. Many times departments send requests for sole source purchases that describe an item made only by one manufacturer, however the item is distributed and readily available from many different suppliers, so it does not qualify as sole source. It has a sole manufacturer, but not a sole supplier. As long as there is more than one potential bidder for the item or service, there is no justification for a sole source determination.

27. Q. Why does Purchasing need to get so many bids?

A. Competition is the central principal of public procurement. In its purest form, competition ensures a free, open and fair process that should result in a fair & reasonable price paid for products and services.

28. Q. Why does Purchasing spend extra time sending out for quotes when the department has already gotten quotes?

A. The solicitation of bids and quotations is a Purchasing function. Quotations received by departments from suppliers usually contain legal terms and conditions contrary to those contained in the Chaffey College bid/quotation documents. Purchasing will ensure that the suppliers adhere to our negotiated terms and conditions.

Note: It is our experience that, in many instances, the bidder will respond with a better price (bid) when the invitation or solicitation comes from the college's purchasing department.

29. Q. May I share bid/quote information with the vendors?

A. Bids/quotes must not be shared until after an award, and then only by the Purchasing Department.

30. Q: I need to return an item that was purchased on a Purchase Order. How should I do it?

A: Contact the vendor and explain you would like to return an item and that you are calling to get an RMA (return merchandise authorization) number. They may have instructions that you need to follow to be reimbursed. Some suppliers may also charge a restocking fee. Please follow all directions the supplier gives you and make sure to send back the correct item if you have received more than one. (Sometimes the RMA lists a number.) Be sure to get a tracking number when shipping the item. This is very important and will show where the item was delivered.

Please refer to the Purchasing website for further information regarding the procedure to return an item. The page is located at: http://www.cwu.edu/~purchase/matreturn-vendprocedures.html If you need assistance with this process, please contact the Buyer/Point-of-Contact immediately. Likewise, if you feel a vendor is not being fair or reasonable, contact the appropriate buyer. Should you have any questions, or require clarification on any purchasing policy or procedure please do not hesitate to contact the Purchasing Office at extension 6706 or your Buyer/Point-of-Contact.

31. Q: Can the College contract with employees of the College?

The Chaffey College has a policy that does not allow service contracts to be entered with its employees. Under Federal and State statutes and regulations, employees generally do not qualify as independent contractors. Purchasing verifies the employment database on all contracts to verify employment status, and coordinates with the Human Resources Department to ensure compliance with District policy.
Presenters (Guest Lecturer/Performance) Contracts: Presenters provide limited one-time or limited-term presentations/lectures/seminars/special project for staff development and/or related training sessions, not teaching classes or courses; or specialized services not generally performed by District personnel that is required only for brief periods of time on an infrequent basis.

There are two types of presenters: employees and non-employees.

• Non-employees are independent contractors, and Purchasing contracts with them using either our short-form service agreement or independent contractor service agreement as appropriate. Contact your Purchasing Point-of-Contact for additional information.

• Employees (i.e. current tax year faculty including adjunct / staff) may serve as presenters, but should be compensated under the applicable employment agreement or as professional experts or short-term employees through the District’s Human Resources Department.
Community Education/Service Not-For-Credit Classes Contracts: Individual instructors of community education/service not-for-credit classes ARE employees, and NOT independent contractors. Such individuals may be categorized as either a classified employee or as a professional expert. (Such individuals are not academic employees.) If a classified employee, refer to the applicable collective bargaining agreement for compensation. If a professional expert, compensation is negotiated. In either case, contracts with individuals are processed through the District’s Human Resources Department. Private companies can provide instructors for community education/service not-for-credit classes. Contracts with private companies are requisitioned and approved through the District’s Human Resources Department using the same procedure as for temporary employment-staff contracts.