The following page contains purchasing procedures, guidelines and related forms.

Purchasing Procedure

1. Purchase requests should be forwarded to the Business Office/Purchasing to secure the supplies or purchase order number. All requests are to be in writing and include an item description, quantity needed, and general ledger account number for billing.
2. Lifeway Christian Bookstore purchases are to be made only when the supply item is not handled by the Business Office and a purchase order is issued by the Business Office.
3. Computer purchase and supply requests are to be forwarded to Information Services.
4. Specialty items used only by the Library will be purchased by the Librarian. All purchases are to have a Library purchase order and a copy is to be sent to the Business Office.
5. All requests for purchases of equipment, furniture and fixtures must be recommended by the appropriate senior administrator and forwarded to the V.P. for Business Affairs for approval and purchase. The V.P. for Business Affairs will consult with the President on all requests over $1200.
6. Each request requires the following approval:
   1. Up to $300: Cost Center Supervisor
   2. Up to $400: Associate Dean
   3. Up to $600: Dean/Registrar
   4. Up to $1000: Senior Administrator/Associate Provost
   5. Up to $1200: V.P. Business Affairs/Provost
   6. Above $1200:  President
7. Criteria for purchase denial:
   1. Budget overage
   2. Cost inconsistent with Seminary operations
   3. Control set by Seminary President

Purchasing and Expenditure Guidelines

1. The Seminary will use a centralized Purchase Order system.
2. ALL purchases and expenditures must be approved prior to the purchase, expenditure or agreement.
3. ALL purchase orders are issued by the V. P. for Business Affairs.
4. Contracts or agreements must be approved by the cost center supervisor and the V. P. for Business Affairs. The V. P. for Business Affairs will also get approval from the Seminary President for contracts or agreements that commit the Seminary to more than one year or amounts in excess of $1,200.
5. Emergency expenditures relate to the maintenance area or to operations that are after regular business hours. Note that failure to plan does not create an emergency expenditure.
6. UNAPPROVED EXPENDITURES remain the responsibility of the cost center supervisor and will not be paid by the Seminary.
7. When you are unsure about the policy or the procedure, call the Business Office.
8. We do not reimburse approved expenditures without receipts.

Purchasing Forms

Download the Form here: NOBTS Purchase Request

This form will be used to handle all requests for purchasing outside of Staples. For items found on the NOBTS Supply Catalog please circle NOBTS Supply, and for vendors not listed please fill in the information labeled “other”.

 NOBTS Supply Catalog

**Please refer to this catalog before purchasing on your departmental Staples account or through another vendor.

NOBTS Supply orders will be delivered within 48 hours of receiving the Supply order.  

Staples orders are normally delivered to campus within 48 hours (unless back-ordered) and will be delivered to you within 24 hours of our receipt. This means you should allow at least 4 days from the time you place the order to receive the order. (The extra day is for orders placed through inter-office mail.)

Note: Some orders are divided into parts and shipped separately, i.e. technology items, and will take a little longer to arrive.

All other vendors and vendor agreements are handled by the requesting department, after receiving the purchase order, unless otherwise indicated and agreed upon by the purchasing manager and the requestor.

If you have any questions, please contact the purchasing manager via phone at ext. 8030 or 504-816-8030, or via e-mail at purchasing@nobts.edu.