Purchasing

The mission of Western Connecticut State University’s Purchasing Office is to assist the University community in the procurement of goods and services. It is our goal to conduct all activities in the best interest of the University, provide procurement services in accordance with sound business and procurement practices, and comply with guidelines established by State of Connecticut and the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities. Our goal is to procure goods and services to accommodate University needs in a timely and economical manner.

The Purchasing Office can help you make informed purchasing decisions by;

• Providing information about products, services, costs and delivery options
• Informing you about available University wide and State of Connecticut contracts and agreements
• Recommending suppliers who can best meet your requirements
• Negotiating contracts and pricing agreements
• Securing competitive bids
• Communicating purchasing policies and procedures

Signing Authority Memo – July 15, 2026

Key Memo Highlights

Divisions and departments are asked to exercise fiscal restraint and limit expenditure to essential business needs. Budget managers should carefully review planned spending and consider discretionary purchases where possible. The following levels of authorization are required to facilitate purchase requisitions and contracts, effective immediately:

• Purchase Requisitions under $10k should be signed by Budget Owner/Dean then processed by Purchasing
• Purchase Requisitions $10k-25k should be signed by Budget Owner/Dean & another signer with authority (Provost & President) then processed by Purchasing
• Purchase Requisitions of $25k or higher should be signed by Budget Owner/Dean and require submission to President’s Office for approval then processed by Purchasing
• Contracts/SOWs/Service Agreements under $10k should be signed by Dean
• Contracts/SOWs/Service Agreements $10k to $25k should be signed by Provost (In the absence of Director of Procurement) unless the requesting department falls under the President’s direct purview
• Contracts/SOWs/Service Agreements $25k and up should be signed by President