Purchasing Office
The mission of the Purchasing Office is to facilitate best practices and achieve economies of scale in the procurement of goods and services necessary for the effective and efficient operation of the College and that such goods and services represents best value, quality services, and timely delivery. To ensure that all funding sources for such goods and services are expended within the regulations and guidelines mandated by the State, and City of New York, and The City University of New York while maintaining and enforcing compliance with internal control procedures.
The Purchasing Office will conduct business to facilitate the College’s mission in interest of the State and its tax payers with the highest level of customer service, ethical standards, fairness, and transparency, while welcoming qualified, responsible, and “green” vendors.
Message from the Purchasing Office
Our mission is congruent to that of the College. We firmly believe in the institutional CORE Values: honesty, integrity, respect, community service. Each day is an opportunity to incorporate these values to achieve College strategic goals in the acquisition of goods, services and technology for the academic and administrative departments of the College.
Using our in depth knowledge and skills, we hope to provide you with the guidance and service whilst practicing the values and guiding principles enforced through in the State Finance Laws and the City University of New York (CUNY) Procurement Regulations governing the procurement process. The most significant ones are professionalism, transparency, accountability, impartiality and ethics.
Recently, along with our sister campuses, we implemented the robust Oracle PeopleSoft Procurement System. This system empowers you to effectively manage your Tax Levy or IFR Account(s) to procure the resource tools and supplementary materials to fulfill your needs. This tool, coupled with the guidance available on our site is the ideal recipe for operational efficiency and customers’ satisfaction.
Contact Jacqueline Chang, Director of Finance Procurement jChang@mec.cuny.edu or 718-804-8298
Procurement Overview
The Purchasing Department is responsibility for supporting and facilitating Medgar Evers College Community in discerning the most prudent and efficient stewardship of resources in procuring goods and services. The University must be in compliance with all regulations, procedures and guidelines mandated by the State of New York, and the City University of New York.
Medgar Evers College is public institution spending public funds.
It is imperative that all of the College’s expenditures are open and transparent and especially that all “no bid” contracts are free from any hint of favoritism.
To that end if you’re requesting a specific product/service or Vendor (even if the product is FREE or for a trial basis) then the explanation for the proposed purchase for the procurement file should demonstrate:
- The College’s need for the specific product or service (and not an alternative)
- Describe the product or services & provide the Material and substantial reasons why this product/service (and vendor) is especially well suited for the College even though there are several products that can meet the College’s needs.
- Explain how the selected product uniquely meets the college’s needs
- Identify each of the other products/services (and vendors) that were considered and the reasons why those competing products/services will not meet the college’s needs as well as the one chosen
- Describe how you determined that the price is fair and reasonable. (Methods of establishing price reasonableness: Informal quotes by Procurement department (e.g. telephone or written), historical prices, prices charged to other governmental entities, and comparison to the vendor’s published list prices or market prices)
- What are the alternatives for the College if this purchase cannot be made?
Please note that the Procurement office may have additional follow up questions, because the procurement file also needs to include information to:
- confirm that the product/service requested is not available through a Preferred Source or existing State (Office of General Services) contract;
- explain the circumstances and the material and substantial reasons why a public (competitive) solicitation process is not feasible. (Please note that advertising the proposed purchase is required if the value of the contract is at least $50,000.); and
- explain how the College determined that a single/sole source procurement was the best procurement method.
- According to CUNY & NYS only the Purchasing Department is authorized to buy for the college
- All Purchases of Goods & services has to come through Purchasing.
- We are the only department authorized by NYS to make purchases
- The State calls us the “Agents”
- Individuals could be held liable to pay for purchases made outside of the Purchasing Office
Resources