Purchasing

Contract Policy

All College officers are authorized to sign contracts on behalf of the College. The College officers are as follows:

Joan H. Stewart, President
Donald Carter, Chief Diversity Office
Monica Inzer, Vice President and Dean of Admission and Financial Aid
Karen L. Leach, Vice President, Administration and Finance

Patrick Reynolds, Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty

David L. Smallen, Vice President for Information and Technology
Richard C. Tantillo, Vice President, Communications and Development
Nancy Thompson, Dean of Students

Any contracts requiring non-budgeted funding or funding greater than the budget amount originally approved for the project must be approved and signed by the Vice President, Administration and Finance.

In some instances, College officers have delegated signature authority to College administrators as outlined below:

Physical Plant

The Physical Plant Director is authorized to sign construction contracts and purchase commitments approved by the Board of Trustees up to $5M. All construction contracts are kept on file at the Physical Plant.

Purchasing

The Director, Auxiliary Services, is authorized to sign leases for approved equipment and services for contracts totaling less than $50,000. Leases meeting these criteria are kept on file in the purchasing department.

Student Activities

The Assistant Director of Student Activities is authorized to sign the standard Hamilton College performance contract and agency/artist contracts for committments up to $3,000.

The Director of Student Activies is authorized to sign radio station licensing contracts up to $5,000 in value, performance contracts for commitments up to $75,000 in value and a once yearly contract for the Great Names speaker up to $150,000 in value.

The Dean of Students is authorized to sign performance contracts for contracts in excess of $75,000.

Contracts meeting these criteria are filed in the student activities office.

Performing Arts

The Performing Arts Director is authorized to sign performance contracts for Wellin Hall. Contracts meeting these criteria are filed in the performing arts director's office.

The Vice President of Administration and Finance must be notified if signature authority is delegated beyond this current list. Employees may be held personally liable for damages as a result of the unauthorized signing of contracts.

Officers and other Hamilton personnel authorized to sign contracts are responsible for ensuring that all contracts are thoroughly reviewed for appropriate content and terms prior to signing. Contracts needing review should be sent to Irene K. Cornish, Auxiliary Services.

The office of Administration and Finance is the designated custodian of all other contracts with external parties. Except as noted above, copies of contracts for commitments greater than one year or financial commitments greater than $50,000 should be sent to the Director, Auxiliary Services, for filing. Records will remain on file for a period of six (6) years after contract completion.