Helping University of Missouri colleges and schools get what they need to better instruct students and increase efficiency was the main topic at the Feb. 9 Faculty Council meeting in Memorial Union.
Teresa Vest, client relations manager of Procurement Services, explained at the meeting the ins and outs of faculty procurement.
Procurement Services approves orders of supplies from campus colleges and schools. Vest tries to meet with 10 MU department leaders each month to discuss needs and how the process can be streamlined.
“We want to be a partner with you,” Vest said. “We want to work with departments.
“We do what we do so that you are better in what you do.”
Vest explained a few of the methods departments can use to make purchases, such as the Show Me Shop, an online site where departments can purchase from 35 listed vendors, and the Purchasing Card, which has a $5,000 limit.
The Purchasing Card cannot be used for everything, Vest said, such as hotel bills and other travel expenses. This summer, a simplified process will be rolled out that allows card orders to be processed faster.
Procurement Services can process department orders up to $10,000 without requiring bids from various vendors, Vest said.
For bids over $25,000, a formal process that requires the department to place advertisements for the needed supplies is required.
Also at the meeting, members discussed the general policy regarding the burden of proof in the case of an allegation of faculty misconduct.
Members discussed the differences between preponderance of evidence and clear and convincing evidence.
No agreement was reached on which to use.
The next Faculty Council meeting is Feb. 23.