Purpose

State Law grants the Board of Trustees authority to administer and govern Washington State Community College District 2, Grays Harbor College.  RCW 28B.50.140 provides the authority to delegate these responsibilities.

The Board of Trustees has delegated the authority on matters pertaining to the general business and financial affairs, organization, and management to the President.  This delegation is documented in Board Policy 105, Executive Administrator for the Board.  The President may delegate authority to other administrators at the college.

Limitations and Requirements

Each type of authority that is delegated requires one or more signatures of approval at various administrative levels, depending on the decision or transaction being approved and authorized.  This procedure specifies the minimum delegation of authority allowed.  Delegation of authority is implemented in three categories: 1) appointing authority, 2) contracting authority, and 3) other authority.

Position Appointments

Position appointments include all employment except adjunct faculty, 1050 employees, and student work study.

Prior approval by the President or the President in consultation with the Cabinet is required for all full-time and part time positions before being announced.  Additional approvals may be required for positions on soft funds, such as grants and contracts. Prior approval by the President is not required for adjunct faculty, or student work study appointments. The administrator noted below has final approval with the limitation that a funding source must be identified, approved, and dedicated to the position prior to hiring.

Position appointments, including adjunct faculty, shall be made utilizing the appropriate personnel notification forms by the Human Resources Office.  Student work study appointments are made through the Human Resources Office.

Delegation of Appointing Authority

Position Being Appointed	First Approval	Final Approval
President	N/A	Board of Trustees
Vice Presidents	N/A	President
Associate Vice President, Assistant Vice President, Executive Director, Public Information Officer,	N/A	President
Deans, Assoc. Deans, Asst. Deans, Directors, Asst. Directors	N/A, Appropriate Vice President or Associate Vice President is consulted	President
Unit Exempt	Appropriate Vice President or Associate/Assistant Vice President	President
Faculty, Full-Time*	Vice President of Instruction	President
Faculty, Adjunct	N/A	VPI or Dean
Classified Staff	Supervisor	Appropriate Vice President or Associate/Assistant Vice President
Part-Time Hourly	Supervisor	Appropriate VP, Associate/Assistant VP, Director or Dean
Student Work Study	N/A	Supervisor
* Includes non-tenured full-time faculty contracts where employment is limited to that year’s contractual period.

Delegation of Contracting Authority

Procurement

The Contract Officer is the GHC President, who is authorized to execute contracts, make binding procurement commitments, or delegate procurement authority.

The financial system automates budget checking. Therefore, approval of contracts, including purchase requisitions up to $4,999 is delegated to the appropriate budget manager. The following table establishes appropriate internal controls and the administrative authorization required on all GHC purchases made by contract.

Procurement of Goods, Supplies, Equipment, Professional, and Purchased Services

Type of Contract	First Approval	Final Approval
> **   $10,000	Vice President for Administrative Services	President
$5,000 to $9,999**	Budget Manager	Appropriate Vice President or Associate/Assistant VP
< $4,999**		Budget Manager
** Total purchase requisition or contract amount.

 

Exceptions for First Approval may be made for technology fee purchases provided GHC Technology Fee guidelines are followed.  Exceptions may be made for grant and contract procedure providing all conditions of the grant or contract are met. The Vice President for Administrative Services will have final signature authority.

Real Property and Public Works

The administrator authorized to execute and make binding commitments for real property acquisitions and public works contracts, leases, rentals, and limited use agreements of real property is the GHC President.

Real Property and Public Works

Type of Contract	First Approval	Final Approval
Real Property Acquisitions	President	Board of Trustees (SBCTC and/or legislative approval may also be required).
Leases or rentals of real property; limited use agreements	Vice President for Administrative Services, (AAG, DES, SBCTC approval may be required	President
Leasehold improvements to leased and/or rented facilities	Vice President for Administrative Services	President
Major Capital Projects Approval of project design concept & budget*	President in consultation with the Board of Trustees, college, and community constituents	SBCTC as outlined in the CTC’s Major Capital Project Selection Process for scoring panel and observers
Architect/Engineer, Consultant Selection	N/A	Per Washington State Department of Enterprise Services Policy 4.10
Capital Projects contract award	N/A	Per Washington State Department of Enterprise Services Policy 5.40
Emergency Declaration**	Assistant Vice President for Campus Operations in consultation with VP for Administrative Services	President
Construction Contract Closeout	N/A	Assistant VP for Campus Operations in consultation with Vice President for Administrative Services per Washington State Department of Enterprise Services Policy 5.50
*Unless otherwise required by the funding source e.g., Student Services & Activities funds. Excludes Minor Works as per OFM ** Public Works bidding requirements are waived during an Emergency Declaration per RCW   39.04.280

 

Grants, Agreements, and Other Types of Contracts

Prior submission of a GHC grant application must follow the process in Policy 510 and Procedure 510.02. Some grants may require review by the Assistant Attorney General.

Grant submissions are signed by the Director of Grant Development or the Grant Project Manager (see Procedure 510.02).

Contracts to Provide Services

Type of Contract	First Approval	Final Approval
Contracts for receipt of grant funds, awards, matching grants; or Contracts to provide instructional and other services on a cost-reimbursement basis; or Interagency agreements.
> $250,000	N/A Cabinet	President
$50,000 to $249,999	Vice President, Associate/Assistant VP, in consultation with Cabinet	President
< $49,999	Dean or Director	President

 

Other Authority

Delegation of Authority is granted in the areas of travel, experiential learning agreements, memberships, memorandums of understanding, settlement agreements, mutual aid agreements, and other claims against GHC.

Description	First Approval	Final Approval
Travel authorization (GHC travel procedures apply)	Supervisor	Budget Manager (if different from supervisor)/President*
Experiential Learning Agreements (includes clinical agreements, internships, externships, and co-op education, etc.)	Risk Management review by CEHRO and AAG Consultation as appropriate Dean	VPI
Memberships – Organizational	Per Procurement Delegation of Authority (see 2.a)	Per Procurement Delegation of Authority (see 2.a)
Memberships – Individual **	See * below	See ** below
Memorandums of Understanding ***, settlement agreements to resolve tort claims, settlements to resolve contract disputes, mutual aid agreements, other claims against GHC.
	President in consultation with Cabinet or AAG.	BOT
* Out of state travel and excess lodging expenses require the approval of the President. ** GHC funds cannot be used to pay for individual membership to any professional organizations except, (a) when conference (workshop, seminar, or similar) registration fees for non-members exceed the combined total of membership and registration fees for one or more persons attending the same conference or conferences ( if more than one per year); or (b) when the president designates an individual to be the official representative because an organizational membership is unavailable and the membership provides an organizational benefit to GHC.  The President must approve the payment for individual memberships purchased by GHC.
*** Memorandums of understanding (MOU) with general application to all members of a bargaining unit must have final approval by the Board of Trustees.  MOUs regarding an individual faculty member are delegated to the President in consultation with the Vice President of Instruction.

Related Information

RCW 28B/50.140: Boards of Trustees – Powers and Duties

GHC Board of Trustees Policy 101: The Legal Authority of the Board of Trustees and Its Operating Principles

GHC Board of Trustees Policy 105: Executive Administrator for the Board

GHC Board of Trustees Policy 501: Business Functions, Delegation of Authority

GHC Board of Trustees Policy 502: Travel

GHC Technology Fee: Process