Purchasing Department

Purchasing Department

As a part of the University of South Alabama Business Office, the Purchasing Department serves as a support function to the University's overall mission. The primary goal of the department is to provide for the timely and accurate service to University employees and departments while ensuring that all University purchasing functions are performed in accordance with applicable state and federal laws.


The Purchasing Department is charged with the responsibility of ordering all supplies, equipment and services necessary for the operation of the University of South Alabama. It is also a channel through which prospective buyers deal with prospective sellers. The process starts with the user department and ends with the Accounts Payable Department.

 

Latest News

PUBLIC NOTICE
Environmental Assessment 
University of South Alabama
Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine Building

Notification is hereby given to the public of the intent of the University of South Alabama (USA), with partial funding from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the United States Department of Commerce (DOC), to construct a new building to house the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine. The new building is to occupy a portion of the Alpha Complex. The design for the new multistory structure, however, calls for the retention of the adjacent Alpha Halls North and West. 

The University has undergone significant growth in terms of the number of students it serves and the number of buildings on campus. The purpose and need of the Proposed Action is to provide medical instructional facilities that will meet growth and demand increases, with necessary and modernized infrastructure and amenities.    

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), an Environmental Assessment has been prepared to assess the potential impacts of the proposed action on the human environment.  This EA is available for agency and public review and comment for a period of thirty (30) days.  The Environmental Assessment is accessible at:

Comments, which will become part of the official project record, may be emailed to USA.COMEA@thompsonengineering.com until January 27, 2024.

 

New: The University of South Alabama has partnered with PaymentWorks, a third-party onboarding platform, to establish a no cost supplier onboarding process. PaymentWorks was selected due to its enhanced security and risk mitigation capabilities, so our suppliers can rest assured that their company data is safe.

Suppliers who wish to do business with the University of South Alabama, are required to register as a payee in PaymentWorks. This platform allows our suppliers to own their own data, connect with other businesses and send updated company information to all connected customers in one portal.

Please contact the USA Purchasing Department for additional information. 

 

Important Notice to Suppliers: Fraudulent Quote Request/Purchase Order Email Activity

The University of South Alabama (USA) wants to make all current and potential vendors aware of an ongoing email scam involving request for product quotations and the issuance of fraudulent purchase orders that purport to originate from The University of South Alabama or The University of South Alabama Health Systems, but are, in fact, fraudulent. While the University cannot prevent this illegal activity, we have alerted law enforcement and are taking all measures possible to counter these activities.  

There are some common traits or themes of these fraudulent emails that may help reduce risk to your company in becoming a financial victim of this scam:

  • The email message is poorly written, with misspellings and awkward sentence structure.
  • The senders' email address or website link are not authentic to The University of South Alabama.
  • The message requests shipment of product to non-USA addresses.
  • The message may include an attachment that is designed to look like an authentic USA purchase order, may include a logo or other graphic, and a signature that may look legitimate.

If you believe that you have received a fraudulent email that appears to be from The University of South Alabama or University of South Alabama Health Systems, you should forward it, via email, to Robert Brown, University of South Alabama Purchasing Department at rbrown@southalabama.edu to verify its legitimacy before responding to the email or filling the order.  

New: Information on making tax exempt purchases from Wal-Mart, using a P-Card, is now available on the FAQ Page.

New: An updated Property Control Form 10 is now available. Click here to access the new form.

New: An updated Purchase Order Change Order Request Form is now available. Click here to access the new form.

Important: USA prohibits the procurement of electronic equipment (computer, networking, information security, and telecommunication hardware and components) or services from companies that are associated with, owned by, or controlled by the People’s Republic of China. This includes ZTE and Huawei, two companies whose activities in the United States have been the subject of increased scrutiny. The ban also covers video surveillance and telecommunications hardware produced by Chinese firms Hytera Communications, Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Company, and Dahua Technology Company.

 

New Expedited Vendor Payment Process Now Available

The University of South Alabama (USA) has partnered with Hancock Whitney Bank to offer a new ePayables card payment program through Bora Payment System’s Payer Direct Hub® (PDH). This is the University’s preferred method of payment and is part of a campus-wide initiative to reduce paper waste and expedite payment to our valued business partners.

Click here for additional details.

Alerts
 

November 10, 2015 - 

Caution 2Fraudulent Purchase Orders

August 08, 2014 -

cautionFraudulent Purchasing Activity 

Contact Us
 

Robert M. Brown
Director, Purchasing, Property and Inventory Control
TRP 3, Suite 1400
rbrown@southalabama.edu
(251) 460-6151

Angie Summersgill
Purchasing Coordinator
asummersgill@southalabama.edu
(251) 460-6155