05:06:00 Furnishing and Decorating Offices/Reception Areas

Purpose

To provide guidance in the furnishing and decorating of offices and reception areas.

Policy

I. Standards

In an effort to establish consistency in the furnishing and decorating of office and reception areas as well as ensuring suitable quality at reasonable costs, the following standards have been adopted for utilization in furnishing and decorating offices/reception areas:
 

1. Requests for new and/or replacement furnishings should be made on the basis of a need. Therefore, a statement of need or justification must accompany a request for furnishings (e.g., a new function/position, broken/damaged furniture, growth or expansion of an office, etc.) Also, the source of funds from which the purchase will be made as well as the total estimated cost must be identified.
    
2. In compliance with TBR policy, state-wide contracts will be utilized as the first source from which to purchase furnishings to the extent suitable items are available and the pricing is deemed economical. For areas in which items available from state-wide contracts are not suitable, other sources may be utilized.
    
3. If the need is to furnish an entire reception area, the request should include all similar items (e.g., sofas, chairs, tables, etc.) and should be submitted with specifications. If the need is to replace an occasional item, the request should be submitted to determine if a bid is necessary. Furnishings in this category are to be reviewed for compliance with this policy by the vice president for Business & Finance. Each request will be reviewed on the basis of price, quality, suitability, and comparability to other similarly furnished areas.
    
4. The college has defined carpet and paint to be utilized as a standard for areas receiving renovations. A variety of colors and textures of carpets as well as coordinating colors of paint are available from which selections may be made by individual departments/offices. (Contact the assistant vice president for Facilities Management for information.)
    
5. With respect to decorations (e.g., wall-hangings, plants, etc.), departments may request the purchase of such items from departmental funds for reception/public traffic areas. However, departmental funds may not be used to decorate individual offices. An entire plan for the decoration of a reception area must be submitted as one request to allow an assessment of the proposed cost of such furnishings. Although a maximum dollar is not specified, the total request must represent reasonable selections and costs.
    
6. Furnishings such as departmental appliances (e.g., refrigerators, beverage makers/dispensers, hot plates, personal heaters, microwave/broiler ovens, etc.) for use by departmental employees are not authorized to be purchased with departmental/institutional funds. Products (e.g., food items) to be consumed by employees are not authorized to be purchased with departmental/ institutional funds. An exception may be made for instances in which a primary function of the department is to serve guests attending college sponsored events; however, these appliances should be used for institutional purposes rather than employee/personal purposes. 09/06; 07/12; 05/16
    

Any exceptions to this policy must be approved by the president.