The restructured higher education financial and administrative act of 2005 allows for public colleges and universities to enter into a memorandum of understanding with the Governor and respective cabinet Secretaries to receive additional authority in three areas, capital outlay, information technology, and procurement.
Norfolk State University sought out to obtain additional authority in two of the three areas, information technology and procurement. The new level of authority was granted in December 2021.
After months of hard work and dedication to the University’s mission, the divisions, on behalf of the university seeking additional authority to conduct business in accordance with the memorandum of understanding signed by the secretariat, the University was granted Level II authority in both information technology and procurement under the restructured higher education financial and administrative act and has joined other colleges and universities that have been granted this authority.
The authority granted to Norfolk State University allows in exchange for a renewed commitment to the institution’s mission more operational and administrative autonomy to procure goods and services to include IT procurements at the University level. The requirements that got us to Level II consisted of but were not limited to some of the following:
Proved that the University met the requirements and had the ability to manage successfully the administrative and financial operations of the institution without jeopardizing the financial integrity and stability of the institution. Proved that at least an absolute two-thirds of the institution's governing board has voted in the affirmative for a resolution in support of a request for restructured operational authority under a management agreement.
The university submitted to the Governor a written request for his approval of the management agreement that contains evidence that (i) the institution possesses the necessary administrative infrastructure, experience, and expertise to perform successfully its public educational mission; (ii) the institution is financially able to operate without jeopardizing the financial integrity and stability of the institution; (iii) the institution consistently meets the standard of the agreement.