Don't Forget Supplier Diversity

  • 02/01/17

Supplier diversity programs are in place in many campus procurement departments at both large and small, public and private institutions, in order to encourage buying from a wide variety of suppliers, including small suppliers and businesses owned by people from demographic groups that have been historically discriminated against.

At the City University of New York (CUNY), for example, the university has an overall 30 percent MWBE (minority- and women-owned business enterprises) participation goal and 6 percent SDVOB (service-disabled veteran owned businesses) participation goal. Every CUNY campus (senior colleges, community colleges, honors and professional schools) is required to make a good faith effort to achieve the university’s MWBE and SDVOB goal.

At the University of Washington in Seattle, Purchasing Services is committed to ensuring that minority-owned, women-owned, small, disadvantaged, HUB Zone (historically underutilized business zones), veteran-owned and service-disabled-veteran owned businesses have the maximum practicable opportunity to participate in purchasing and contracting at the university of Washington.

Sinclair Community College in Dayton, OH, states a long-term objective to attain 15 percent of its annual volume in Tier I minority- and woman-owned spend.

Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN, is known as one of the premier supplier diversity programs in higher education in the U.S. The university has received numerous awards for its work to develop a diverse supplier base and to increase the contracts awarded to Indiana women and minority businesses. Information on Purdue’s commitment and processes can be explored at www.purdue.edu/supplierdiversity.

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

Featured

  • Minnesota District Completes Major Renovations, Expansions to High School

    White Bear Lake Area Schools in White Bear Lake, Minn., recently announced that it has completed the renovation and expansion of White Bear Lake Area High School, according to a news release. The school’s final addition, a new 845-seat Performing Arts Center, was finished in November.

  • Illinois Elementary School Breaks Ground on Campus Expansion

    Heather Hill Elementary School, part of Flossmoor School District 161 in Palatine, Ill., recently broke ground on a new addition to the school focused on student support and security, according to a news release. The district partnered with Wold Architects & Engineers for the expansion as part of a longer-term facility planning and modernization initiative.

  • DreamBox Math

    Discovery Education Debuts Enhancements to DreamBox Math

    Discovery Education recently announced that DreamBox Math, an online math program for K–8 students to supplement core instruction, has been updated to improve accessibility for K–5 students, according to a news release. DreamBox Math provides personalized instruction by adapting to individual learners’ responses and providing an engaging, dynamic learning environment.

  • Florida Elementary School to Undergo $47M Reconstruction

    The School District of Osceola County in Kissimmee, Fla., recently announced a partnership with construction firm Skanska to reconstruct Reedy Creek Elementary School, according to a news release. The $47-million project will involve the new construction of a 96,000-square-foot academic center, renovating the remaining facilities, a full-site redevelopment, and demolishing portions of the existing school.