Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

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

  • Washington State University Debuts New Engineering Hall

    Washington State University recently celebrated a dedication ceremony for the new Schweitzer Engineering Hall on its Pullman campus in Pullman, Wash., according to university news. The facility measures 66,288 square feet, and its completion marks the first milestone in a larger university effort to modernize the engineering and design district.

  • Construction Begins on 100+ Acre K–12 Campus Designed for Lakota Culture

    The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe (CRST) and the Cheyenne-Eagle Butte School District in Eagle Butte, S.D., recently broke ground on a new K–12 campus that will cover more than 100 acres and serve students and families across 1,600 square miles, according to a news release.

  • Minnesota District Completes Renovations to 3 Schools

    South Washington County Schools in Woodbury, Minn., recently completed major renovation projects to three of its schools, according to a news release. The district partnered with Kraus-Anderson for construction services, and the upgrades were part of a larger referendum that voters approved in fall 2024.

  • Esports are Growing in Popularity

    Video games and esports are a popular social hobby, and it’s one that’s accessible to a wide variety of physical ability levels. Some esport student-athletes have started to earn scholarship opportunities, and high schools are beginning to form teams equipped with the same degree of resources as their physical sports teams. However, the two have very different needs.