Participation in these events are a few ways that the USDP continues to encourage and welcome small/minority businesses (S/MBE’s) to participate in the UConn procurement experience, with the mission of expanding enrollment of S/MBE’s on University contracts.
Author: Procurement
Supplier Diversity Symposium in Higher Education
“Training for Higher Education P-Card Holders” (Slide 7) is an idea that “garnered a great deal of interest” at this Symposium, according to The Northeastern Lab for Inclusive Entrepreneurship’s, it’s host and just one institution with whom the University of Connecticut Supplier Diversity Program (USDP) has shared its success story. UConn’s story can also be found in the Spring 2023 Edition of the NAEP Procurement Journal. The USDP contracted with LightSpeed Edu, a minority-owned company to develop and launch their Supplier Diversity E-Learning course on October 1, 2019, entitled, “Embracing Supplier Diversity at UConn”. Continue reading
UConn… a Supplier Diversity Leader
The University of Connecticut is acknowledged in this article as a supplier diversity leader.
UConn… a Regional Reputation in Minority Contracting
Prodded by Racial Reckoning, Colleges Aim To Increase Minority Contracting. Will They Succeed? | GBH (wgbh.org) – Update August 2023
The University of Connecticut is acknowledged in this article for its regional reputation in minority contracting.
UConn Supplier Diversity Website Highlighted
How Supplier Diversity Webpages Can Open the Window to Opportunity | Inclusive Entrepreneurship (northeastern.edu) – June 3, 2023
This article was published following The Northeastern Lab for Inclusive Entrepreneurship’s Webinar held on April 11, 2023, entitled, “Benchmarking Higher Education Procurement Websites”, in which the University of Connecticut was one of two participating higher education institutions.
Supplier Diversity Best Practices
Northeastern Lab for Inclusive Entrepreneurship
2023 Annual Meeting National Assoc. of Educational Procurement
NAEP Educational Procurement Journal Spring 2023
NAEP Volunteer of the Year Award
UConn’s Supplier Diversity Program (V. Cook – middle) has been an active planner and participant in NAEP Supplier Diversity Institutes since 2007. Volunteerism includes representing UConn on the NAEP DEI Committee for 4 years (co-chairing its 2nd year) and the Supplier Diversity Sub-Committee (co-chairing); participating in an interview in one article and co-authoring another (Spring 2023) for NAEP’s Procurement Journal; and serving as a subject matter expert on panels for Fusion Sessions during covid years when sessions could not be held in person, as well as being a panelist and co-facilitating, respectively, during the first two years back in person at NAEP’s Annual Meetings.
The Volunteer of the Year Award recognizes those individuals who have gone above and beyond in service of NAEP and our members. This year’s awardees not only meet that definition, but also have done so when the demand in their offices has been at an all-time high. Their dedication to serving others is exceptional.