Overview of Diversity Supplier Program at IUPUI

Purchasing Services' supports IUPUI's organizational strengths and individual competencies in teaching, research and community service. We continually strive to meet our customer's demands for innovation, quality goods and services. The purchasing staff achieves this goal through effective utilization of our suppliers. We believe that good business partnerships are one of our best assets in supporting IUPUI's vision as "The Premier Urban University in the Nation" and that fostering and promoting participation and growth of Disadvantaged Business Enterprises "DBE's" supports this vision.

As our urban culture grows more diverse, we realize our success depends upon meeting diverse customers' needs and to work effectively with a variety of suppliers. We support and encourage diversity in our supplier network, recognizing that differences, as well as similarities, are a business-strength and we are intolerant of discriminatory behaviors and practices within all of our purchasing environments.

Purchasing Services' goal is to provide DBE's with every opportunity to contribute to their fullest potential both within our own IUPUI community and externally among our suppliers. Our website provides a mechanism to increase supplier diversity awareness among our campus community customers who have delegated procurement responsibilities via the smaller dollar procurement devices and the newly implemented procurement cards. This delegation of procurement responsibility allows an individual to select a vendor without central purchasing's advice and guidance.

The campus business environment continues to evolve very rapidly and in the midst of this evolution Purchasing does not always maintain control of specific outcomes such as major construction awards or department-delegated purchases. Purchasing Services is, however, committed to sustaining and elevating our best efforts in seeking avenues to increase DBE participation in the economic growth and prosperity of IUPUI. We will continue to communicate actual expenditures to Campus Administration to ensure supplier diversity integration into the procurement process. We recognize our challenges remain the same, but our need to educate and apprise individuals of the importance of supporting DBE enterprises stretches beyond our immediate Purchasing Department to other constituencies within the campus. Additionally, we will continue to focus on increasing the visibility of IUPUI's Supplier Diversity Program with our other supply and service providers.

Robert J Halter

Director, IUPUI Office of Purchasing Services