News

UConn Honored Again by INSIGHT Into Diversity Magazine

Jesse L Moore Supplier Diversity Award

For a second consecutive year, UConn was one of eleven institutions nationwide to receive the Jesse L. Moore 2022 Supplier Diversity Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, “for taking proactive steps to support and engage with minority-owned businesses through our unique programs and leading initiatives among institutions of higher education”.

The winners were announced February 28, 2022, and UConn was honored along with the others in the magazine’s April 2022 issue (starting on Page 32).

USDP Interviewed by INSIGHT Into Diversity

Insight Into Diversity

UConn Supplier Diversity Program (USDP) Executive Program Director Veronica F. Cook was featured in an article by INSIGHT Into Diversity, entitled, “An Interview with the Experts: How Campus Procurement Advances Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion”, along with NAEP’s Executive Director Krista Ferrell.  The October 2021 article can be found here, starting on page 28.

Tier 2 Supplier Survey

The University of Connecticut is committed to providing a professionally inclusive environment within which small and historically-underutilized diverse businesses are encouraged to participate in our procurement experience.  We are requesting that those contracting with us also partner with this commitment to inclusion; and to highlight the inclusive procurement practices of those we are contracting with, we are collecting Tier 2 utilization data using this brief survey.

UConn Honored for Policies, Programs Ensuring Diversity Among Suppliers

UConn is being honored for its commitment to economic inclusion in ensuring that companies operated by members of underrepresented populations receive adequate access and information to compete for University contracts.

UConn is one of nine institutions nationwide to receive the inaugural Jesse L. Moore 2021 Supplier Diversity Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the oldest and only print publication focusing on diversity and inclusion in higher education. Read More on UConn Today

UConn Emphasizes Economic Inclusion in Mission of Ensuring Diversity and Equity

Supplier diversity is critical to UConn and the state of Connecticut and UConn has a demonstrated commitment to economic inclusion in contracting for goods and services. To measure an institution’s commitment to diversity and equity, it’s not enough to boast about student enrollment figures, employee hiring statistics, and academic curricula that demonstrate inclusion of underrepresented populations.

Read more from UConn Today

USDP Team Represents UConn at 2019 Annual GNEMSDC Expo and Conference

GNEMSDC
The USDP Team consisting of Veronica F. Cook, Executive Program Director (right) and Victoria H. Novak, Administrative Services Specialist II (left) proudly represented the University of Connecticut and UConn Health at this year’s Greater New England Minority Supplier Development Council (GNEMSDC) Annual Expo and Conference, held at MGM Springfield in Springfield, Massachusetts.

This annual signature event was attended by a diverse gathering of GNEMSDC Corporate Members, Sponsors, and MBE’s from the six (6) New England States: Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, as well as California

USDP Team

The USDP’s Latest U-Diversity Initiative

Supplier Diversity Training SlideCourse Audience Slide

eLearning – “Embracing Supplier Diversity at UConn”

The USDP has developed an e-learning course to inform our communities about the University’s commitment and expectations regarding supplier diversity and inclusion on our UConn campuses and at UConn Health.​

It is intended that through the course, you will come to understand the importance of partnering with the USDP efforts to increase S/MBE participation in our procurement processes.

ELearning Course

UBS Leads the Way…Congratulations to Our Partnership Mug Recipients!

mugs

In partnership with our entire UBS Team, the USDP mission is to increase the participation of small and minority businesses (S/MBE’s) on our UConn contracts.  Our joint efforts to be most inclusive in our Procurement  processes is the key to our successfully achieving our mission.

To demonstrate UBS’s commitment to leading the way in partnering with the USDP, 33 UBS staff members completed the USDP e-Learning Course now available on SABA.

Nine (9) of the first 10 (aside from the USDP team) to successfully complete the course are pictured here:

Allison Hestick, BJ Pavonka, Cesar Alonzo, Dennis Sienna, Kimberly O’Connor, Laurie Lanka, Luong Chiem, Nancy Patrylak, and Walter Dalia.  Not pictured here is Laurie Field.

UConn Procurement Card Program Partners with USDP through eLearning

PCard Mug

As a cardholder, you are considered a “University Leader and Purchasing Decision-Maker”, who has been granted the privilege of transacting business on behalf of the University.  Your intentionality in making purchasing decisions for your respective department contributes to the University’s overall SMBE utilization goals and outcomes, which are established by and reported to the State of Connecticut Department of Administrative Services (DAS) and Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities (CHRO).  Aside from the statutory requirements, you are also asked to consider the potential economic impact to our surrounding communities based on the decisions that you make.

Read More

UConn Honored! 2nd Consecutive Year for Promoting Economic Inclusion

The University of Connecticut was honored on September 11, 2019, to once again receive the Greater New England Minority Supplier Development Council (GNEMSDC) “Institution of Higher Learning of the Year” award.  The presentation was made at the group’s annual awards luncheon, held at the MGM Springfield, in Springfield, MA.

(Left to right) James Linehan, Chairman, GNEMSDC Board of Directors, Virginia P’an, GNEMSDC MBE Nominations Committee Member, Veronica Cook, Executive program Director for the UConn Supplier Diversity Program, and Peter Hurst Jr., President & CEO of GNEMSDC

GNEMSDC

AWARD