University Times

In recent years, Pitt insisted that its food service con- tractors set aside 25 percent of their subcontract monies for businesses owned by women and minorities, especially African Americans.

Not anymore. Following recent court interpretations of the U.S. Constitution's equal protection clause, state-funded institutions like Pitt can no longer include race- and ethnic-based goals or quotas in contracts unless the institutions meet strict criteria, including providing evidence that the goals/quotas are remedying past discrimination by the institutions, not societal discrimination.

(The court rulings don't appear to rule out gender-based contract goals and quotas, Pitt trustees have been advised.) To meet Pitt affirmative action goals without straying outside new legal boundaries, the administration is launching a two-year plan to increase the amount of business it does with minority- and women-owned businesses.

The plan includes educating minority and women business people about the University's contract process; identifying new opportunities for doing business with minority- and women-owned firms (Pitt Stadium concessions was one example); and forging closer links with professional groups such as the Pittsburgh Regional Minority Purchasing Council and the National Association of Minority Contractors.

Pitt Director of Purchasing Jim Herring described the plan as "creative and pro-active."He outlined it at yesterday's public meeting of the Board of Trustees affirmative action committee.

During the current fiscal year, about 9 percent of Pitt's $113 million in contracts is going to minority- and women-owned businesses – down from 10.5 percent of $105 million last year, Herring said.

The University plans to update lists of Pitt-approved minority- and women-owned contractors, procurers and professional services and make those lists available to departments.

And by April, training sessions for users of Pitt's new PRISM system and purchasing cards (P-cards) will emphasize the University's commitment to doing business with minority- and women-owned firms, according to Herring.

"As we decentralize the University's purchasing system, we're giving departments a lot more authority to place orders,"he said. "If they're not aware of the fact that there's a University commitment to minority- and women-owned businesses, and in addition to that they don't have a list of minority- and women-owned businesses they may buy from, then we've lost the battle before we've even started."Trustee William K. Lieberman urged Pitt's administration to "let the state and the public know that minority participation is a high priority for us in awarding construction contracts for the convocation center"- although Lieberman noted that the state Office of General Services, not Pitt, awards those contracts.

"I couldn't agree more,"Chancellor Mark Nordenberg replied, pointing out that the state is now choosing a construction manager for the convocation center prior to reviewing construction bids.

– Bruce Steele