Procurement : University of Dayton, Ohio

Procurement for the Common Good

The University considers the prudent expenditure of funds to be an important responsibility and reflective of the University’s mission and the Marianist values. The University is uniquely positioned to foster partnerships in the local and global community. Thus, the University views its purchasing decisions as opportunities to choose environmentally and socially preferable products and services, to support vendors with strong commitments to sustainability, to support the local economy, and to pursue the common good.

As a result of our efforts, UD was recognized as a "Top 5 Performer" in the STARS 2021 Campus Sustainability Index for Purchasing amongst 680 universities.

Supplier Diversity

UD is committed to increase competitive bid opportunities for small businesses and disadvantaged businesses. We continue to to emphasize partnerships with local suppliers.

Fair, Ethical, and Sustainable Sourcing

We work to align the the University’s purchasing and vendor practices with our Catholic, Marianist principles for social, economic and ecological justice. We also strive to integrate best practices for fair, ethical and sustainable standards. This work directly supports the University commitment to the UN Global Compact.

Environmental Sustainability

Guided by our Marianist values, we are committed to shaping better communities and a brighter future. We encourage vendors to adopt sustainable practices and offer sustainable products. We are proud that 100% of paper purchased is offset with trees planted by the Arbor Day Foundation through Office Depot's Tree Up program and 98% of electronics purchased are EPEAT Gold or EPEAT Silver rated. Learn more about UD's sustainability efforts.

Community Impact

Buying local is one way that we create jobs and overall wealth for our regional community. UD is committed to working with the community to ensure our economic power along with human and intellectual resources are used to improve the regional economy.

Our Commitment

All members of the University community are required to exercise good judgment in authorizing expenditures, regardless of the source of funds. Purchasing decisions should be made with consideration given to the total lifecycle cost of an item, including but not limited to the acquisition, usage, energy, maintenance, repair and disposal costs. Further, those making purchasing decisions should be mindful of university commitments in areas including environmental impact, diversity and small business spending.

UD has a long term commitment to assist small businesses and small disadvantaged businesses to grow and succeed. UD understands that it makes good business sense to work with the small business community and entrepreneurs whose active participation in the local and national economy fosters innovation, creativity and competition.

How does UD track local, green or diversity spending?

The Procurement and Payable Services department is able to track spending in a variety of different ways. As we consider spending at the supplier level, we use data that the suppliers provide via their profiles in the Supplier Portal. For local spending, we track spending by zip code for over 150 zip codes as defined by the Dayton Chamber of Commerce. For green spend tracking, vendors designate eco-friendly or good environmental choices at the item level. We also rely on our suppliers to help us track their green spending and review this in supplier reviews. Some of this data can be shared in department reviews. Diversity spending is tracked in all categories required for Federal reporting of small business spend as well as categories tracked by the Dayton Chamber of Commerce and the State of Ohio.

Why does UD buy from local vendors?

Buying local is one way that we create jobs and overall wealth for our regional community. Several studies have shown that when you buy from an independent, locally-owned business, rather than a nationally-owned businesses, significantly more of your money is used to make purchases from other local businesses, service providers, and farms — continuing to strengthen the economic base of the community. This notion is particularly important because of our commitment to support growth in the region and the local economy. Our partnership with local government, businesses and other organizations enhances the overall life and work experience of our region.

Why does UD buy from small or disadvantaged businesses?

When we use small and disadvantaged suppliers, our supply chains are more robust and the number of innovative supplier solutions drive more savings and campus productivity. Supplier ideas and supply chain reliability result in operational excellence.

As procurement decisions are made, we consider barriers that prevent our suppliers to obtain economic and social equality in our society and throughout the world. Informed by our Catholic and Marianist traditions, we seek to level the playing field by extending RFPs to suppliers of all business classifications.

Why does UD buy "green" products?

Green products provide a variety of benefits in addition to positive environmental impacts, which include: protecting natural resources, minimizing waste, and reducing toxic chemicals. Contrary to common belief that environmentally sustainable products cost more than traditional products, green products can actually reduce operating and maintenance costs. Some green products such as biodegradable cleaners also improve worker health and safety. Green purchases contribute to the overall demand for such products and services, leading to an increase in these goods, making it easier and more affordable to purchase them.

How does UD measure success for "green" spend?

The Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System™ (STARS) is a transparent, self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance. University of Dayton's STARS result can be found at the ASHEE STARS website. In addition to the STARS report, Procurement and Payable Services tracks Sustainability spend in the Procurement for the Common Good scorecard.