HOUSTON (April 11, 2019) –Texas Southern University’s Office of Procurement is exceeding state goals while working with Historically Underutilized Businesses. As a state agency, TSU is required to have a HUB program that facilitates the continued growth and usage of HUBs.
“The TSU HUB Program has made great strides with our outreach efforts,” said Kisten Rhodes, senior buyer, and HUB coordinator. “As the HUB coordinator, it has been my goal to become more visible in the community, begin the dialogue and establish community alliances.”
TSU has consistently ranked among the top state agencies who spend the most money with HUBs for the last several years. Tasked by the Statewide Procurement Division (SPD), the HUB Program must report the expenditures made by state agencies and institutions of higher education. By using the HUB Report, agencies can track their expenditures and utilize it as a benchmarking tool to meet or exceed their HUB utilization in each of the following categories: heavy construction, building construction, special trade construction, professional services, other services, and commodity purchasing.
Over five years, TSU has surpassed HUB spending goals in the following areas:
• Fiscal 2018 – Specialty Trades and Commodities
• Fiscal 2017 – Building-Construction and Commodities
• Fiscal 2016 – Heavy-Construction, Building-Construction, Specialty-Trades and Commodities
• Fiscal 2015 – Commodities
• Fiscal 2014 – Building-Construction and Commodities
TSU’s HUB Program is the recipient of many accolades including the 2019 Supplier Diversity Champion Award, 2018 Excellence in HUB Dedication Award and the Community Outreach Award for Career Exploration. In October of 2018, the office had its first editorial feature in Subcontractor’s USA Trade Journal, which assisted in exposure and getting the word out about how the university serves underutilized businesses.
“It is important for TSU to work with HUB vendors, not only because we are an HBCU; however, we need to continue the legacy of entrepreneurship and investment in our community,” said Rhodes, “We need to show our support to those that support us.”
ABOUT TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY
Texas Southern University (TSU) honors our designation as a special-purpose institution for urban programming and research. TSU is a comprehensive university providing higher education access to the nation’s underserved communities. TSU’s academic and research programs address critical urban issues, and prepares its diverse student population to become a force for positive change in a global society. TSU offers more than 100 undergraduate and graduate programs and concentrations – bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral and professional degrees – organized into 10 colleges and schools on a 150-acre campus nestled in the heart of Houston’s historic Third Ward. The University’s enrollment has a population of more than 9,700 undergraduate and graduate-school academic candidates. Texas Southern has been a distinguished educational pioneer since 1927, and the University has become one of the most diverse and respected institutions in Texas. TSU has positioned itself as a proactive leader in educating underserved students and many who are the first in their family to attend college.
