The Supplier Diversity Initiatives Council (SDIC) was formed in 2022 to assist minority and other disadvantaged business enterprises in gaining greater access to business opportunities at the university. Ashley Frantz, Chief Procurement Officer, Robert L. Solomon, Esq., Co-Chair President's Advisory Council on Minorities, Vice President Office for Inclusion, Diversity and Equal Opportunity, and Dean Tufts, Vice President of Campus Planning and Facilities Management (starting August 2022), co-chair the council. In addition to members from CWRU, the council consists of representatives from the National Association of Women Business Owners, Hard Hatted Women, the Hispanic Business Association, Northern Ohio Minority Business Council, Black Trades Council, the Consortium of African American Organizations, and NAACP, among others. The specific objectives of the council are:
- Identify barriers to doing business at the university;
- Review dollar volumes and make suggestions as to how to increase them;
- Identify and act upon ways to reach out to diverse businesses;
- Increase diversity spending in all areas of procurement and sourcing.
Since its formation, SDIC has met quarterly. The main focus of SDIC has been to review the current CWRU practices for promoting supplier diversity and to identify opportunities, both short-term and long-term, to achieve the above-mentioned objectives.