U of C takes lead in minority hiring

"We still have a ways to go," declared Henry S. Webber, vice president for Community and Governmental Affairs at the University of Chicago. "I would like us to be recognized as a leader. I want us to be the vendor/employer/customer of choice," Webber said as he released 2003 statistics on the university's business diversity aims.

Webber said the university and its hospitals, located in the Hyde Park/Woodlawn neighborhoods on the South Side, is in the midst of a $600 million campus expansion and renovation plan and so far $132.6 million (35.4 percent) of the funds have been allocated to minority and women owned business.

"Of this amount," Webber said, $63.8 million has been committed to African-American owned firms. Several years ago, we set this as a major priority for both institutions. It was an area, that I want to be quite clear, we have not done, traditionally, as well as we might have done."

Webber said the institution, recognized as the largest private employer on the South Side, received a lot of criticism, leading it to proclaim the institution would do something about it.

"We expressed our commitment to diversity. It's important to helping to develop entrepreneurship, strength of our communities, the city of Chicago and particularly the South Side.

"It's in our interest and in the broader community's interest. And it's the right thing to do," Webber said.

Webber said the university's economic opportunity program:

Creates major contracting opportunities for M/WBE's;

Facilitates workforce hiring on construction sites to include minorities, women and local residents;

Includes an apprenticeship program to create long-term career options for local residents.

Since the program, under Webber's direction began, awarded contractors have sponsored more than 54 apprentices now working on the university's and hospital's projects. Of the apprentices, 47 are minorities, according to Webber.

In the near future, Webber said the goal is to hire at least 47 more apprentices, bringing the total to 101.

The university also has expanded its efforts to procurement. The economic opportunity program designed for construction projects has evolved over the last few years into a major supplier diversity initiative utilized throughout the various procurement departments.

Webber said minority-owned, community-based businesses are being utilized for: Architectural Design and Consulting; Auditing and other financial services; Human resources consulting; Legal; New, maintenance and renovation construction; Marketing/communications, project management, special events; Office and Furniture Supplies; and Medical/surgical supplies.

"We've been successful in working with minority suppliers that are now competing," said Maye Foster-Thompson, who works in the Business Diversity Program office.

To implement the university's commitment, the university has developed a series of steps that include an Economic Opportunity Fair to be held April 29 at the Ida Noyes Hall, in the vicinity of 59th and Woodlawn.

Article copyright Sengstacke Enterprises, Inc.

Photograph (Harry S. Weber)