Page 3 - College Planning & Management, June 2017

Campus Scene IN THE SPOTLIGHT
New Residence Hall for Dickinson College
DICKINSON COLLEGE IN CARLISLE, PA, HAS BROKEN GROUND
on its first new residence hall in nearly 40 years. A LEED Platinum building designed by Deborah Berke Partners (DBP), the project’s design fuses the college’s ambitious environmental and social sustainability goals with the institution’s history, while setting the standard for its future.
The three-story building will house 120 students and provide generous social spaces. The building features a northern limestone façade facing the historic cam- pus. For the southern face of the building, DBP has designed a transparent glass and zinc façade, fronting a mixed residential and college neighborhood. The E-shaped plan opens all rooms and corridors to natural light and views; the plan also creates a pair of outdoor courtyards that serve as collegial gathering spaces.
The project includes on-site storm water retention through a series of native- plant rain gardens on the north and south sides of the building. Other sustainable strategies include locally sourced limestone, a high-performance building envelope, low-flow fixtures, high-efficiency appliances, materials with high pre- and post- consumer recycled content and energy recovery ventilators.
The facility is expected to be complete in fall 2018.
Ask the Expert
This Month
Purchasing and Procurement
To bid or not to bid?
WITH ALL DUE RESPECT to Mr. Shakespeare, the real question is determining whether or not to do your own bid or to utilize another public agency’s cooperative agreement. Here’s what you need to know to be strategic in
your use of cooperative agreements. It starts internally with your campus. Ask the follow- ing: Do you understand your legal authority? Is your legal counsel familiar? Has your campus utilized cooperative agreements before? Does your Board or Council need to approve the use? What does your political landscape look like? Can social goals or local preference initiatives be achieved?
Next, evaluate the various cooperative organizations: How long has the cooperative been operating? Does your campus need to join the cooperative? Is there a fee? Was the solicitation advertised? Where and how? What procurement laws does the cooperative follow in soliciting, evaluating and award-
ing contracts? Has the cooperative received third-party audits, peer review or awards? What is the level of the cooperative’s customer service? Does its website contain accessible and thorough documentation?
Finally, and most importantly, analyze the actual contract: Does the awarded contract contain the specific solution you need? When was the contract awarded, and when does
it expire? What are the qualifications, capa- bilities and financial health of the awarded supplier? How is pricing addressed (i.e., percentage discount, ceiling-based pricing)? Are the terms and conditions of the contract amendable? Is there a rebate on the contract? How is it paid?
Duff Erholtz serves as a Membership Develop- ment administrator at National Joint Powers Alliance® (njpa.co/join). Duff also chairs
the educational committee for the National Cooperative Procurement Partners (NCPP) where you can find additional information and training on cooperative agreements, including a visual guide to cooperative procurement strategy. Visit njpa.co/NCPProadmap. Contact: Duff.Erholtz@ NJPAcoop.org or 218/894-5490.
OU Launches Financial
Education Program
To help incoming students better understand their personal financial activities and needs, the University of Oklahoma has announced an innova- tive, personalized financial education program called MoneyCoach. In collabo- ration with MidFirst Bank, the program has been designed to help students build lifelong money management skills.
MoneyCoach aims to help all stu- dents, including first-generation college
students and families who may not be familiar with the vast array of strategies available to pay for college, develop a fi- nancial plan and explore opportunities.
Through the program, incoming stu- dents will each be paired with a personal MoneyCoach to help them and their families understand the costs associated with their education at OU and develop a plan to cover those expenses.
In addition to the personalized, one- to-one coaching, financial education
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