D-558 District Relations with the Private Section-General Policy on Goods and Services

The College conducts technical assistance, occupational education, and skill training to address the area's educational and economic development needs. While delivering relevant learning services, certain goods and support services are produced or rendered. The College also operates certain enterprise activities, providing various goods and services that benefit Students, Employees, and the public.

The College's policy is to minimize unnecessary duplication and competition with private sector businesses when goods and services are produced and provided because of educational and other activities performed by the College to fulfill its mission. College activities that yield goods and services will be permitted when the activity is:

• Deemed important to fulfilling the College’s education, training, and economic development mission.

• Needed to provide goods and services necessary for college operations at a reasonable price, on reasonable terms, and at a convenient location and time.

• Carried out for the benefit of the College Community while being sensitive to the larger community.

Goods and services provided by the College will conform, at a minimum, to the following:

• Activities operated by the College that parallel the private sector must be integral to fulfilling the College's learning, research, or public service missions. Exceptions may be granted if any of the following pertain:

  • There are compelling reasons for economic efficiency. Economic efficiency means that College Resources can be made available to the larger community at relatively little additional cost to the College.

  • The product or service is unavailable elsewhere in the community. Unavailability may be defined in terms of the product or service's lack of quality or quantity.

  • The product or service is a major convenience to the College Community and other members of the public participating in College activities. Convenience is typically defined in geographic terms, i.e., private sources are too far away to practically be the supplier, although other factors may also be involved.

  • The College’s product or service offering is of major importance to maintaining the quality of the College’s operations and facilities.

• The pricing of goods or services offered by the College shall recover total costs or may be set higher to be comparable to private sector prices unless a reduced price is demonstrated to be necessary to fulfill a function integral to the mission of the College.

• The District Board, through the President/District Director, shall appoint a private sector review committee. This committee shall:

  • Consist of Employee representatives, the private sector, and the public.

  • Review specific areas that could potentially be competitive with the private sector.

  • With full documentation of costs and pricing considerations, review proposals for providing goods and services for compliance with college guidelines, including the District Board pricing structure criteria.

  • Report its findings to the District Board before it acts upon the proposed offering of goods and services.

• In the event of a dispute regarding possible competition with the private sector, the President/District Director shall:

  • Refer disputes to the College’s private sector review committee for an advisory opinion.

  • Notify complainants in writing of the College’s decision about the dispute within 30 days of receipt of a written complaint.

  • Schedule a District Board review of a complaint if such a review is formally requested after the complainant has received notification of the College’s decision regarding the complaint.