Temple, PSU, Pitt agree to purchase office supplies together to save money as the state-related schools deal with flat Pa. funding

For the first time in their history, Temple, Pennsylvania State University and the University of Pittsburgh have entered into a joint agreement for the purchase of office supplies.

The move comes as the three so-called state-related universities cope with flat state funding, increasing inflationary costs and the drive to keep tuition and costs as low as possible for students, Temple officials said. The $5.3 million joint contract for items such as pens and paper is expected to save the schools $400,000 collectively. It began July 1.

Ken Kaiser, Temple’s senior vice president and chief operating officer, said Temple expects to save an additional $300,000 because the new purchasing deal is better than the one the university previously had.

» READ MORE: Temple sees 71% jump in Black students in fall’s first-year class

But perhaps more importantly, he said, the new agreement paves the way to explore more partnerships with Penn State and Pitt that could save additional money.

“Given where we are with state funding and inflation, this is likely to continue,” Kaiser said. “Anything that there is a common denominator in spend among large Research 1 universities would be something we would look at.”

Farrah Al-Mansoor, Temple’s senior director of finance and administration, said audio-visual equipment is another area the schools are exploring for possible joint purchasing.

» READ MORE: Temple to raise tuition 4.2% for 2024-25, the same amount as the previous year

Penn State, Temple and Pitt are the three largest colleges in Pennsylvania, collectively serving close to 150,000 students.

Duane Elmore, Penn State’s chief procurement officer, called the effort “a new model for our three universities to work together toward common goals.”

It started when Donna Schweibenz, Temple’s senior director of purchasing, reached out to Penn State when Temple’s old contract was nearing completion. The three schools put out a request for proposals and received responses from companies around the country.

The companies that were awarded the contract are ODP Business Solutions, based in Florida, and Supra Office Solutions, a minority-owned business based in Philadelphia. Pitt has contracted with both companies since 2013, giving the other schools an additional level of comfort, Kaiser said.

“The partnership between ODP and Supra has a proven track record in meeting the specific office supply needs of institutions in higher education at very competitive pricing, including a number of sustainability programs that support university-specific goals,” Maureen Beal, Pitt’s associate vice chancellor for financial operations, said in a press release.