In April, the FoundationCCC Enterprise and Procurement Services’ CollegeBuys program hosted its 18th Annual California Community Colleges Purchasing Conference in San Diego. The three-day conference, titled “Hidden Gems of Procurement: Unearthing Value in Every Corner,” encouraged attendees to look beyond routine transactions and reconnect with the broader mission and impact of their work.

The conference opened Wednesday afternoon with welcoming remarks from Jennifer Keiper, Senior Director of Procurement Services, followed by a keynote from Chris Ferguson, Executive Vice Chancellor of Finance and Strategic Initiatives for the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office. Ferguson highlighted the Chancellor’s Office vision with procurement as a strategic driver in advancing systemwide priorities.

Jorge Burwick, Senior Manager, and Jennifer Keiper closed Thursday’s formal programming with a comprehensive CollegeBuys update, reviewing the past year’s accomplishments, including new agreements, committee contributions, and expanded tools such as the CollegeBuys 101 training video and district report cards. They also offered a forward-looking preview of contracts nearing finalization and the program’s strategic roadmap ahead.

In addition to the successful event, CollegeBuys recently announced exciting new updates for the California Community College system, including:

• Mobile internet service through California Connects is now available through CollegeBuys at just $13.99 per month, representing a 30% reduction from last year’s price of $19.99. California Connects provides unlimited affordable broadband access designed with students and educators in mind, and this new pricing makes it one of the most competitive options available to the campus community.

“Connectivity shouldn’t be a barrier to education. This new pricing through CollegeBuys reflects our commitment to making sure everyone in our community has access to the tools they need to succeed with their coursework, access critical resources, and fully participate in the digital economy.” — Kevin Wutke, Senior Director, Enterprise Partnerships, FoundationCCC

• For those in need of a reliable and affordable laptop, the e-store is also offering refurbished laptops starting at $260, a budget-friendly option for students balancing coursework and finances, as well as faculty and staff looking for a dependable secondary device. Each laptop is inspected and ready for everyday academic and professional use.
• For hardware needs beyond a laptop, the e-store has also finalized an integration with CDW-G. By browsing CDW-G’s catalog through the CollegeBuys e-store, students, faculty, and staff have access to the same discounts that are available to institutions for their bulk orders.

CollegeBuys serves as the official purchasing and contracting hub for the California Community Colleges and also facilitates various professional development opportunities for the California community college procurement community, including this marquee event. 

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