 
Dickens calling on SLU
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"The University hopes by this effort to assist in the development of businesses within the metropolitan St. Louis area that happen to be owned by minorities and women," Dickens said. "When looking at the big picture, it's helping those businesses stabilize the community and develop the community in a positive manner."
Although Dickens knows her job wouldn't be necessary in a perfect world, she takes pride that the University has furthered its commitment to this cause.
"There is a long-term view, a goal here, and sometimes people don't see that immediately," Dickens said. "That's what I'm trying to convey to folks here at the University and to people in the community as well Ñ to let them know that the University is engaged in an effort to assist the development of businesses owned by minorities and women."
Dickens recommends those businesses that can provide services or products used by the University community. She also requires businesses be certified through the St. Louis Minority Business Council, the state of Missouri, the state of Illinois, Illinois Department of Transportation, the city of St. Louis or other entities.
"This is a competitively bid process, there are no set-asides," said Dickens, who has a direct hand in helping under-represented businesses succeed. "If I have a business that has attempted to get a bid for a particular product or service, and the pricing is out of line with competitors, then I can go back, review that process, and, after the process is closed, I can sit down what that supplier and tell the business where it exceeded the norm. Then we can discuss what can be done to help bring the pricing or service delivery structure back in line."
General Distributing and Serv-U-Distributing are minority-owned businesses that have been awarded contracts at the University. Umpire Industries Inc., meanwhile, is among the firms that have received project-related work. Preferred Building Service is a woman-owned business that has a contract with maintenance services, while Bell Electrical and Ahrens and McCarron have received project work. Dickens has compiled a database of 75 businesses wanting to form ties with SLU.
Dickens said grant proposals provide another outlet for her talents.
"Often when research dollars are awarded from the federal government or service proposals from municipal governments, there are requirements involved with the utilization of disadvantaged business," she said. "So I've been able to assist some departments in that respect as well."
An employee at the University since February, Dickens has taken a grass roots approach to getting the word out both at the University and in the community at large.
"I'm calling people, e-mailing, knocking on doors and explaining what my mission is and asking those at the University to help me in this endeavor," she said.
Enlisting the services of under-represented businesses benefits SLU in many ways as well, Dickens said, because it supports the Jesuit mission of service to the community and makes good economic sense.
"This University is located right in the middle of an increasingly diverse neighborhood," Dickens said. "You can go 10 blocks in any direction and find almost any ethic group you could imagine. It's good business for the University to uphold the development and the economic structure of the city, and it's the right thing to do."
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