USM SSP 27_001 HIGHPOINT.pdf

USM SSP 27_001 Notice of Proposed Sole Source Purchase of Highpoint.

http://www.ms.gov/dfa/contract_bid_search/Bid

RFx: 3150006957

Comments/objections will be received as required per Section 31-7-13 (C) of the Mississippi Code until

8:00 a.m. (Central Time) on August 12, 2026.

Any person or entity that objects and proposes that the commodity listed is not sole source and can be provided by another person or entity shall submit a written notice to:

Jacob Cochran

Director of Procurement & Contracts 118 College Dr. Box 5003 Hattiesburg, MS 39406 bids@usm.edu

Phone: 601-266-4131

Subject Line must read "Sole Source Objection USM SSP 27_001"

The notice shall contain a detailed explanation of why the commodity is not a sole source procurement.

Appropriate documentation shall also be submitted if applicable.

If after a review of the submitted notice and documents, USM determines that the commodity in the proposed sole source request can be provided by another person or entity, then USM will withdraw the sole source request publication from the procurement portal website and submit the procurement of the commodity to an advertised competitive bid or selection process.

If USM determines after review that there is only one (1) source for the required commodity, then USM will appeal to the Public Procurement Review Board. USM will have the burden of proving that the commodity is only provided by one (1) source.

Run Dates: 7/26, 8/2

The University of Southern Mississippi

Notice of Proposed Sole Source Purchase

SSP 27_001

The University of Southern Mississippi anticipates purchasing the item(s) listed below as a sole source purchase. Anyone objecting to this purchase shall follow the procedures outlined below.

1. Description of the commodity that USM is seeking to procure:

HighPoint Campus Experience product licensing and maintenance support provided by HighPoint Technology Solutions.

2. What efforts were made by the Agency to determine that the proposed provider is the only entity that can provide the commodity needed?

HighPoint Technology Solutions exclusively serves Oracle PeopleSoft institutions and develops solutions tailored specifically for PeopleSoft functionality. They are the sole provider of the HighPoint Campus Solutions suite for Oracle PeopleSoft.

Our review of other PeopleSoft partners confirmed that no alternative vendors offer comparable integration with PeopleSoft Campus Solutions or the same end to end mobile functionality provided by HighPoint.

HighPoint Campus Experience also integrates seamlessly with our existing

HighPoint products—Schedule Builder, Degree Planner, and Degree Auditor— giving students a streamlined way to plan and complete their degree requirements.

In addition, the platform supports ongoing enhancement requests from students and staff, enabling continuous improvement of system effectiveness and efficiency.

3. What efforts were made to ensure the best possible price for the commodity was obtained?

We negotiated with HighPoint Technology Solutions to maintain pricing as close as possible to the previous fiscal year. The approved one year rate aligns with the discounted pricing they typically offer only for a three year agreement.

4. Why is the commodity the only one that can meet the needs to the Agency?

HighPoint Campus Experience, an Oracle PeopleSoft partner, utilizes component interfaces, content references, JavaScript, and proprietary code embedded within

Oracle PeopleSoft Campus Solutions. Its architecture enables direct, secure, real time communication with the PeopleSoft database, ensuring that updates are immediately reflected in SOAR, the university’s enterprise student system. This capability maintains the accuracy and integrity of academic and financial records.

Faculty, staff, and advisors rely on this functionality to efficiently access, validate, and support student information.

5. Why is the amount expended for the commodity reasonable?

Our review of comparable products shows that the annual cost of HighPoint

Campus Experience is lower than other solutions that lack its unique real time integration with our system and its seamless compatibility with additional

HighPoint tools such as Schedule Builder, Degree Planner, and Degree Auditor.

Advertisement Schedule Date

1st scheduled 7/26/26

2nd scheduled 8/2/26

Any person or entity that objects and proposes that the commodity listed is not sole source and can be provided by another person or entity shall submit a written notice by August 12, 2026, 8:00 AM CST, to:

Jacob Cochran

Director of Procurement & Contracts

Jacob.Cochran@usm.edu

Subject Line must read "Sole Source Objection 27_001"

The notice shall contain a detailed explanation of why the commodity is not a sole source procurement. Appropriate documentation shall also be submitted if applicable.

If after a review of the submitted notice and documents, USM determines that the commodity in the proposed sole source request can be provided by another person or entity, then USM will withdraw the sole source request publication from the procurement portal website and submit the procurement of the commodity to an advertised competitive bid or selection process.

If USM determines after review that there is only one (1) source for the required commodity, then

USM will appeal to the Public Procurement Review Board. USM will have the burden of proving that the commodity is only provided by one (1) source.