Sole Source Public Review - MXC (ACUE) Association of College and University Educators

Malcolm X College (MXC), part of the City Colleges of Chicago located in Cook County, Illinois, is pursuing a sole source procurement with the Association of College and University Educators (ACUE) for a professional development certification framework. The procurement specifically involves ACUE's Effective Teaching Practices certification program, which provides graduate-level professional development for higher education faculty. The core deliverable is four pathway course cohorts to be implemented across Fall 2025 and Spring 2026, with two courses scheduled per semester. ACUE's unique offering is distinguished by its standards-based approach, alignment with nationally accepted college teaching standards, American Council on Education endorsement, and Quality Matters certification. The procurement objectives include enhancing faculty performance and improving student learning outcomes, as evidenced by a 2022 Northwestern University meta-analysis demonstrating ACUE's positive impact on educational effectiveness. The public review and potential objection period for this sole source procurement runs from October 8, 2025, to October 22, 2025, during which potential vendors can challenge the direct award using a standardized objection template.

The procurement appears to have no specific set-aside designations or restrictions on respondent organizations. The contract value is structured with an initial term value of $5,000 and a total contract value of $65,000.00, which covers the four pathway course cohorts at $16,250.00 each. Previous contract terms with ACUE have ranged from $184,000 to $320,000, with cumulative documented terms totaling approximately $534,000. The procurement will be funded through grant funds and is intended to support institutional effectiveness goals. ACUE is positioned as the sole vendor due to its copyrighted Effective Practice Framework and unique credentials, which include extensive scholarly citations and independent validation. The contract is set to expire on December 31, 2025, with payment expected to be processed following the October 2025 Board meeting. Potential vendors interested in challenging the sole source designation must submit formal objections through the City Colleges of Chicago's Business and Procurement Services department, demonstrating their capability to provide equivalent services at a competitive price.