RFP Independent Review of School of Medicine Admissions and Student Success -

Division of Finance and Business Affairs
Request for Proposal
and Specifications for
Independent Review of School of Medicine
Admissions and Student Success
No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed,
stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any language in any form
by any means without the written permission of Wayne State University
Wayne State University
Procurement & Strategic Sourcing
October 02, 2026

Procurement & Strategic Sourcing
5700 Cass Avenue, Suite 4200
Detroit, Michigan 48202
(313) 577-3734
Division of Finance and Business Affairs
October 02, 2026
Dear Vendors:
Wayne State University invites you to participate in its Request for Proposal process to provide Independent Review of
School of Medicine Admissions and Student Success, for the Division of Health Affairs, per the specifications contained
herein the Request for Proposal. This service is expected to commence on December 01, 2026.
We have a bid information package complete with the Request for Proposal and complete specifications available for
downloading from the University Procurement Website at http://go.wayne.edu/bids (include capitalization and underscores) as
of October 02, 2026. When visiting the Website, click on the "Service" link in green. Copies of the RFP will not be available
at the pre-proposal meeting.
To participate, it is Optional that you and/or responsible representatives of your organization attend our pre-proposal
conference. For this RFP, the University offers the following Pre-Proposal Options: Virtual. The meeting will be held on
October 09, 2026, 2:00 pm (Eastern - Detroit Time).
Vendors who would like to participate in the pre-proposal meeting via a TEAMS Video Conference or Conference Call, may do
so via the information below:
Microsoft Teams Meeting
On-line or via Conference Call
Click Here to Join Pre-Proposal Meeting
Need to join from a mobile device but don't have TEAMS on it?
Visit our website for instructions on adding TEAMS to your device.
Attendance will be taken during the Prebid Meeting. When Pre-proposal Meetings are Optional, nominal scorecard points will
be awarded for attendance.
We hope you can join us at the Optional pre-proposal meeting. Please have a copy of this Request for Proposal for your
reference during the meeting. Should you have any questions or concerns about this invitation, please contact me at (313)
577-3756, or email: ken-doherty@wayne.edu. Thank you for your interest in doing business with Wayne State University.
Sincerely,
Kenneth Doherty
AVP - Procurement & Business Services
Enclosure

RFP: Independent Review of School of Medicine Admissions and Student Success
for the Division of Health Affairs
Page No.(s)
I. Introduction 1
II. Information for VENDOR 1
A. General 2
B. Calendar of Events 2
C. Optional Pre-Proposal Meeting 2
D. Examination of the Request for Proposal 2
E. Delivery of Proposals 3
F. Proposal Format 3
G. Proposal Evaluation 4
H. VENDOR Profile, Experience, References and Lost Accounts 4
I. VENDOR Service Plan 5
III. Scope of Work and Project Requirements 6
IV. General Requirements and Guidelines 7
UNIVERSITY PROVIDED SCHEDULES
Schedule A Proposal Certification, Non-Collusion Affidavit, VENDOR Acknowledgements
Schedule B Insurance Requirements
Schedule C Cost Schedule
Schedule D Summary Questionnaire
VENDOR CREATED EXHIBITS - TO BE SUBMITTED WITH VENDOR PROPOSAL
VENDOR Exhibit 1 Exceptions / Restricted Services
VENDOR Exhibit 2 Profile/Experience/References
VENDOR Exhibit 3 Service Plan
VENDOR Exhibit 4 Sample Management Reports
APPENDICES
Appendix 1 Wayne State University Map - (see website: http://campusmap.wayne.edu )
Appendix 2 New Vendor Set-Up Requirements
Appendix 3 WSU Wage Rate Schedules
Appendix 4 Drawings
Appendix 5 Sample Strategic Source Agreement

1
I. INTRODUCTION
A. Wayne State University, founded in 1868, is committed to preparing its students to excel in a fast-
paced and interconnected global society. It combines the academic excellence of a major research
university with the practical experiences of an institution whose history, location and diversity make it a
microcosm of the world students will enter when they graduate. The University holds the Highest
Carnegie Foundation classification for research activity. It has 13 colleges and schools and offers more
than 350 academic programs including bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees; post-baccalaureate,
graduate and specialist certificates; and three professional programs (http://wayne.edu/about/).
B. Procurement & Strategic Sourcing is soliciting proposals from qualified professional organizations,
hereafter referred to as VENDOR(s), who specialize in providing an Independent Review of School of
Medicine Admissions and Student Success, as described in the Statement of Work section of the
Request for Proposal (RFP). The engagement will commence on or approximately December
01, 2026 and be completed by June 30, 2027.
This RFP outlines basic requirements as specified in the Scope of Work section of the RFP (Section III).
Proposals submitted are to be in accordance with the outline and specifications contained in and are to
remain in effect a minimum of 120 days from the date of submission and may be subject to further
extensions as negotiated.
C. The UNIVERSITY reserves the right to accept, reject, modify, and/or negotiate any and all
proposals received in conjunction with the RFP. It reserves the right to waive any defect or
informality in the Proposals on the basis of what it considers to be in its best interests. Any proposal
may be rejected which the UNIVERSITY determines to be incomplete, conditional, obscure, or has
irregularities of any kind. The UNIVERSITY reserves the right to award to the firm, or firms, which in its
sole judgment, will best serve its long-term interest.
This RFP in no manner obligates the UNIVERSITY to the eventual purchase of any products or services
described, implied, or which may be proposed, until confirmed by written agreement, and may be
terminated by the UNIVERSITY without penalty or obligation at any time prior to the signing of an
Agreement or Purchase Order.
D. Expenses for developing and presenting proposals shall be the entire responsibility of the VENDOR and
shall not be chargeable to the UNIVERSITY. All supporting documentation and manuals submitted with
this proposal will become the property of the UNIVERSITY.
E. All questions concerning this Request for Proposal are to be directed to Kenneth Doherty, AVP -
Procurement & Business Services, Email; ken-doherty@wayne.edu. The deadline for questions is
October 13, 2026, 12:00 noon. Under no circumstances may a VENDOR contact other individuals at
the UNIVERSITY, or its consultants to discuss any aspect of this RFP, unless expressly authorized by
Procurement & Strategic Sourcing to do so.
II. INFORMATION FOR VENDOR
A. General
This RFP contains requests for information. VENDORS, however, in responding to this RFP, are
encouraged to provide any additional information they believe relevant. VENDORS are encouraged to
examine all sections of this RFP carefully, in that the degree of interrelationship between sections is
high.
B. Calendar of Events
Activity Responsibility Date
Formal Release of RFP Procurement October 02, 2026
Optional Pre-Proposal meeting Procurement /Evaluation October 09, 2026
Team (ET)/VENDORS 2:00 pm

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Questions due to Procurement & VENDORS October 13, 2026 - 12 Noon
Strategic Sourcing
Delivery of Proposals are by VENDORS October 16, 2026 by 2:00
electronic submission on October 16, p.m.
2026. The link for bid submission will be
posted with the bid details at
http://go.wayne.edu/bids.
Evaluation of Proposals Procurement / ET Week of October 23, 2026
(clarifications & negotiations)
Announcement of Selected VENDOR Procurement Week of November 02,
2026
Readiness for Service/Contract VENDORS Week of December 01,
Commencement 2026
Project Completion VENDORS/ET June 30, 2027
The UNIVERSITY will make every effort to adhere to the above schedule. It is subject however, to time
extensions at the University's discretion.
C. Optional Pre-Proposal Meeting
You may attend a Optional Pre-Proposal Meeting on as a condition for submitting a proposal. For
this RFP, the University offers the following Pre-Proposal Options: Virtual
The meeting will be held on October 09, 2026, 2:00 pm (Eastern - Detroit Time).
Vendors who would like to participate in the pre-proposal meeting via a TEAMS Video Conference or
Conference Call, may do so via the information below:
Microsoft Teams Meeting
On-line or via Conference Call
Click Here to Join Pre-Proposal Meeting
Need to join from a mobile device but don't have TEAMS on it?
Visit our website for instruction on adding TEAMS to your device.
During this meeting, we will answer any questions you may have to clarify any ambiguities in this
Request for Proposal. Answers to questions that cannot be answered during this meeting will be put
into an Addendum and emailed to all VENDORS and posted to the University website as soon as they
are obtained. Each proposal submitted shall list all addenda, by numbers, which have been received
prior to the time scheduled for receipt of proposal.
Attendance will be taken during the Prebid Meeting. When Pre-proposal Meetings are Optional,
nominal scorecard points will be awarded for attendance.
Minutes for the Pre-proposal Meeting will be distributed and published on the website as an Addendum.
Vendors are responsible for the information in this and all other Addenda and must acknowledge each
addendum in Schedule D on the second page of the Schedule.
D. Examination of the Request for Proposal
Before submitting proposals, each VENDOR will be held to have examined the UNIVERSITY
requirements outlined in the Scope of Work and Technical Information sections and satisfied itself as to
the existing conditions under which it will be obligated to perform in accordance with specifications of
this RFP.
No claim for additional compensation will be allowed due to unfamiliarity with the specifications and/or
existing conditions. It shall be understood that the VENDOR has full knowledge of all of the existing
conditions and accepts them "as is."

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E. Delivery of Proposals
Proposals with supporting documentation shall be submitted by electronic submission. The link for
bid submission will be posted with the bid details at http://go.wayne.edu/bids beginning October 02,
2026.
The electronic submission should be limited to no more than one of each of the following file types: 1
Word Document and/or 1 Excel Workbook and/or 1 PDF document, with a total file size less than 20
megabytes. ZIP Files containing separate sections of a proposal are not acceptable, drop box
submissions are not accepted either. If your submission was sent correctly, you will receive an auto-
reply message acknowledging receipt of your Proposal.
***
The specific format for responses is detailed in Section II F (below). Proposals and Schedule C, Cost
Schedule must be signed, and the authority of the individual signing must be stated thereon. All
responses are to be submitted by electronic submission on forms furnished with the Bidding
documents:
ATTN.: Kenneth Doherty, AVP - Procurement & Business Services
Wayne State University
RFP: Independent Review of School of Medicine Admissions and Student
Success
The link for bid submission will be posted with the bid details at http://go.wayne.edu/bids beginning
October 02, 2026.
Deadline for receipt of proposals by Procurement & Strategic Sourcing is, October 16, 2026 by 2:00
p.m. (local time). Proposals received after that time will not be accepted. No details of the
proposal will be divulged at the time of opening.
F. Proposal Format
Proposals are limited to 25 pages total, one sided, and eleven (11) point font. (This is inclusive of all
required documents and schedules and any optional material included at the discretion of the
respondent, but tab sheets and the cover pages do not count in the overall document count.)
Proposals are to be submitted with appropriate indices. Each proposal should provide a straightforward
concise description of the VENDOR'S service, approach and ability to meet the UNIVERSITY'S needs
as stated in this RFP. Schedules and Exhibits listed below must be included in your proposal:
University Provided Schedules (provided in this package)
Schedule A - Proposal Certification, Non-Collusion Affidavit, VENDOR Acknowledgements
Schedule B - Insurance Requirements
Schedule C - Cost Schedule, Summary of Quoted Rates
Schedule D - Summary Questionnaire
Vendor Created Exhibits (to be Submitted with Vendor Proposal)
Exhibit 1 - Exceptions/Restrictions, if any exist (Section II G)
Exhibit 2 - Profile / Experience / References (Section II H)
Exhibit 3 - VENDOR Service Plan (Section III)
Care should be exercised in preparation of the proposals since it is the UNIVERSITY'S intent to have
the final contract documentation to consist of a University Strategic Source Agreement (Appendix 5)
that incorporates the RFP, VENDOR Proposal, any letters of clarification, and will require the issuance
of a Purchase Order for invoicing purposes.
Unnecessarily elaborate brochures or other presentations beyond those sufficient to present a complete
and effective quotation are not desired.
G. Proposal Evaluation

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1. Proposals will be evaluated, and award will be based on the VENDOR'S ability to offer the best
value (quality, past performance and price), and on anticipated quality of service. Items considered
include but are not limited to:
Criterion Weight
Methodology and understanding 30%
Medical-school admissions and student- 25%
success expertise
Legal, accreditation, quantitative, and data 20%
capability
Team quality, availability, and 15%
implementation experience
Timeline, responsiveness, price, and overall 10%
value
VENDOR proposals will be evaluated by a team consisting of members of the UNIVERSITY'S
Procurement and Division of Health Affairs. A preliminary screening will be used to identify
competitive VENDORS who have met the mandatory requirements. Procurement & Strategic
Sourcing may subsequently request selected VENDORS to attend an interview or make a
presentation at a set time and date, to clarify information provided in the proposals. Final
consideration, evaluation, and recommendation may be made at this point. However, the
UNIVERSITY reserves the right to take additional time for reference review, site visits and/or
proposal negotiations.
2. To qualify for evaluation, a VENDOR'S proposal must be responsive, must have been submitted on
time and must materially satisfy all mandatory requirements identified throughout the RFP, in the
judgment of the UNIVERSITY. Any deviation from requirements indicated herein must be
stated in the proposal specifically under the category "Restricted Services", and clearly
identified as Exhibit 1. Otherwise, it will be considered that proposals are in strict compliance
with all requirements. Check the box indicating "None" for Restricted Services on the Proposal
Certification Schedule A. In those cases where mandatory requirements are stated, material failure
to meet those requirements may result in disqualification of the VENDOR'S response
3. If there are portions of any proposal the UNIVERSITY finds unacceptable or otherwise in need of
clarification or revision, the UNIVERSITY reserves the right to clarify or negotiate with any or all
VENDORS. Should the outcome of evaluations result in a recommendation, any resulting contract
will be subject to the approval of the UNIVERSITY'S General Counsel and must be approved and
signed by the appropriate UNIVERSITY representative.
4. After notification of acceptance of proposal and the signing of a resulting agreement and/or
Purchase Order, the successful VENDOR will be expected to establish and be in a position to
commence work or services on or before December 01, 2026.
H. VENDOR Profile, Experience, References, and Lost Accounts
1. VENDOR Profile should include:
VENDOR is required to provide organizational data that demonstrates the size, scope and
capability of the Company to handle the UNIVERSITY'S specific requirements specified in this
RFP. Explain any company relationships that could be construed to be a conflict of interest in
doing business with the UNIVERSITY now or in the future.
Upon University request, VENDOR must agree to provide publicly distributed annual reports
and/or independently audited financial statements including its statement of financial position,
statement of operations, and statement of cash flows for at least the past three years. Vendor must
further agree to permit the UNIVERSITY, upon request, to audit VENDOR's books, but only as it
relates to the Wayne State University account, including invoicing, operational, and technology
controls (when applicable). The University is limited to 1 request per calendar year of this
agreement.
If / when requested, failure to agree to this will result in disqualification of your bid (see
Schedule D).

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Financial Information will be treated as confidential and not added to the publicly permanent RFP
file. Requested Financials must be sent to:
ATTN.: Kenneth Doherty, Associate Vice President
Procurement & Strategic Sourcing
Wayne State University
RFP: Independent Review of School of Medicine Admissions and Student
Success
Procurement & Strategic Sourcing
5700 Cass Avenue, 4th Floor - Suite 4200 AAB
Detroit, MI 48202
Or emailed to Mr. Doherty at ken-doherty@wayne.edu
VENDORS must include a self-addressed envelope marked "Confidential" with their financial
statement. Statements will be returned upon completion of any University review.
2. Experience
VENDORS are to state in their proposals their qualifications to meet the RFP specifications
in terms of past and current consulting experience with the same or similar requirements. This
information should be provided in the VENDOR'S Exhibit 2 of their proposal. VENDORS are to
focus on experiences with organizations having needs similar to that of the UNIVERSITY.
3. References
Upon request, VENDOR must agree to provide a minimum of three (3) qualified references.
Requests for references will come from Kenneth Doherty, AVP - Procurement & Business
Services, and will be treated as confidential and not added to the publicly permanent RFP file.
References are to be from organizations that have successfully utilized the products and services.
The references supplied should include the name and address of the organization, and the
contact's name(s), titles, e-mail, and the telephone numbers.
Failure to provide references (if requested) will result in disqualification of your bid.
4. Lost Accounts and Legal Actions
Upon request, VENDOR must agree to provide a list of significant accounts that the VENDOR
has lost during the past three (3) years. "Significant" for this purpose shall be construed to mean
accounts representing billings by the VENDOR in the range of $25,000.00 or more each year. A
lost account can be defined when the vendor has been terminated on a job because of
performance or default. Contact names and telephone numbers of affected Companies must be
provided.
Indicate any significant past or pending lawsuits or malpractice claims against the VENDOR.
I. VENDOR Service Plan
Vendors should include a complete description of the products and services offered in their Proposal.
The Service Plan should include, but not be limit to:
1. A summary of the products or services to be provided.
2. When applicable, a timeline showing how the Vendor plans to deliver products and/or services to
fulfill any contract issued as a result of this RFP.
3. Key staff members at the Vendors organization that will be assigned to the University account or
will otherwise be part of an implementation team.
4. Any resource requirements on the part of the University necessary in order for the Vendor to
meet its obligations under an agreement resulting from this RFP.
5. Any hardware, software, or other technology the University must have in order to use the
Vendors products or services.

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6. Any alternative ideas or proposals that should be considered by the University in addition to the
base proposal.
III. SCOPE OF WORK AND PROJECT REQUIREMENTS
Request for Proposals and Scope of Work
Independent Review of School of Medicine Admissions and Student Success
Executive Sponsors: Senior Vice President for and Provost
(The University may direct all or part of this engagement through the Office of General Counsel)
Purpose
Wayne State University seeks an independent review of the School of Medicine admissions process and student-
success continuum, from recruitment and selection through graduation and residency placement. The review will
assess accreditation, legal and policy compliance; leading practice; student-support capacity; and the potential
causes of delayed progression, leaves of absence, Step 1 difficulty, remediation, and attrition.
Based on recent reviews and analysis of student data, the university has identified the following areas that would
benefit from assessment: advising, tutoring, mental health and wellness support, administrative responsiveness,
curriculum preparation, the ability to identify and assist students at risk, and the admissions committee's final
authority. The selected firm must test current practice and distinguish association from causation; it must not
presume that admissions is the primary cause of student-success concerns.
Objectives
* Confirm compliance with current accreditation standards, applicable policies and laws, University policy, and
published School procedures.
* Assess whether admissions criteria, interviews, scoring, deliberation, waitlist practices, and special pathways
are valid, reliable, consistent, mission-aligned, and defensible.
* Determine how admissions, curriculum, assessment, advising, staffing, culture, and resources contribute to
student outcomes.
* Compare student success programs and staffing with leading medical school practices.
* Recommend immediate controls and a sustainable future-state model with owners, costs, milestones, and
measures.
Scope of Work
Admissions Governance and Practice
* Review bylaws, committee authority, membership, voting, quorum, recusal, conflicts, training, documentation,
exceptions, and records retention.
* Test whether written policies match actual practice from screening through offers and waitlist movement, and
confirm that the admissions committee exercises final authority.
* Evaluate training, rubrics, interviews, scoring calibration, reliability, class-size planning, applicant
communications, and the use of academic, experiential, pathway, geographic, socioeconomic, and other
contextual information.
Admissions-to-Outcomes Analysis
* Analyze at least five admissions cycles, and preferably eight to ten, subject to data availability.
* Link admissions variables to coursework, clerkships, Step 1 and Step 2, remediation, leaves, on-time clinical
entry, attrition, graduation, and Match outcomes.
* Assess whether admissions variables or pathways add predictive value after adjustment, and clearly state data
limitations.
Student Success and Progression
* Review advising, tutoring, learning specialists, coaching, peer support, wellness, mental health,
accommodations, financial counseling, career advising, and transition support.
* Assess staffing, vacancies, workload, access, continuity, utilization, response time, and effectiveness.
* Map early-alert, Step I & II readiness, dedicated-study, remediation, leave, promotion, appeals, and return-
from-leave processes.

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* Identify the actual or potential causes and consequences of delayed progression and gap years, including
effects on students and clinical scheduling.
* Assess whether trust, stigma, concerns about professionalism, or fear of reprisal inhibit help-seeking or
reporting.
Organization, Data, and Benchmarking
* Evaluate responsibilities across Admissions, Student Affairs, Curricular Affairs, Assessment, Learning and
Teaching, Registrar functions, financial aid, and central University partners.
* Assess data definitions, ownership, systems, reporting delays, and the need for a longitudinal student-success
dashboard.
* Benchmark at least five mission-similar, urban public, class-size-similar, or high-performing medical schools
and identify practices that are transferable to Wayne State.
Core Questions
* Is the admissions process compliant, transparent, consistently applied, and protected from inappropriate
influence?
* Do admissions practices or pathways appropriately predict outcomes, or are curriculum, assessment, support,
staffing, policy, and culture more important?
* Is class size aligned with instructional, support, and clinical capacity?
* Does every student have effective advising, early support, and clear Step-readiness guidance?
* Are leave, remediation, promotion, and appeal decisions consistent, evidence-based, and fair?
* Why are students delaying Step 1 or taking gap years, and which causes are preventable?
* How does Wayne State compare with peers in staffing, services, outcomes, and cost?
* What must change within 90 days and over the following 12 to 24 months?
Methodology and Data
The proposal should use a mixed-methods approach that includes policy and record review, process mapping and
control testing, longitudinal quantitative analysis, a stratified case-file audit, interviews and focus groups, peer
benchmarking, staffing and resource analysis, and fact-validation sessions. Analyses must protect privacy, avoid
unsupported conclusions from small cells, and clearly distinguish correlation from causation. Legally sensitive work
will be coordinated with the Office of General Counsel.
The firm will submit a data specification and governance plan during the first two weeks. Anticipated data includes
admissions, academic progression, licensing examinations, student-support use, survey results, curriculum and
assessment information, organization and staffing, budgets, and committee records.
Deliverables and Potential Schedule
Target Deliverable Required Content
Week 2 Workplan and data plan Scope confirmation, stakeholder map, data
specification, privacy plan, and risk log.
Week 4 Current-state assessment Admissions and student-success workflows;
urgent compliance or safety issues.
Week 8 Diagnostic and benchmarking Governance, outcomes, staffing, resource,
peer, and root-cause findings.
Week 10 Preliminary findings and 90-day Validated findings, immediate controls, data
plan fixes, and priority actions.
Week 12 Final report and future-state plan Governance, organization, staffing,
technology, budget, metrics, and 12- to 24-
month roadmap; executive and Board
presentations.
Governance and Confidentiality
* The Senior Vice President for Health Affairs and Provost will serve as executive sponsors and approve
deliverables.
* The project will include weekly team meetings, biweekly sponsor updates, and monthly written status
communications.
* Material compliance, safety, integrity, retaliation, data-access, or obstruction concerns should be escalated
immediately.