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March 2, 2000

Trustees approve 5-year goals for Pitt

Pitt trustees on Feb. 24 unanimously ap- proved a broad statement of University goals for the next five years. They include:

* Strengthening Pitt's position as one of America's most respected providers of high quality undergraduate education.

* Enhancing existing strengths in graduate and professional education.

* Increasing the scope, quality and visibility of Pitt research programs.

"Putting meat on the bones" of that framework will be an ongoing process involving many people, Chancellor Mark Nordenberg said.

Provost James Maher stated, "We're talking about raising the level of quality of the University overall by having every unit focus on how it can improve itself."

The two senior administrators said they couldn't cite specific sub-goals for the broad mission statement. But Nordenberg did say: "Without looking into a crystal ball, you can see from what we already have done over the last four years some of the things that are likely to unfold in the years ahead. These include an infusion of resources and even higher levels of attention to our Honors College, which has been so central to our quest for a richer undergraduate experience."

Among newer programs, the University will give high priority to its undergraduate programs in bioengineering and computer engineering — "both of which reflect marketplace needs and existing strengths of this University," Nordenberg said.

He and Maher said Pitt does not plan to close or dramatically downsize any schools. The provost said: "Through our ongoing planning and budgeting process, we have looked very carefully at the mission of each of the schools, compared that with the mission of the University, and come to the conclusion that each of the schools has an important role to play in the future of the University."

Board of Trustees chairperson J. Wray Connolly said of the new goals: "I am a very big believer that it is important that we translate these broad visions or missions into specific goals that can be measured because compensation [of Pitt senior administrators] will be tied to these goals over the long term.

"At this point, though, I cannot give you a specific goal with respect to any of these items because any such goals would have to be established in agreement with the chancellor and his staff," Connolly said. "I don't just dictate these things. It's my hope that we will have four or five specific goals covering each of these broad institutional goals."

The new goals are a followup to a set of five endorsed by the board in February 1996. Those included: pursuing excellence in undergraduate education, maintaining excellence in research, ensuring operational efficiency and effectiveness, securing an adequate resource base, and partnering in community development.

At last week's trustees meeting, Nordenberg cited accomplishments under each of the five goals. For example, under "pursuing excellence in undergraduate education," the chancellor noted that 30 percent of students in this year's freshman class were in the top 10 percent of their high school graduating classes, and 55 percent were in the top 20 percent — up from 19 percent and 43 percent, respectively, for the fall 1995 freshman class. The average combined SAT score of this year's entering students was 1,163, 24 points higher than four years ago. And 20 percent of this year's freshman class was eligible for the Honors College, up from 14 percent in 1995.

Also at the Feb. 24 trustees meeting, the board:

* Approved two new degree programs to begin in the fall, a master's of studies in law and a master's in occupational therapy. For details on the programs, see Feb. 3 University Times.

* Announced that county executive Jim Roddey has resigned as a Pitt trustee to avoid a possible conflict of interest.

* Said Pitt will kick off its largest-ever fundraising campaign on the last weekend in October. Board chairperson Connolly called it a "critical weekend" for all trustees. "I personally expect every one of you to participate," he told them.

The campaign goal is expected to be at least $500 million, although Pitt senior administrators have declined to specify the campaign's goal or duration. Provost Maher did point out that the Faculty of Arts and Sciences recently passed the $21 million mark in its part of the campaign. That's probably 10 times what FAS raised during Pitt's last campaign during the 1980s, Maher said. "When you look at what FAS could do to improve itself with the income that will come from that extra endowment," the provost said, "it begins to answer the question of how the University can make major improvements in programs without cutting anything."

— Bruce Steele


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