University Times

A Staff Association Council (SAC) standing committee will discuss the use of gender-specific University’s facilities by Pitt’s transgendered population.

That issue already had been under review by the University Senate’s anti-discriminatory policies committee (ADPC). (See Feb. 23 University Times.) ADPC also has discussed the case of a transgendered Pitt-Johnstown student who was expelled over the use of a campus locker room.

In addition, the Senate is establishing an ad hoc committee to investigate similar issues. (See April 5 University Times.)

School of Pharmacy staff member Tom Waters, a member of SAC’s diversity and inclusion committee, told the University Times the goal for his committee would be to develop policy recommendations that the full SAC membership would approve and then pass on to the administration for consideration.

Waters, who is an activist and blogger, had been contacted by leaders of the local transgendered population inquiring how they could provide input on the subject to Pitt’s administration. “They wanted to know what was going on here,” he said. “They also had developed a policy statement that they wanted to present to Pitt.”

To get the most accurate information, Waters arranged a meeting with Randy Juhl, former dean of the School of Pharmacy and vice chancellor for Research Conduct and Compliance.

“I approached Randy because he was my boss at the School of Pharmacy and we are friends,” Waters explained. “I also knew I’d get straight answers from him.”

Waters and Juhl met on April 12. “It was a very productive meeting,” Waters said.

Juhl said he agreed to meet with members of the local transgendered community, but  stressed that his role is unofficial.

“I wasn’t speaking for the University when I met with Tom, but we did review the normal policy-making process we usually follow and I would be happy to share that also with this group unofficially,” Juhl told the University Times this week.

“The difficulties we’ve had in addressing this issue are due in part to having to pay more attention to other, more demanding issues, but I made it clear that we have the nondiscrimination statement and that the University plans to fully abide by that, while taking into account the rights of the transgendered population, as well as the rights of other of our University citizens,” Juhl said.

“I am concerned about the negative press we’ve been getting which I believe has not been fair to the University, and we would like to reassure people that this will be resolved as we resolve other matters, in a collegial manner. That will be the job of the ad hoc committee, once it gets named,” he said.

Some members of the ad hoc Senate committee charged with examining issues affecting the University’s transgendered population have been named, but the full membership has not been finalized. (See April 5 University Times.)

Senate President Michael Pinsky this week said that one of the original nominees to the committee had bowed out and other changes might be forthcoming. Once the committee membership is finalized, Pinsky said he would share it with the University Times.

—Peter Hart