University Times

Dear Pitt Community:

Last week, members of our Board of Trustees Budget and Executive Committees convened and approved Pitt’s operating and capital budgets for 2018. The Board made these decisions despite the fact that the appropriation bills funding the University and other state-related universities have not been enacted due to continuing disagreements in Harrisburg regarding the state’s revenue package.

Nevertheless, we felt that it was important to spare our employees, students and families further financial uncertainty while these debates continue, and I remain hopeful that our leaders in Harrisburg will resolve their differences and continue to support Pitt and our fellow state-related universities as promised in the state’s spending package, which passed earlier this year with strong bipartisan support.

The approved University budget assumes that Pitt will receive an appropriation essentially equal to last year’s levels, as outlined in the enacted state operating budget.

Highlights in the 2018 University budget include:

• The operating budget increased from $2.1 billion in 2017 to $2.2 billion for 2018 and will enable investments in research, academic quality, diversity and inclusion, and economic development.
• The capital budget, which increased from $110 million to $251.7 million, will enable us to renovate facilities and address deferred maintenance.
• The budget includes funds to provide salary increases for employees, which is vital to maintaining our leadership position in higher education. Later this afternoon, all Pitt employees will receive a Read Green message from Senior Vice Chancellors Greg Scott and Art Ramicone providing more details.
• Our research activity is projected for $770 million in 2018—up from $764.5 million in 2017. If we discount the one-time funding boosts from the federal stimulus package received from 2010 to 2014, the 2017 total is the largest research base that our University has ever seen. Such external support reflects the outstanding quality of Pitt researchers and is critical to advancing our role as a leading research university.

Despite the remaining uncertainty stemming from the budget impasse in Harrisburg, the approved University budget is necessary. It will provide the resources to maintain our position as a leader in higher education, and it is consistent with our commitment to keeping a great Pitt education as affordable as possible.

I hope you are enjoying your summer. I am already looking forward to another incredible year.

Sincerely,

Pat Gallagher