University Times

HARRISBURG — A member of the state Senate appropriations committee argued at a Feb. 24 hearing that Pitt should not get "one more cent" of state money until it sets policies governing faculty who do outside work — using University resources — that conflicts with the interests of state residents.

William Slocum, R-Warren, is angry that Pitt law professors Jules Lobel and William Luneburg performed pro bono legal work that helped an environmental group win an injunction blocking, at least temporarily, the sale of timber in the Allegheny National Forest. The forest is in Slocum's district.

Some $2.7 million in revenues from that sale now are on hold. The money was to go to school districts and municipalities in Elk, Forest, McKean and Warren counties.

During an otherwise uneventful, 45-minute hearing on Pitt's state funding request for next year, Slocum praised the University's Bradford campus and thanked Chancellor Mark Nordenberg for discussing the Allegheny National Forest issue with him prior to the hearing.

But then Slocum asked Nordenberg, "Where would you suggest I tell the people in those school districts and municipalities that they're going to recover that $2.7 million?" Nordenberg hesitated, then smiled and replied: "Well, I knew you were a good questioner, and that is a tough one." After thanking Slocum, in return, for their "open and professional" dialogue on the issue, the chancellor conceded: "I have no answer to that specific question." "I was pretty sure you would not," Slocum said, joining Pitt officials and his fellow committee members in laughter.

Slocum said he wasn't asking universities to bar employees and students from working on behalf of outside causes on their own time, using their own resources. But one letter in the Allegheny National Forest lawsuit was written on Pitt stationery, he said, adding that it appeared to him the University has no policy preventing its personnel from doing outside work during office hours and using Pitt resources.

The senator noted that Pitt is requesting a hike in its state appropriation from the current $148.6 million to $158.5 million next year. "I believe," he said, "that before the General Assembly puts one more cent in the University's budget — even though it would affect one of my favorite institutions, the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford — we must demand that you do something to correct these policies, and establish set policies and procedures to put an end to what I consider to be the state subsidizing your institution and [Pitt, in return] taking tax revenue away from my constituents." Following the hearing, Provost James Maher said University policies "don't limit things that faculty can become involved in on their own time, in any way." However, Pitt policies do forbid faculty from using University resources or assigning secretaries and students to help with outside projects, he said.

Because faculty don't tend to work traditional 9-to-5 hours, lawmakers and the general public may mistakenly assume a professor is doing outside work on company time when that's not the case, the provost added.

Maher said he and law school Dean Peter Shane are looking into questions of faculty involvement in the Allegheny National Forest lawsuit and will discuss whether the school should adopt new guidelines on non-University work by faculty.

Chancellor Nordenberg said after the hearing: "My position is that the senator has raised interesting issues that are of real concern to the people of northwestern Pennsylvania. And, not knowing all of the facts of this case myself, I have asked the provost and the dean of the law school to look into it further. Obviously, I will be very interested in what they have to say." It is important for faculty members to remain active professionally and for students to gain real-world experience as part of their university educations, Nordenberg said.

"We really cannot, consistent with our mission or our traditions, exercise the kind of control over faculty members and their outside involvements that some people might like," he said.

— Bruce Steele