By SUSAN JONES
The Pitt Board of Trustees is increasing the number of public meetings it has with the full board this year to five, and altering the way it handles some matters that come before board committees.
The next full public Board of Trustees meeting is at 1 p.m. Feb. 8 — a Thursday instead of Friday, which has been the tradition the past several years — in person at William Pitt Union. Subsequent in-person public meetings will be April 4; Sept. 26 and Dec. 5. An online-only meeting will be held on July 12, which is around the time the Board’s executive and budget committees traditionally approve the budget for the fiscal year.
The University’s bylaws state that the Board of Trustees must hold at least three regular meetings each year.
Approval of the budget, under the Board of Trustees’ bylaws, does not require the full board, but new chair Louis Cestello — who was elected chair in September after Doug Browning abruptly stepped down — has been increasingly involving the full board in decisions previously handled by committees.
"As a part of ongoing good governance, the Board of Trustees has been in the process of reviewing its policies, procedures and practices,” said Cestello, who is PNC Bank regional president and has been a trustee since 2017. “This review has led to a decision to increase the frequency of meetings to afford ample time to discuss issues facing the University. This review has also highlighted a desire by many trustees to have more matters come to the full board for a vote, rather than being decided by the relevant committee. Accordingly, going forward more actions will come before the full board for a vote following a recommendation by the committee of jurisdiction.”
Last year, public, in-person meetings were held Feb. 24, June 23, Sept. 29. In October, the board met online to authorize the University to borrow money for certain projects.
Then in December, the full board had an online, public meeting to approve compensation changes for Pitt’s senior leaders and to hear a report from the Audit committee. Previously, the salary changes were handled completely by the Trustees’ compensation committee and did not require the approval of the full board. The same has been true of the Property and Facilities committee, which had been empowered to approve spending on new projects, but now will make recommendations to the full board for approval.
Feb. 8 meeting
No agenda has been released for the Feb. 8 meeting of the Board of Trustees, but Chancellor Joan Gabel has said she will give an update on the revamped Plan for Pitt (see related story on Gabel’s plan).
The last in-person meeting of the full board in September was disrupted by several protesters — representing trans-rights and anti-fossil fuel groups — who were escorted out of the Assembly Room by Pitt Police. Several students who participated in the protests were issued conduct referrals, which were subsequently thrown out. Three of the protesters, who were not affiliated with Pitt and were there to support the students, were charged with disorderly conduct. Two were found not guilty by a magisterial district judge, and the third case has been continued until February.
In addition, members of the Union of Pitt Faculty held a rally before the September meeting in the lobby of the William Pitt Union.
Susan Jones is editor of the University Times. Reach her at suejones@pitt.edu or 724-244-4042.
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