By SHANNON O. WELLS
While Chancellor Joan Gabel’s visit to Harrisburg on Feb. 29 involved the serious business of engaging with the state House Appropriations committee, a follow-up visit the week of March 18 made room for some lighter-hearted University-related activity.
“It was an unofficial Pitt Day, in a manner of speaking,” she said, referring to students from the Institute of Politics who shadowed Gabel and David Brown, vice chancellor for government relations and advocacy, on the recent visit.
“We met, oh, 10 different students who are in legislator offices. We had about six Honors College students doing poster sessions on their research we had a chance to meet,” one of whom later attended a Student Leadership Dinner on March 20 at the chancellor’s Pittsburgh home. “So it was an excellent day.”
Sharing the experiences as part of her report at the March 21 Senate Council meeting held in Posvar Hall, Gabel said she was “very honored to represent Pitt and advocate for our needs and for our students, who benefit from our appropriations” in her visits to the state capital.
Gabel reiterated the gratitude she’d earlier expressed for “six decades of partnership” during the Feb. 29 hearing, adding that she talked about Pitt’s access and affordability commitments under the strategic Plan for Pitt, including a “variety of attributes” directly tied to Pitt’s mission.
Noting the wide range of conversations, she said some lawmakers were focused on issues related to constituencies in their districts, while some concentrated on the University’s needs.
“Some have specific research questions. Many were very interested to talk about basketball … or sports in general, because it's that time of year,” she said. “They were all very pleasant conversations, I'm pleased to report, and I was very glad for that.”
“Our students,” she added, “were great ambassadors. No surprise.”
During scheduled return engagements to Harrisburg in late April, Gabel said the Pitt Panthers volleyball team also will be there. “And I know the legislators are very excited to see them.”
“I look forward to more visits and continuing to tell the story about how the partnership with the commonwealth directly enables commonwealth students to have more affordable education at the University of Pittsburgh,” she said, adding that quality enrollment data “can answer the questions much better than I can.”
Gabel, who said she expects a “highly debated budget” following the governor’s proposal to revamp higher education in the state, noted “the devil will be in the details. … We're very curious, along with everyone else, as to how that conversation will unfold.”
In other news announced by Gabel:
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The Faculty Honors Convocation, where 15 “exceptional faculty members” who have earned the 2024 Chancellor's Distinguished Awards will be recognized, also will include an installation ceremony for Gabel as Pitt’s 19th chancellor. The event is at 3 p.m. April 5 at Carnegie Music Hall in Oakland.
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Pitt is once again on track to to break records for the number of applications received.
Senate news
Senate President Robin Kear elections for secretary and Faculty Assembly members will be between April 4 and 19. All faculty will receive a ballot for secretary, while only faculty in the units electing a Faculty Assembly member will receive ballots for those positions.
Senate committee elections will follow from April 26 to May 8, with elected faculty serving in the Senate receiving those ballots. “Please remember to vote,” Kear said at the March 6 Faculty Assembly meeting, where she also commended Senate committees “and the work that all of our chairs and members accomplish throughout the year.”
Kear said she tries to attend as many committee meetings as she can each month, “and they really are doing great work.”
The Senate also approved the draft policy on the Assistance Animals, Therapy Animals, and Pets Policy. The policy acknowledges and relies on existing University regulations, Americans with Disabilities Act regulations and other institutionalized policies where necessary, and remains flexible enough to accommodate individual student needs and requests. The policy also incorporates the community by specifying appropriate behavior around these animals, and the kinds of questions that can be asked about a service animal in a specific place.
Student Government Board
Student Government Board President Ryan Young introduced his successor for the 2024-25 academic year, president-elect Sarah Mayer, and mentioned a proposal for a non-voting student to serve on the Board of Trustees.
Mayer is a junior who is majoring in neuroscience and psychology.
“I'm thrilled to be addressing Senate Council today as the Student Government Board president-elect,” she said. “Common themes over the course of this campaign season included sustainability initiatives, support for accommodations and accessibility in integrating inclusivity spaces across campus, among several other wonderful initiatives.
“I'm extremely honored and excited to serve the Student Government Board and continue to share our passions and pursuits over the next year,” Mayer added.
The 2024-25 Student Government Board includes the following people:
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Lauren Rubovitz: junior; politics and philosophy
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Maddie McCann-Colvard: sophomore; finance
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Ashley White: junior; psychology
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Kathryn Emmert: junior; political science
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Sanai Overton: sophomore; political science/psychology
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Mercy Akanmu: freshman; neuroscience/history and philosophy of science
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Evan Levasseur: freshman; public health
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Neal Gupta: freshman; biology
“This board represents many facets of our student body, members from all different years and schools within the University,” Mayer said, including resident assistants, student workers, those from within SGB and part of several other student organizations on campus. “I'm delighted to join this board, and I anticipate an amazing year.”
SGB is working on a proposal for a dedicated non-voting student to serve on the Board of Trustees “to better represent students in our administration,” Young said. “We're currently in conversation with the secretary of the board on advancing this idea.
“(It’s) just something we've heard from students as a possible interest, and I know the Board of Trustees is currently undergoing some restructuring,” he added. “So it's a good time to just raise that as a possible space for growth of the board.”
Shannon O. Wells is a writer for the University Times. Reach him at shannonw@pitt.edu.
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