Ahead of the fall semester, University Senate officers have charged each standing committee with developing action plans to address issues related to race, equity and social justice at Pitt.
The Senate Directive to the Standing Committees on Systemic Racism, Inequity and Justice, issued on July 22, calls for the groups to begin addressing these issues immediately within their areas of focus.
“The University Senate represents the best intentions of our faculty, staff and students toward collectively making Pitt a better University,” the directive said. “We all know in our hearts that as Pitt improves, the world will benefit. But our intentions are meaningless without action, and action is needed now, specifically on combating systemic racism, inequity and injustice.”
Each committee has been tasked with developing three items, each due throughout the 2020-21 academic year.
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An action plan outline and task leader(s) designation, due on Oct. 1
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A summary of preliminary findings, due Dec. 1
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A final report, due by March 1, 2021.
The findings will be discussed in a plenary session sometime in the spring 2021 semester.
The committees, which discuss topics related to tenure, educational policies, governmental relations and more, “consider nearly every area of University academic and professional life, and they encompass a broad range of participants with immense expertise and life experience,” the directive said.
And members of each committee will use this experience to address racial injustice within the University, the directive said.
“The Senate itself exists out of a need for justice and representation within the operation of our institution,” the directive said. “We will take this task seriously, or we will fail the very spirit of our mission together.”
— Donovan Harrell
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