\n\tBy SHANNON O. WELLS<\/p>\n
\n\tSpring brings many predictable yet welcome things. From an academic and Pitt-centric standpoint, among those is the chancellor\u2019s opportunity to make the case before the Pennsylvania House Appropriations Committee for funding to support an in-state tuition discount for Commonwealth residents.<\/p>\n
\n\tChancellor Joan Gabel shared the significance of the annual ritual during her report to Senate Council at its March 26 meeting held in Posvar Hall.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cI recently testified before the Pennsylvania House Appropriations Committee earlier this month in support of our annual appropriations request from the commonwealth,\u201d she said, calling the in-state discount a \u201cbig part of our partnership with the commonwealth.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cThis is also the first full year that we have the Performance-Based Funding Council in place,\u201d she added. \u201cSo, for the first time we were actively advocating for our base funding into just general operations and then also performance-based funding.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tPitt\u2019s Chief Financial Officer Dwayne Pinkney and his counterparts from the Penn State and Temple partnered with lawmakers and others to develop the funding formula.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cWe don’t have any indication yet what is likely to be the outcome,\u201d Gabel noted, \u201cbut we are eagerly hoping for good news from Harrisburg.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tIn other news, Gabel said she was in Los Angeles and San Francisco earlier in March taking part in events with the Alumni Association and Pitt\u2019s fundraising entities as a buildup for the public phase of the comprehensive fundraising campaign planned for this fall.<\/p>\n
\n\tThe events were \u201ca nice way for us to bring our communities together,\u201d she said. \u201cI hope you are as happy as I am to hear that the two events together had over 600 people in attendance, which was great. \u2026 It very nice to see that far away, that everyone still feels very connected to the University.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\u2018Iconic\u2019 commencement<\/p>\n
\n\tGabel said it\u2019s \u201camazing to say we’re actively getting ready\u201d for spring commencement. \u201cWe look forward to celebrating our graduates\u201d at the university-wide ceremony on 3:30 p.m. May 3, at 3:30 p.m., at Acrisure Stadium on Pittsburgh\u2019s North Shore.<\/p>\n
\n\tThe commencement speaker is Pitt Chancellor Emeritus Mark Nordenberg, who will retire at the end of the year. She noted that Nordenberg has served the University in various capacities for nearly five decades. \u201cHe’s iconic \u2026 I think is a way to capture all of his contributions.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tMoving on to share faculty and staff accolades, Gabel offered \u201cshout-outs\u201d to Susan Orr, director of communications and media at Pitt\u2019s School of Computing and Information, who was named the 2026 Pearl of Hope award recipient by Sojourner House and Sojourner House Moms.<\/p>\n
\n\tOther shout-outs went to Pitt volleyball team member Olivia Babcock, who was named a finalist for the AAU Sullivan Award, which honors the most outstanding collegiate, Olympic, or similarly elite athlete in the U.S.<\/p>\n
\n\tAlso, Mike Holland, senior vice chancellor for science policy and research strategies, was elected chair of the National Institute of Standards and Technology\u2019s Visiting Committee on Advanced Technology.<\/p>\n
\tPresident\u2019s report<\/p>\n
\n\tSenate Council President Kris Kanthak relayed some \u201cbittersweet\u201d Senate Council leadership news. Vice President Julia Meade, \u201cwho has become a dear friend and valued colleague of our year of service together,\u201d is leaving the University.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cThis is bad news for us, but wonderful news for the children of West Virginia, who are getting a kind, caring, level-headed doctor,\u201d Kanthak said.<\/p>\n
\n\tJohn Stoner, faculty member in the Department of History, has agreed to serve the remainder of Mead\u2019s term as Senate vice president. \u201cAs you know, John is a committed, hardworking, longstanding friend of the Senate who is currently serving as co-chair of Educational Policies (committee).\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tBarring an objection, Kanthak said Stoner would assume the new role on May 5.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cThanks to Julia for her service, and to John for his continued service,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\n\tKanthak also related news from Senate committees:<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tThe Governmental Relations Committee had a \u201ccordial and productive meeting\u201d with U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly (R-16th District, which includes Butler County) on March 23.<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tKanthak praised the Equity, Inclusion and Anti-Discrimination Advocacy Committee\u00a0for its \u201chard work in a variety of areas, including on the Lactation and Pregnancy Accommodation Task Force and creation of a new \u201cInterruption of Curricular Equilibrium\u201d ICE Training.<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tThe Senate Bylaws Committee is working through the grievance policies and other policy changes related to collective bargaining agreements for represented faculty and the effects of the CBAs on unrepresented faculty.<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\tSenate Research is examining the Academic Visitors Policy (see related story<\/a>) as well as changes in training requirements and NIH funding policies.<\/p>\n \tStaff Council report<\/p>\n \n\tSarah McMullen, project management office director in University Communications and Marketing, delivered the monthly Staff Council report.<\/p>\n \n\tShe started by extending a \u201csincere thanks in gratitude\u201d to Chancellor Gabel, Provost Joe McCarthy, Chief Financial Officer Dwayne Pinkney and James Gallaher, vice chancellor for Human Resources, for a March 17 meeting. McMullen described it as a \u201cgreat and robust discussion\u201d about shared governance.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cWe’re thankful for that open dialogue and for being with you all at least a couple times of year with your very busy schedules,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \n\tMcMullen also highlighted the new administrative AI Community of Practice for staff who are interested in learning together. Open to all staff, the community provides opportunities to network with peers and \u201ccreate a space for conversation across departments and responsibility centers around the use of artificial intelligence, practical knowledge-sharing, tips, templates and lessons learned. And \u2026 create a community that grows with us as technology and our needs evolve.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tOn behalf of Staff Council, McMullen thanked Victoria Lancaster, assistant vice chancellor for operational excellence in the Office of the Executive Senior Vice Chancellor for Finance and Operations, for spearheading the effort, \u201cand including staff as an innovative and influential member in the AI space.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tMcMullen recognized and thanked the Staff Council Operations Committee for its initiative to organize coffee and doughnuts for the Pitt Grounds crew on March 5. She called it a \u201cthank you from the entire campus community for the hard work they do, especially (during) recent snow events (and) really going above and beyond to make sure the campus is safe.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tOn March 16, Staff Council rolled out a new way to recognize and celebrate accomplishments of Pitt\u2019s staff, including professional achievements, service and leadership. Forms to report individual and group activity accomplishments outside the workplace can be submitted on the Staff Council website<\/a>.<\/p>\n \n\tSubmissions are shared with the Office of the Chancellor and the publications Pittwire and the University Times. \u201cStaff Council, obviously, will share your kudos as well. We’re starting to see them roll in,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \n\tIn upcoming events, McMullen said Pitt Day at Kennywood will take place on June 27, and the next Staff Council general meeting will be April 15. \u201cEveryone is welcome to attend any of our events.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tShannon O. Wells is a writer for the University Times. Reach him at\u00a0shannonw@pitt.edu<\/a>.<\/p>\n \n\t\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tHave a story idea or news to share?\u00a0Share<\/a>\u00a0it with the University Times.<\/p>\n \n\tFollow the University Times on\u00a0Twitter\u00a0<\/a>and\u00a0Facebook<\/a>.<\/p>\n