\n\tBy SHANNON O. WELLS<\/p>\n
\n\tIn her report at the May 21 Senate Council meeting, Chancellor Joan Gabel shared encouraging news as well as challenges. She started on a light note by thanking everyone for taking part in the annual Chancellor\u2019s Staff and Faculty Appreciation Picnic, held May 15 on the Posvar Patio and Schenley Drive.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cVery nice to see you on the picnic,\u201d she said at the last meeting of the 2025-26 academic year. \u201cIt was very kind of the weather to cooperate, and it was a very nice day. We were very glad to be able to resume that tradition. So, thank you all very much.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tIn governmental relations, Gabel mentioned the launch of the Pitt Regional Campus Tuition Pledge<\/a>, a tuition-free program for eligible Pennsylvania residents at Pitt\u2019s Bradford, Greensburg and Johnstown campuses, beginning this fall. Students whose household adjusted gross income is $75,000 or less will not pay any tuition to attend the regional campuses.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cIt\u2019s a part of our broader regional enrollment strategy, part of our overall overarching goal on accessibility, and is tied in directly with the goals in the strategic plan,\u201d she said of the Plan for Pitt.<\/a> \u201cWe\u2019re very delighted to have received a lot of support from you all (as well as) really good questions and conversations, which we, of course, are very happy to continue to discuss and answer.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cWe had very good feedback across the Commonwealth, and we were very glad that our regional presidents, who were able to go to Harrisburg on one of their regular journeys, received a lot of very good feedback,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n \n\tIn other, less upbeat, government relations news, Gabel said Pitt is working \u201cvery actively\u201d in Washington, D.C., on what\u2019s been referred to as the \u201cslow spend\u201d on deployment of research dollars for the University, primarily from the National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cThis is not exclusive to Pitt, it\u2019s a national question, and pretty profound and part of what may be similar to what happened last year \u2026\u201d she said. \u201cWe are advocating actively.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tMost recently, Rob Rutenbar, senior vice chancellor for research, and David Brown, vice chancellor for government relations and advocacy, met with Pennsylvania Sen. Dave McCormick\u2019s staff to discuss the challenges.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cWe receive a lot of support from our delegation, but this is more complex than just us, so we\u2019re hopeful that because we know our colleagues at other institutions are advocating in the same way,\u201d she explained, \u201cthat this will eventually result in the release of those funds and the support of our research enterprise.\u201d \u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tRegarding unionization, Gabel said \u201ca lot of progress\u201d has been made since the beginning of 2025. For the first staff contract, she described a \u201ctentative agreement\u201d on several provisions, and \u201csimilarly meaningful progress\u201d in graduate student union bargaining.<\/p>\n \n\tFor faculty, discussions are \u201cprogressing constructively\u201d on the first renewal of the union\u2019s collective bargaining agreement.<\/p>\n \n\tIn other news, Gabel said the search to replace School of Social Work Dean Betsy Farmer, who stepped down from her role and returned to a faculty role, is \u201calmost at the conclusion.\u201d The chancellor expressed \u201cgreat appreciation for all of the consultation and input, and the leadership of the search committee.\u201d<\/p>\n \tCivic discourse<\/p>\n \n\tProviding an update on Pitt\u2019s civic discourse efforts, Gabel reminded that in 2023 the University became a founding member of the Citizens and Scholars\u2019 Initiative, Campus Call for Free Expression, which then had 13 members. The effort, now called College Presidents for Civic Engagement<\/a>, has increased to 155 members.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cIt\u2019s taken on life in the best possible way \u2026 which can be interpreted multiple ways, this one is the positive interpretation,\u201d she said. \u201cWe are part of their campus-wide immersion pilot, and we\u2019ve been able to plug into their (Civic Wellbeing) Index, which is a new tool, ultimately, in the journey around fostering open and free expression and civic engagement.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tIt\u2019s also important \u201cfor ourselves as a community,\u201d and specifically \u201cin support of our students as they not only engage but develop their tools and have the learning opportunity associated with the development of their tools.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tThe spring survey had 4,700 students participate, which Gabel called \u201ca really good uptick, nearly four times the rate that we had the first time we ran the survey. Those responses reinforced what we saw in the fall<\/a>.\u201d It revealed that:<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t63% of students reported strong confidence in their civic information skills.<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t68% of students reported they were highly confident in using evidence to support their arguments.<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tMore students in the spring felt extremely, as in 100%, confident in their ability to make evidence-based arguments and identify credible information.<\/p>\n \tShouting out<\/p>\n \n\tFor the chancellor\u2019s accolades, she recognized Penny Morel, outgoing Senate secretary, for four years of service to Senate Council, and John Stoner, who became Senate vice president on May 1, \u201cfor his service, with appreciation.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tGabel recognized Pitt alum Rebecca Johnson, a former editor in chief of The Pitt News, who was part of the Chicago Tribune team that recently won the 2026 Pulitzer Prize<\/a> \u2026 \u201cwhich is fantastic.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tIn other accolades:<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tTwelve Pitt students were named Gilman Scholars.<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tMaureen Litchfield, dean of the School of Public Health, was named a 2026 Woman of Influence by the Pittsburgh Business Times.<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tGeovette Washington, senior vice chancellor and chief legal officer, received the Woman of Distinction Award from the Girl Scouts of Western Pennsylvania.<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tKaren Arndt, professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, was elected to this year\u2019s class of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tLisa Garland, director of talent acquisition in the Office of Human Resources, was named the Pittsburgh Human Resources Association\u2019s 2026 Leader of the Year.<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tDiane Holder, chair of the Pitt Public Health Board of Visitors and former trustee, was recognized with an honorary degree at the School of Public Health\u2019s commencement ceremony.<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tChancellor Emeritus Mark Nordenberg was recognized at spring commencement with the Chancellor\u2019s Medal, the first one Gabel has awarded. \u201cI do think I surprised him (or he let) me believe that I surprised him,\u201d she noted. \u201cSo, I appreciate that.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cOf course, a shout out to our new graduates of the University, who were recognized at what I thought was really lovely spring commencement, for those of you who were able to come or watch it at (Acrisure Stadium), which we hadn\u2019t been in in quite some time.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tNoting the stadium staff \u201cwere great partners,\u201d Pitt\u2019s presenters and graduates \u201cgot to use all the toys, the speakers and the screens \u2014 and it was fun, as it should be a celebration,\u201d Gabel said.<\/p>\n \n\tConcluding her report, the chancellor offered \u201cbest wishes for the summer of your desires, as it may be. And while we won\u2019t be together again until September, please know that I\u2019m always available.\u201d<\/p>\n \tPresident\u2019s report<\/p>\n \n\tIn her report, Senate Council President Kris Kanthak expressed gratitude for the chancellor\u2019s reception, which took place after the meeting in the room next door, \u201cfor what it marks, another year of strong shared governance at the University of Pittsburgh.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tIn her first year as president, she said the \u201cmain thing\u201d she learned is \u201chow rare and valuable a system of shared governance we have here at Pitt. As I\u2019ve said repeatedly in my reports this year, these are hard times for academia. They\u2019re hard everywhere, but we\u2019re lucky here because we face those tides together as a community.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tIn her \u201cday job\u201d as a political scientist, Kanthak noted she thinks a lot about \u201cdialogue across difference: How people who disagree can get together and talk through issues to reach better outcomes than they might have imagined on their own. As president of the University Senate, I\u2019ve gotten a master class in how that can work effectively.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cThe research shows \u2014 and my experience this year bears out \u2014 that one of the main keys to working effectively across difference is the assumption that others are approaching the interaction with goodwill.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cWe don\u2019t have to agree on every single thing in order to work effectively toward a solution to the issue that\u2019s in front of us right now,\u201d she noted. \u201cSo, I\u2019m grateful to each of you for sticking with me, even if I have at some point annoyed the heck out of you this year.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cAnd I recognize that the group of people I\u2019ve annoyed at some point includes nearly everyone in this room. And if I haven\u2019t annoyed you yet, there\u2019s still one more year on my term. I can assure you, you will get your turn.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tKanthak noted that the \u201cgrace\u201d she\u2019s received this year is not earned, \u201cbut rather a gift that I get for being in a community so willing to find ways to work together,\u201d adding that \u201cshared governance here is tremendously valuable and worth marketing as an example of that spirit.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tShe said she was \u201cgrateful\u201d to Provost Joe McCarthy and Chief Financial Officer Dwayne Pinkney for meeting with her and Senate Budget Policies Committee Chair Juan Taboas to address issues related to budget transparency that Taboas brought up at the May 13 Faculty Assembly meeting.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cWe all agreed that budgets are both complex and complicated in even the best of times, and that shared governance can be a powerful tool to assuring transparency in the budget process moving forward,\u201d she noted. \u201cI appreciate their leadership, all three of them, and their strong commitment to the principles of shared governance.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cJuan is an excellent example of the willingness to do the hard work to keep our committees running, and I\u2019m grateful to all of our committee chairs for their hard work and dedication this year.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tAcknowledging that \u201cmost of the real work of shared governance happens in committees,\u201d which Kanthak said \u201cwouldn\u2019t happen without the dedication of our chairs,\u201d who are being selected for the next academic year.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cI\u2019m also grateful to those who are willing to stand for election to these important roles and look forward to working with you and your committees in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tIn other news, she acknowledged the last meeting for Senate Secretary Penny Morel, who is \u201cliterally moving to greener pastures in Scotland.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cPenny, it\u2019s been a great honor and a great pleasure to work with you, so thank you,\u201d Kanthak said. \u201cI wish you all the best in retirement. And please let us come visit.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tKanthak welcomed Melanie Scott as the newly elected Senate secretary for the 2026-27 academic year and acknowledged the \u201cfirst official meeting\u201d with new Senate Vice President John Stoner. \u201cJohn, thank you for your continued willingness to work hard toward bettering the community.\u201d<\/p>\n \tPolicies approved<\/p>\n \n\tIn other business, Senate Council approved new policies pertaining to academic visitors, the OneCard charge policy and purchasing practices. Faculty Assembly approved the policies at its May 13 meeting<\/a>.<\/p>\n \n\tThe Academic Visitor Policy<\/a>, which the Senate Research Committee discussed during its March 20 meeting<\/a>, was created to bring clarity and transparency to the dynamic of research scholars visiting Pitt.<\/p>\n \n\tFollowing a presentation by Francis Ferdinand, co-chair of the Faculty Affairs committee and professor in the School of Medicine, Staff Council President Lindsay Rodzwicz said the policies have \u201csort of an overarching theme that to me, they\u2019re very staff-centric in implementation. These are going to be policies that staff are going to be responsible for, a lot of the execution of helping academic visitors to be on campus. I wondered \u2026 was there a staff member on the policy committee as you discussed?\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tBill Yates, vice chancellor for research protections, noted that the campus visitor website<\/a> lays out \u201ceverything that\u2019s been in existence for a long time\u201d and that training videos by Alan DiPalma, executive director of the Office of Research Protections, are available online.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cAgain, (the policy) really doesn\u2019t change anything,\u201d Yates clarified. \u201cIt basically says we have to follow the procedures that have been in place for many years.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tTo another question about students being recruited as postdocs, Yates explained that such short-term visitors \u201cdon\u2019t need to go through anyone on this process. It\u2019s only if they\u2019re going to be working in a laboratory in an experimental situation, that\u2019s when we get worried, and that\u2019s when we need to actually put in more procedures.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tSenate Council approved the policy unanimously, with 28 voting in favor.<\/p>\n \n\tPresented by Juan Taboas, the OneCard Policy <\/a>outlines the authority of the Payment Processing and Compliance Department to govern processes supporting use of the OneCard charge system.<\/p>\n \n\tThis includes establishing a process for obtaining a OneCard, setting purchasing limits in consultation with the cardholder\u2019s supervisor\/manager, providing required training for card use, evaluating expenses and limits in accordance with this and other University polices, and de-activating OneCards.<\/p>\n \n\tFollowing the introduction of a \u201cfriendly amendment\u201d to clarify that postdocs and student employees are currently ineligible to apply for OneCards, Senate Council unanimously approved the policy, with 27 voting in favor.<\/p>\n \n\tThe Purchasing Authority and Responsibilities Policy<\/a> supports and defines the University\u2019s activities when purchasing goods or services in order to: 1) promote responsible stewardship of funds; 2) direct compliance with funding and regulatory requirements; and 3) support strategic sourcing initiatives.<\/p>\n \n\tRodzwicz emphasized the importance of making sure the policies address needs of \u201call of our stakeholders. I think that it would be great for the rank and file \u2014 faculty and staff who are doing the work of these policies \u2026 I think that communication to the units remains important and (Staff Council would) be happy to continue to discuss that further.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tSenate Council unanimously approved the policy, with 27 voting yes.<\/p>\n \n\tShannon Wells is a University Times reporter. Reach him at shannonw@pitt.edu<\/a>.<\/p>\n \n\t\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tHave a story idea or news to share? Share<\/a> it with the University Times.<\/p>\n \n\tFollow the University Times on Twitter <\/a>and Facebook<\/a>.<\/p>\n