Vice Provost for Graduate Studies
Office of the Provost

July 26, 2019

Dear Graduate and Professional Students,

I hope you are enjoying your summer. Here in Graduate Studies, we have been planning for the 2019–2020 academic year. My goal as the Vice Provost for Graduate Studies is to ensure that the University of Pittsburgh is an outstanding place for the education and training of graduate and professional students. As part of our commitment to preparing students to lead lives of impact, Pitt provides many services extending far beyond academics. Our programming helps students connect to each other across school boundaries and to take advantage of non-academic resources, including wellness and professional development.

This year our focus is on mentoring graduate and professional students like you. While you are at Pitt, mentors can help you navigate your academic and non-academic experiences. These relationships are central to the graduate experience and ideally establish lifelong connections. Mentors can also have an influence on your life after Pitt—by providing guidance and advice, by writing reference letters, and in some cases nominating you for jobs, awards, etc. Given the importance of these connections, we are looking for ways to improve student/mentor relationships. 

At the February 2019 Graduate Studies Retreat, faculty, administrators, and students engaged in rich conversations and posed critical questions about mentoring. I’d like to have more student input on this topic from across the University. It’s essential to know your thoughts about your experiences as a graduate student with mentors and how mentors can best support you during your graduate training. There are several ways you can provide your feedback: 

• Attend the Feedback on Mentoring Forum on August 6 from 5-6 p.m.
• Complete an anonymous form
• Email me directly 
• Attend my monthly office hour to share feedback in person

We will use your responses to help develop new workshops and programs beginning in fall 2019. Please take a moment to share your thoughts on this important subject. 

Finally, I want to share an update about Pitt’s use of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) standardized exam in graduate admissions. In the last academic year, the Equity, Inclusion and Anti-Discrimination Advocacy Committee of the University Senate, the University the Council on Graduate Studies, and the attendees at our graduate studies retreat—all of which included graduate students—considered this topic. The discussion focused on the extent to which the use of GRE scores promotes or hinders the goals of admissions, including the goal of promoting an inclusive and diverse environment. After considering these dialogues and reviewing external resources, I believe that the evidence of gender and racial bias in the GRE is strong and that evidence of their predictive value for PhD student success generally is often weak. 

In May, I wrote to the graduate associate deans and directors of graduate programs to clarify existing policy and to make recommendations about the use of the GRE by graduate and professional programs across the University. I have asked graduate programs to engage their faculty in a discussion of how and why they use GRE scores in their admissions processes. Several Pitt programs, including the Biological Sciences PhD program in the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences (in 2017) and all PhD programs in the School of Medicine (in 2018), have elected to eliminate the GRE as an element of their admissions processes. Effects of these changes on applicant quality, diversity, and success will be evaluated in the coming years. My message on GRE scores provides key factors to consider, my recommendations to the programs, and external resources, including the results of survey on GRE usage at Pitt administered by the Senate Equity, Inclusion, and Anti-Discrimination Advocacy Committee.

UNIVERSITY-WIDE NEWS

Graduate Student Union Election Update
The vote count from April’s unionization vote was 712 against unionization and 675 in favor. Following the election, the United Steelworkers challenged the actions of both the University of Pittsburgh and the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board related to the election. Therefore, the election results have not yet been certified. Hearings on these charges were held on May 14 and 15, 2019. We anticipate that a final ruling on these charges will not be made until sometime in the fall semester.  

Since the election, I have spoken to many students with a variety of opinions about unionization. My main message throughout this process is that I, personally, and the University, institutionally, are committed to the success of our graduate students. I continue to work to improve our graduate programs and the experience of our students. I want to work with students toward these goals. Some students have expressed concern that the election created division in the graduate student community. As a University, we are dedicated to maintaining a community that is able to express opposing views while also supporting all of our students. I would invite any student with ideas or concerns to reach out by email or to set up a meeting with me to discuss how we can work to make Pitt an even more outstanding place for graduate education.
 
Pitt’s Title IX Office Applauds New Pennsylvania Law to Encourage Students to Report Sexual Violence
On July 8, Governor Tom Wolf signed House Bill 1615. This state legislation requires universities and colleges to maintain online, anonymous options for students to report sexual assaults. Pitt applauds this requirement. It is essential to encourage more students to report sexual violence on campus. Pitt’s online, anonymous reporting system has been in operation since 2016.

We encourage all members of our community to report incidents of sexual harassment or misconduct. You can contact the Title IX office directly at 412-648-7860 or by email. Or, you may report using the Office of Diversity and Inclusion anonymous incident report form, which comes directly to Title IX Coordinator Katie Pope. If you have questions regarding Title IX practices or resources, please feel free to contact the office.

Commitment to Supporting Diversity
Earlier this month, social media messages from a Pitt undergraduate student raised concerns across our campus environment. The provost and vice provost for student affairs replied to a letter from many undergraduate student leaders. I want to add my commitment to ensuring an inclusive, safe, and welcoming environment for each member of the Pitt community. As a University, we must remain diligent in addressing and confronting the underlying social and cultural issues that drive hate speech and prejudice. Any student with ideas or concerns can reach out to me by email or schedule a meeting to talk in person.

Aryanna Berringer, an Iraq War veteran, is now serving as director of the Office of Veterans Services.
Berringer says, “As someone who has made a deep commitment to continued service to my community after I left the military, I am very honored to join the Pitt family in support of our military veterans and families.” Read more about Berringer.

GRADUATE STUDENT ACCOLADES

Zina Ward, Sebastian Alejandro Echeverri, and Nikki Forrester (left to right).

Ward Earns Mellon/ACLS Dissertation Completion Fellowship
The American Council of Learned Studies has named Zina Ward, a doctoral candidate in the Department of History and Philosophy of Science, as one of 65 recipients of the 2019 Mellon/ACLS Dissertation Completion Fellowship.

Echeverri and Forrester Receive AAAS Mass Media Science and Engineering Fellowships
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Mass Media Science and Engineering Fellows collaborate with professionals at radio and television stations, newspapers, and magazines. The student-scientists and their host-journalists strive to make science news easy for the public to understand. Graduate students who have received this prestigious fellowship are:

• Sebastian Alejandro Echeverri, current PhD student in Biological Sciences, Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, is at The Philadelphia Inquirer.
• Nikki Forrester, recent PhD graduate from Ecology and Evolutionary biology, Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, is at The St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

OFFICE OF THE PROVOST – GRADUATE STUDIES  

Feedback on Mentoring Forum – August 6, 2019, 5 to 6 p.m., 817 Cathedral of Learning: In academic year 2019–2020, Graduate Studies will focus on mentoring graduate and professional students. We want you to share your thoughts and experiences with mentors to help us develop additional programs and content to further support you. Vice Provost Nathan Urban will discuss new programming and strategies under consideration and listen to your ideas. Please register in advance. Dinner will be provided.  

New Graduate and Professional Student Orientation – August 20, 2019, 2:00 to 6:30 p.m., Alumni Hall and Posvar Patio: Welcome to our new graduate students from all 14 schools! This not-to-be missed event provides opportunities to meet University leaders, learn about resources to support your academic and non-academic needs, discover student organizations dedicated to helping grads get involved in campus life, and meet grads from around campus. Event highlights are:

2:00–2:30 p.m.            Welcome from Vice Provost Nathan Urban and others
2:30–2:45 p.m.            Title IX Resources
2:45–3:00 p.m.            Mental Health Resources
3:00–3:20 p.m.            Mentoring Panel
3:00–4:30 p.m.            Resource Fair featuring ~50 offices 
4:30–6:30 p.m.            Picnic featuring student organizations

GRADUATE AND PROFESSIONAL STUDENT GOVERNMENT (GPSG)

The new Graduate and Professional Student Lounge is opening in fall 2019 in the William Pitt Union. This space is just for you! Email the Graduate and Professional Student Government for details. 

OFFICE HOURS

My next monthly office hour is on Friday, August 16, 2019, 10–11 a.m., in 809 Cathedral of Learning. No appointment is necessary. I welcome the opportunity to answer questions and discuss graduate studies at Pitt.

Nathan Urban
Vice Provost for Graduate Studies

Graduate resources: www.gradstudents.pitt.edu
Events, Policies, and News: provost.pitt.edu/students/graduate-studies
Follow: @PittGradStudies
Facebook: PittGradStudies 
E-mail: VPGraduate-Urban@pitt.edu