By SHANNON O. WELLS
Senate Council President Kris Kanthak will represent Pitt in Cambridge, Mass., at the American Association of Colleges and Universities conference held in March as part of its Advancing Public Trust in Higher Education initiative.
Based on the theme “Faculty Governance: Does Restoring Trust in Higher Education Start with Us,” the event will bring together faculty leaders, administrators and trustees, and experts in shared governance and higher education leadership.
The discussion will center on how faculty governance can “lead the way of fostering improved trust with administrators for the public at large,” she said during her report at the Jan. 21 Faculty Assembly meeting in Posvar Hall.
Following the conference, Kanthak said she will report on what she’s learned at the April 15 Faculty Assembly meeting.
Thanking those who joined the first Faculty Assembly meeting of 2026, Kanthak in her report said she and David Sanchez, chair of the Senate Governmental Relations Committee, planned to meet with members of the Student Governing Board (SGB) in January to “explore ways SGB and the Senate can work together toward our shared goals and interests during these difficult times.”
Kanthak went on to provide updates on University Senate committees:
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The Campus Utilization, Planning and Safety (CUPS) committee’s discussed pedestrian safety, “particularly in light of the closure of the Fifth Avenue dedicated bus lane,” she said. “The committee noted that the bus lane on Forbes is not yet operational, and this has led to some headaches over the past few weeks.”
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At its December meeting, the Senate Athletics and Recreation Committee heard a report from Chris Marks, executive director of Campus Recreation in the Division of Student Affairs, on student use of recreational spaces. He highlighted use of those spaces on students’ overall well-being and also discussed options for faculty and staff usage of the new Recreation and Wellness Center.
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The Budget Policies committee took a “deep dive” into the budget ReSTART process, “and we'll be looking into issues related to confusion about that process.” The committee has heard from several responsibility units “that the information they are getting is not what they had been expecting,” Kanthak said, noting the committee will look further into the issue to see how the Senate help facilitate better communication.
Kanthak also shared that Pitt’s Office of Research Protections will hold a webinar on Jan. 30, from noon to 1 p.m. on the new Research Misconduct Policy that recently passed through Faculty Assembly in the Senate.
She went on to mention the 2026 Senate Council elections. Open positions include three-year terms to Faculty Assembly and to each of the Senate committees and a two-year term as Senate secretary, “where you will be asked to fill the very big shoes left by Penny Morel,” professor in the Department of Immunology, who is retiring at the end of the year.
Kanthak noted that all part-time faculty with year-long contracts are eligible for election to Faculty Assembly or one of its committees.
“These are difficult times in higher education, as you know, and the role of shared governance is more important than ever,” she said, noting the University Senate will work with senates across the commonwealth on issues related to the status of higher education. “And I encourage you all to join us or continue to work with us in this important work.”
AI and other guidance
Following her report, Kanthak opened the discussion to questions or announcements. John Stoner, professor in the Dietrich School of Arts & Sciences’ Department of History, mentioned a colleague who said student athletes, “given the wild west of the transfer portal,” are showing up at Pitt “with almost no notice and needing to be, like, enrolled and moved into majors.”
“… Although Dietrich, just by size, may be disproportionately affected, but it feels like … a more humane solution (is needed) for those student athletes who, through no fault of their own, are being brought to Pitt,” Stoner said. “Also, we need to pay some attention to the student part of their portfolio. It seems like we may not have the dynamism administratively — shockingly, I know — to get those students in as quickly as they may need to.”
Noting Stoner’s “really good point,” Annette Vee, associate professor in the Dietrich School’s Department of English, said “we can bring that to the (Athletics and Recreation) committee for discussion, if that would be helpful.”
Vee went on to share that she’s starting a role with Pitt Digital as faculty liaison for AI (artificial intelligence) enablement, as the University expands the AI tools available, including Copilot and Gemini, and Anthropic’s Claude for Education.
A faculty member for 15 years, Vee, who formerly directed Pitt’s composition program, said her research area is AI and includes leading workshops with other universities and working with Pitt’s medical schools in the AI realm.
“My role is to liaise between faculty and Pitt Digital and kind of help to facilitate that communication,” she said. “I am trying to help us learn how we can move forward in terms of teaching and learning and things like that. … I’m here for you to talk to if you have questions.”
Vee said she’s seeking feedback on how best to navigate the incorporation of AI applications. “How do we get use cases? How do we help support faculty training? I’m also available to work with different departments and things like that,” she said. “I appreciate the time to introduce myself.”
Shannon Wells is a University Times reporter. Reach him at shannonw@pitt.edu.
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