By CAITLIN McCULLOUGH
The University of Pittsburgh Staff Council is a volunteer group that advocates for the diverse needs of Pitt staff. We represent the interests of staff through regular communication with administration and additional channels of shared governance while providing programming relevant to staff life and needs.
We appoint members to 15 University Senate committees and eight Board of Trustees committees. Members also serve on the University Senate, University Planning and Budget Committee, the Medical Benefits Advisory Committee, and the HR Advisory Committee.
We are frequently asked for representation on numerous other committees, including search committees. The most recent and impactful are the senior administrator search committees for Chancellor Joan Gabel, Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor Joe McCarthy, and Executive Senior Vice Chancellor for Administration & Finance and Chief Financial Officer Dwayne Pinkney.
The active participation of our volunteer members ensures the perspectives and needs of staff are heard and incorporated into the policies and decisions that shape Pitt and influence the employee work environment. We are committed to working collaboratively to improve the welfare of staff, enhance professional growth, and maintain a positive workplace culture.
Early in 2024, Staff Council member Jocelyn Runyon volunteered for and was appointed to the Travel Management Company RFP Committee, which aimed to select or renew Pitt’s travel management company. One of many examples, Runyon was the perfect fit to represent the voice of Pitt staff as she herself has traveled on University business and utilizes Anthony Travel and Concur on an almost daily basis to book travel for various members of the Department of Plastic Surgery.
Staff Council also provides programming to staff throughout the University, both in person and virtually, via annual events such as our Spring Assembly, Pitt Day at Kennywood, Staff Council Spotlights and the Coffee and Conversations series.
There are various ways to benefit from and get involved in Staff Council’s work, from joining us as a member and volunteering on a committee, to bringing an idea or issue forward via a colleague who is a member. You also can subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on social media to keep up with what’s happening in the organization and around campus.
Our next Spotlight on Sept. 20 features Jamaal Wheaton, director of data and equity assessment in the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, discussing the results of the 2023 Diversity and Equity Campus Climate Survey. To learn more about what Staff Council is working on right now, come to our next open general body meeting on Oct. 16.
The mission of Staff Council leads us to acknowledge that the upcoming vote on staff unionization is a pivotal moment in our institution’s history.
We encourage all eligible staff members to participate in this process and exercise their voting rights. For more information on the voting process and what it entails, refer to the Office of Human Resources’ Staff Unionization Information page and the USW’s Pitt Staff Unionization Information.
As a reminder, the decision to form a union will be made by the majority of voters. For example, if only 11 people vote, it only takes six votes to determine the election outcome.
Caitlin McCullough is the parliamentarian of Staff Council. She is also a web content manager at Pitt Public Health.