April 17, 2020
Dear Panther Nation,
Forge Ahead! The phrase succinctly defines the spirit of Pitt. And this semester we have certainly embraced the sentiment and done just that, adapting every step of the way.
Somehow, in the midst of such different days, we have arrived at the last week of classes, and our celebration of the Class of 2020 lies ahead. It feels like both a long and short time since this academic year began. It has been a year most certainly marked by unpredictability—but, not surprising, also by so many accomplishments.
For instance, yesterday I received the outstanding news that Kathryn Fleisher has been awarded a 2020 Harry S. Truman Scholarship. Kathryn has made history by becoming Pitt’s 13th Truman Scholar and the first since 2016. She will graduate in 2021 with a double major in politics and philosophy and gender, sexuality, and women’s studies. I’m incredibly proud of her accomplishment.
And then I learned that the School of Engineering's American Society of Civil Engineers student chapter has received two awards. The first award is the Distinguished Chapter for Region 2, as the most outstanding student chapter in our region. The second award is the Ridgway Finalist Award, which means Pitt’s chapter is selected among five finalists in the national competition for the overall best student chapter among 300+ schools. Congratulations!
Recognitions like these are indicators that confirm what we already know: Pitt is moving forward, embracing the opportunities and jumping the hurdles as they appear before us. On a daily basis, faculty, staff, and students are accomplishing the excellent, the difficult, and the necessary.
Even as we are incredibly busy completing this semester, we are planning for so much more. First come our summer sessions. I am happy to report that enrollment for summer is running ahead of last year.
On a related note, for the summer 2020 term, the University's learning management system will transition to Canvas from CourseWeb (Blackboard Learn). Students have shared that they prefer a single learning management system for all courses, and I deeply appreciate faculty efforts to move their courses to Canvas. Understanding that current circumstances require additional time, extensions are available for summer courses. Faculty can request that their course(s) continue to use CourseWeb (Blackboard) through the Faculty Center. You can learn more and access updates at teaching.pitt.edu/canvas.
As we look even further ahead to the fall semester, we are on top of planning for whatever may come our way. I have established a task force that I will co-chair with Dr. James Martin, Dean of the Swanson School of Engineering. Pulling together the perspectives and expertise of faculty, students, staff, and community partners—including epidemiologists who can help us understand the changeable nature of the pandemic—we will reimagine the time ahead using every tool available.
We are uniquely positioned to lead from strength in developing creative solutions to ensure that our community thrives—from creating courses that are flexible while supporting both faculty and students, to further developing Outside the Classroom experiences that broaden student learning and enhance our collective sense of belonging, and much more. The task force will hold a retreat on April 30 to kick off our discussions.
Finally, earlier this week, I announced that the 2020-21 academic year will be the Year of Engagement. In times like these, I can think of no better theme—which was called to our attention by a fantastic student proposal. Engagement allows us to create new possibilities for humanity, for fellowship, and for innovation and discovery. And I am truly delighted that Dr. Kathy Humphrey and her office will lead this effort.
I send you best wishes for final exams, and I thank you for working so hard to remain connected and supportive of each other.
Hail to Pitt!
Ann E. Cudd
Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor
Read the original email for the April 17, 2020, Message from the Provost »